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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

War(r)and, v. Also: war(r)ande, -ant, waraund, warrend, uarrand(e, var(r)and, varrande, wer(r)and, wairand, warrane, varrane; (wrandand). P.p. also war(r)and, warant. [ME and e.m.E. warantyen (c1275), waraunt(en, warand(en (both 14th c.), warrant (c1400), OF warantir, warandir.] tr.

1. To protect, keep safe, take care of. 1375 Barb. ii 507.
Thaim fra thar fais mycht nocht warand Thai turnyt to the tother hand ?1438 Alex. i 2792.
He turnit oft his steidis heid To thame that he saw neir chaissand, To helpe his freindis and warrand c1420 Wynt. v 3219.
Nane lefft, that evyr wytht strenthe off hand Mycht warand the small folk fra the fycht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1359.
But dreid I sall thé warand, Baith be sey and be land, Fre as I thé first fand, With outin distance c1475 Wall. viii 978.
Wictaill as than was nayne left in the land, Bot in houssis quhar it mycht be warrand a1540 Freiris Berw. 479 (B).
Haif ȝe no dreid, I sall ȝow ay warrand 1570 Sat. P. xix 14.
This commoun weil quhat wicht sal now warrand, Sen he is gone, that gouernd vs befoir 1600 Crim. Trials II 156.
Mr. Thomas said, ‘Theiff, giff thow be innocent of ȝone sklauchter, come furth and I sall varrand thé' c1650 Spalding I 253.
The erll sendis for the toune clerk, craves this band, quhilk he refusit to him, bot deliuerit the samen to Patrik Leslie who promesit to warrand him

2. To guarantee the security of the tenure, etc. of (land, possessions, etc.) (to a person). Cf. War(r)andic(e n.3. b. With the person in possession of the property as object.Chiefly const. warrand, acquiet and defend.(a) 1392 Lennox Mun. 48.
The saydis William and Issabel … agayne al dedlyke sal warande and defend, als ferr as law wyll 1466 Acta Aud. 4/2.
James is nocht haldin to warand the said twa merkis worth of land to the saide Androu, becaus thai war bot tennandry to the saide Schir James & na proprete the tyme of the gift made to the said Andro 1478–9 Acta Aud. 78/2.
Schir William clamit ane annuell of xl s. of vmquhile James Charteris lande tobe warant to him be the said Schir William 1480 Acta Conc. I 51/2.
The said Vmfra sall warand the said Macolme the said landis of Westirdenlettir be the gevin of alsmekle … gude landis … to the said Macolme 1490 Foulis Chart. (Reg. H.) 4 Dec.
I the forsaide Jhonne Alexander … sal varrande and in perpetule sal defende the forsaide lande to the saide Johnne McAnedye 1510 Rec. Earld. Orkney 86.
Because the [said] Vilȝem apperit nocht to varand the said landis of Myn, as ves [d]empt 1511–12 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 15.
The said Jhone Scot … the forsaid landis … to the forsaid persones … againes all deidlie to hald kep warand and for all the fornemmyt terms of sewyne ȝeris, to defend 1514 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 193.
And oblist him and his airis to waraund the said land to the said Johnne Trotar for the termis and yeris of his assedacioune 1524 Holyrood Chart. 258.
The quhilk donatioune and gyfte of the said gramar skule … we … sall warrend acquiet and defende to the said maister Hary Henrysoune 1563–4 Glasgow Prot. III 50.
Robert sall warrande the saidis reversioune wnsaulde or disponit till ony wtheris … and sall warrande the sammyn fre of all byrwnnyn annuallis 1581 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 133.
And siklyk bindis and oblissis vs and our successouris to warrand acquoyet and defend this our vnioun and annexatioun to the said college 15… Newbattle Chart. (Reg. H.).
The for-said abbot [etc.] … sall varrand acquit and defend the said pece of land to the said Ranald & his airis contrar all deidly 1628 Banff Ann. I 58.
He to … warrand the grein yeird and ground thereof to be uncassin up or riwin or away caried 1681 Echt-Forbes Chart. 157.
The saids aires to warrand accquit mantaine and defend the haill lands(b) 1632 Aberd. Trades 199.
We the saidis provest, bailȝies, consale, and communitie, and our successors, sall varrane, keep, and defend all and sundry the premisses(c) 1488 Acta Aud. 114/1.
To werrand acquitt and defende to him xij merkis worth of the landis of Mersintoune 1489–90 Acta Conc. I 126/2.
William Coluile … sall werrand and kepe to Roger of Crawfurde … & Marioune … his spous the tak and assedacioune of the landis of … Lochriddin 1511 Prestwick B. Rec. 43.
I the forsaid Henry Patricksone and my airis sall werand the said tua rod of mos … to the said Thome Chepman his airis … agane all dedle for euir mairb. 1482 Reg. Morton II 245.
To warande kepe & defende the saide James … his ayris … skathles of all maner of intromittyngis mone steddengis obligacionis or guddis quhatsumeuer pertenyng to my forsaide fader or to me 1482 Acta Aud. 102/1.
Costis … that he has sustenit becaus he is nocht kepit nor warand in the sade tak 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I 325.
To warrand liberat frie and skaithles keip the said Marioun … of the said soume … at the hands of the saidis provest [etc.] 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 31.
To warrand, releive, and keip skaithles the said Mr. Robert Farquhar, his aires, executores, and successors, of the cautionrie forsaid, and of all that may follow thairon(b) 1584 Rec. Earld. Orkney 305.
We forsuith, the said erle, our airis and assignais, sall wairand, acquiet and defend the said Marie during hir lyftym, but fraud or gyle, as law will

