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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Air, Are, n.² Also: aire, ayre, ayer, ayr, eare. [ME. eir (c 1300), air, aier, ayre, etc., OF. air, L. āer.]

1. The space or region occupied by the atmosphere; the upper portion of this. Chiefly in phr. in the air.(a) a1400 Leg. S. i. 272 (in the ayre ma I now fle); ii. 273. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 441 (one herne, out of the ayre fleande). c1420 Wynt. i. 646 (on hycht wp tyll the ayre); vi. 77 (sternys in the ayre fleand). 1456 Hay I. 58/27 (a grete flambe of fyre in the aire). 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 100 (the stormy clowdis our al the ayr gan rowt). a1570-86 Maitl. F. lx. 10 (ony prince vnder the air).(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii. 493 (feyndis fulfillit the are). a1500 Colk. Sow 127 (the foulis of the are). 1533 Bell. Livy I. 80/22 (ane erne discendit out of the are). 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 43 R (the foulis in the are).

2. The atmosphere.c1420 Wynt. i. 727 (a pupyll but othir met than of ayre); iv. 1002 (the ayre sa fell was off the stynk). ?1438 Alex. ii. 1930 (for the heit of are). 1456 Hay II. 130/28 (the ayre worthis cald). a1500 Henr. Test. Cr. 17 (the northin wind had purifyit the air). c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 115 (his luke was lyke for to perturb the aire). 1549 Compl. 34/2 (eird, vattir, ayr, ande fyir). c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 468 (your gredynes fylis the air).

b. The atmosphere in a specified condition, esp. as being agreeable or healthy, or the reverse.c1400 Troy-bk. i. 260 (for suetnes of that nobile ayre); ii. 1706 (the soft aire). c1420 Wynt. i. 1385 (ane land of nobyl ayre); vi. 1904 (the delyte of halesum ayre). 1456 Hay II. 143/22 (quhare thare war gude ayer). c1420 Ratis R. 156 (stinkand aire vnpure). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 35 (the ayr infect). 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 87 (the callour ayr, penetratyve and puyr).

3. In the phrase to tak the air.1375 Barb. vi. 304 (the kyng of his basnet had tane, to tak the air). c1420 Wynt. iv. 757 (youe to refresche and ta the ayre). 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. vi (to tak the recent aire). c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 478 (the squyer liftit his uisair … to take the air). 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 131 (to rin thair hors and tak the ayre). a1578 Pitsc. II. 79/19 (takand the air and luikand about him). 1621 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 251 (when the king is abroad to take good eare in his coatch).

4. A gentle blowing, a breath, of wind. 1596 Dalr. I. 30/12.
Nocht sa mekle as ane are of wind wil be harde 1587-99 Hume iii. 76.
The time sa tranquill is and still, That na where sall ye find … Ane aire of peeping wind