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.
Wery, -ie, v. Also: werye, -ey, weirie, weirre, weyrie, -ey, veyrie, weary, -ie, -ey, wearrie, ueari, weerie, warie, wir(e)y. P.t. also vireit, wyreit. P.p. also werayid, wereit, -eid, -eed, -eyit, ver(r)yit, vereyt, verijt, vereid, weireit, weyreit, -eed, weareit, wyreit, -itt. [ME and e.m.E. werȝe(n (Ancr. R.), werye(n (Ayenbite), weerie(n (Chaucer), werie (c1460), wery (1475), weary (1600), OE wer(i)ᵹian, ᵹewérᵹian.]
1. tr.To be or become physically or mentally exhausted, to be tired out. b. intr.To tire.There is some overlap with sense 2.15.. Christis Kirk § 20 (Laing MS).
Thay grew as meik as any mvles That wereed wer with mailes For tyrdnes these forfochtine foules Fell doune 1567 Acts III 12/1.
In trauelling quhairin not onlie is our body, spirite and sencis sa vexit, brokin and vnquyetit that langer we ar not of habilitie … to indure sa greit and intollerabill panis and trauellis, quhairwith we ar altogidder veryit 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 533.
Weryit a1585 Maitl. Q. 249/5.
The pilgrim wereid with tormoill … At lenth vnto his native soill He doeth mak haist in hand 1594 Charteris Wall. Pref. 170.
Wallace … being sair trauellit and weryit for fault of meit & refresching, and laiking of sleip 1601 Reg. Privy C. VI 319.
[The said Andro … ] lousit the pleuch, being weirit in his persoun c1650 Spalding II 383.
We had ane fast, entering the churche be nyne houris, and contynewit praying and preiching whill tua houris … contynewit till half hour to sex. Then the prayer bell rang to the evning prayeris, and contynewit whill 7. Thus wes the people wyreit with fasting and praying 1661 Nicoll Diary 350.
Eftir his landing, being wereyit in his jurney, he causit draw furth his koatche to ane privat pairt in the feildisb. 1686 P. Gordon Diary 126.
I had not ridden four miles when one of the horses wearyed
2. To become discontented or bored (with), to tire (of some continuing state, activity, etc.). Also const. infin. Cf. SND Weary v. 1. a. intr. b. tr.a. (1) pres. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1899.
The feind … Quhilk day and nicht weryis [Bann. werye] not for to ga Sawand poysoun and mony wickit thocht In mannis saull 1553 Knox III 364.
My ald maladie trubillis me sair … Think not that I werie to visit yow; but unles my paine sall ceas, I will altogether becum unprofitable a1585 Polwart Flyt. 606 (H).
Altho I wald wearrie [T. warie; rh. : dromadarrie, pharie], Arcandams astrology, ane lainterne of laire, Affirms his blairdnes, to wisdome contrairrie 1600-1610 Melvill 17.
Deceying of the number [of pupils] … caused the maister to weirie 1641 Spalding II 9.
Malice … is so … indefatigabill, that … althogh, by force of truthe … shee hath receaved many woundis … yit dar scho oppin hir mouthe agane, and weirieth not to keip hir owne streyn(b) c1650 Spalding II 185.
About Lambes he began to wiry, and left af ony more preiching, quhairat his auditouris wes nowaies displeissit, for thay had no plesour of his unsavourie sermonisp.t. a1578 Pitsc. I 323/10.
The Earle of Angus werieit [I. vireit sair of] in Fyfe and thairfor he askit leif at the king to pas ower to Louchlevin c1650 Spalding II 141.
His auditouris war few … and at last him self wyreit and shortlie gave over this weiklie sermon moir foolishlie nor it beganp.p. 1571 J. Maitland in Sat. P. xxvii 36.
Suppois sum presentt perrell now appeir And sum hes wyritt and will nocht with us wend(2) 1597 Edinb. B. Rec. V 205.
The continewing of … thair nychtbouris in publict offices lang togidder hes bene verray hurtfull to the said nichtboures and thairfor thai haif bene movet as weyreying of the burding other to neglect thair dewty or to pas furth of the realme the tymes of thair offices 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 93/1.
Euer ueariing of the present estaite & desyrouse of nouelties c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxv 50.
Weirreis 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 314.
Weareying 1650 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 600.
To compleine and weerie of his delaying of ane deliveranceb. (1) 1575–6 Rec. Earld. Orkney 378.
Throw his lang absence, being as a strangeare, wereit and beggarit in persute of his just heretage a1585 Maitl. Q. 219/86.
Lang tyme sould I thair remaine Or that I wereit grew 1614 Crim. Trials III 303.
The depouner being weyreit in the castell and desyrous to be oute of it … he write ane letter 1615 Barclay in Skeyne Descr. Well Introd. 18.
Neither will I wearie the lector with any longer discourse c1650 Spalding I 174.
The Erll Marschall takis in the toune of Abirdein at his owne hand … now calling him self governour of Abirdein … whairat the tounes people becam vexit and wiryit(2) 1561 Cal. Sc. P. I 557.
[The poor gentleman] now vereyt and irkytt of lang troubillis and banishement 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 264.
The saids burgessis [etc.] … being verijt and irkit of thair trubill preceiding a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 81.
Thay could cum a land, Mortoun awaittit lang to have been avengeit on thayme; bot he was weareit with lang attendance, and so went his wayis 1592 Cal. Sc. P. X 706.
Weryed 1616 Reg. Privy C. X 556.
Weireit 1620 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 42.
[Some of the Maxwells] being irkit and weyryed with the present peace 1621 Misc. Maitl. C. III 40.
Weyreed 1622-6 Bisset II 154/16.
Constantyne … beand vereid of his lyfe … past to ane monasterie 1668 Laing MSS 371.
The first ministers are weried of the seconds a1699 Sel. Biog. II 137.
I was wearied and loadened with myself, my sins, and duties
3. tr. a. To exhaust (a person) physically or mentally; to trouble, vex (a person). Also reflex. b. transf. Of a thing: To enfeeble, debilitate (a person).(a) 1567 Warrender P. (SHS) I 48.
[We] being alreddy werayid and almaist broken with the frequent uproris and rebelliones [could no longer sustain alone the burden of government] 1597–8 Reg. Privy C. V 434.
[His majesty however] finding the present seasoun of the yeir nawayes meit for travell, and thairwithall his heynes not being willing to wirey his gude subjectis with extraordiner panes and travellis, and considdering that [etc.] 1598 Reg. Privy C. V 469.
Werey 1610 Reg. Privy C. IX 40.
Sa mony unworthy complayntis … whilkis … hes provin to be malitiouslie raised, of plane purpois to fashe, trouble and weyrie thair nightbouris 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX 216.
[The said Lords, having accepted this submission, and] being loathe to veyrie the saidis personis with unnecessar and lang attendance ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III 145.
Councell was givne to his Majesty to alaram them upon the borders, keepe them in continwall vexatione till they be impoverishd and wearyed(b) 1596 Irons Leith I 565.
Ane greit nwmber of the inhabitantis of the said tovn of Leith being becwmin werrie puir, verryit and irkit [for] money and almaist daylie contributiones … raisit of thame for thir twrnisreflex. 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 426.
The many foolish conceits and dangerous customes, in the critical and peremptory observance whereof, many of the Scotish-Irish weary and burthen themselvsb. 1604 James VI Tobacco 95/31.
As medicine helpes nature being taken at times of necessitie, so being euer and continually vsed, it doth but weaken, wearie, and weare nature