3. To stand as guarantor for, be surety for (a person) (anent, (of) money, goods, behaviour, etc.). b. With the goods involved as object. c. reflex. To find surety for (oneself). 1482–3 Acta Aud. in Acta Conc. II cvi.
Because the said Archbald allegis that Adam Mure suld warand him anent the said some, the lordis ordanis him to call the said Adam to warand him to the said [sic] and to warn the said Adam Mure to call his warand to the said day gif he ony has 1491 Paisley B. Rec. 41.
The abbot and convent of Pastlay suld werrand him anent the takin of the said gudis becaus he did it as balye to thaim 1496 Acta Conc. II 21.
The sade David Lindesay sall warand, releif and keip skaithles the sade Nichol of the sade soume of xx li. 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 50.
The executouris of umquhile Maister Jhone Eduardsone, parsone of Bennum, was sumond to warand him the froitis 1519 Fife Sheriff Ct. 163.
That he mycht hafe ane terme to call Petir Petblatho of that ilk to warant hyme of the clame clamete be Alane Jamisone wpone hyme 1578 Montgomery Mem. II 219.
To varrand and keip the said erll skeythles … anent ony skayth or inconvenient that the said erll may incur 1600 Gunn Traquair Ch. 7.
The Presbytery condescended … to warrand the parish at the hands of Mr. Joseph Tennent as the warrant given and subscribed 1607 Kinghorn Kirk S. 9.
Hendrie Gourlay confessit that Bessie Kirkcaldie bad him play on the grit pyp and scho suld warrand him at all hands 1612 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. (ed.) 31.
David Aitkin and Alexander Paplay … becam actit cautioneris, souerteis and lawborrowis for Johne Drever … that Johne Morriell … on nawayis to be trublit [gap in MS] be the said Johne Drever … and the said Johne Drever actit him [gap] to warrand and releif his saidis cautioneris 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I 322.
His acquittance to be gevin to your ladyship contening warrandice to warrand yow thairanent at all hands havand entres, quhilk … will mak him lyable for the monyes 1668 Stitchill Baron Ct. 52.
George Hamiltoune … decerned to pay to Jeane and Euphean Andersones … sisters to the deceast Issobell … and to Alexander Maisson … spouse to the said Jeane … nyntein punds Scots mony (they finding cautioun to warrand him at the haill uthers aires and executors of the said Issobell)b. 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 6.
Oft tymis it betidis that he that is callit to warand cumis nocht to court the thing to warand that he is callit of 1555 Peebles B. Rec. I 215.
He suld warrand him the said nolt c1575 Balfour Pract. 324.
Gif he that is callit as warrand … denyis that he sould warrand the thing for the quhilk he is callit 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Claremethen.
Claremethen … concernis the warrandice of stollen cattell, or gudes: for quhen sik gudes ar challenged … all persones, quha suld warrand the samin, sall cum to certaine places [etc.] 1676 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 8 Nov.
James Gordon … to pay to John Crichtoun … fyftein pundis Scots money as the pryce of twa kine bought be the said John from the said James and quhilk he promist to warrand at all handis; yet trew it is they were taken from the said Johne be Thomas Lidderdaillc. 1434–5 Ayr B. Ct. 119b (31 Jan.).
Robbyn Petigrw ȝenterȝyt to the challans of Thomas of Beyst & the for-sayd Robbyn grayntȝyt the sellyn of ae mylstayn in playn curt & ȝech to wrandand ȝhym ȝas law wyl

4. To guarantee the quality of a piece of work. 1387 Edinb. Chart. 36.
The qwilke werke the forsaide masounys sal warande watir thicht

5. To guarantee (the use of a commodity, an allowance, etc.) to a person or persons. 1586 Reg. Cupar A. II 294.
We … hauand consideratioun of his indigens … and … in respect that we … ar bundin to varrand ane monkis portioun to him … disponis to the said Robert during his lyvetyme … ane ȝeirlie pensioun of fiftie fyve markis money in place of the said portioun 1604 Lanark B. Rec. 114.
The uther wyndis set all togider with the burn edge, for fouir merkis xxxij d., to Katte Carmychell and … Besse Weketschaw; and the corn to be warand jacent thair to all nychtburis

6. To vouch for the truth of (an opinion), to justify (an excuse); to guarantee, give an assurance of (a fact). Freq. in parenthetic use, I warrand (ȝow).(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxi 648.
Opunyonys ware sere … Bot I dare nane of thame warand 14.. Burgh Laws c. 102 (A).
Quhen he has warand his essonȝes he sall pas furth in continent till his mut but mar a1500 Rauf C. 122.
Thow art vncourtes, that sall I warrand a1500 Henr. Fab. 2489.
I sall not spair To follow him as fast as did ȝour doig, Swa that I warrand ȝe sall not want ane hoig a1540 Freiris Berw. 491 (B).
Quhen I bid ȝow stryk strek hardely In to the nek se that ȝe hit him richt That sall I warrand with all my micht a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1542 (Wr.).
Our way then lyes about the lin, Whereby, a warrand, we shal win, It is so straight and plaine 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 49/5.
Quhen any of the spirituall office beraris in the kirk speikis unto you any thing that is ueill uarrandit be the uorde reuerence & obeye thame 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 76/5.
Thay uaire busie to looke narroulie in all my actions, & I uarrande you a moate in my eye, yea a false reporte uas maitter aneuch for thame to uorke upon a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS 1684.
Why Adam put out of paradic, for knavrie I warrant yow 1601 Mar & Kellie MSS 48.
If they be men of credit and their delations be surely warranted, paynes may be irrogated to the offenders 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 454.
I warrant you (sayd he) I shal lodge him well enough ?1661-5 M. Bruce Soul-Confirmation 14.
That's a business I warrand you(b) 1562-3 Winȝet I 56/22.
A werk … I warrane ȝow, cunninglie gloissit be sum weill leirnit and discrete man … in the mergin

7. To authorise (a person), sanction (an action) (be a document, etc.) (to do something). 14.. Acts I 378/2.
Bot gif it be essonȝe … or for the kingis service the quhilk aw at the next court to be warrandit be the kingis lettres 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 35.
[The] lordis … ordanis the remissioun grantit to the capitane of Dumbertane … sall presentlie be past throw the signet … and salbe sufficiently warrant to the capitane … unto the tyme the capitane may haif the prive and greit seill raissit in dew form upon the saidis remissioun [etc.] 1638 Nat. Covenant in Facs. Nat. MSS III xcvii.
According to the laudable example of our worthie and religious progenitors … which was warranted also by act of counsell 1639 Spalding I 214.
According to the … lawis of his majesteis kingdome … and [we] sall not insist to crave any poynt whiche is not so warranted 1675 Argyll Justic. Rec. 46.
The said complainer being warranded by the comissioners of excise … to pass and quarter on the severall persons [etc.] 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i i 3 (1678) 8.
Nor can the council, by their acts, warrand any to do what would be otherwise a crime