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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.

Atour, Attour, prep. and adv. Also: atoure, atowre, atouir, atouer; attoure, attowre, attouer (-over), attouir, attoyr, attor(e. [App. f. At prep. and Our ‘over’, but perhaps for Outour, the first syllable being reduced by lack of stress.]

A. prep. 1. Of movement: a. Over, across. 1375 Barb. xiii. 353.
Thai had on the tothir party Bannok burne, that sa cummyrsum was … That thair mycht nane atour it ryde Ib. xix. 675.
With his teyth he can it draw Atour the fyre c1400 Troy-bk. i. 116.
Contrare wynd … That draf ws hydder attour the flod c1420 Wynt. iv. 1329.
Than Pyrrus flede Wytht mekyll schame attoure the se c1475 Wall. ii. 125.
Atour the dike thai ȝeid on athir side Ib. 264.
Thai … Atour the wattir led him with gret woo a1500 Henr. Robin & M. 122.
Malkyne went hame … Attour the holtis hair a1500 Lanc. 840.
Al his folk returnyt is … Atour the feld Ib. 872.
His folk are passit atour the furdis ilkon c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 237.
With swift course atour the flude thay frak Id. xxvii. 68.
Syne thay attour the grund cowd glyd 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 110.
The wyld geis … Atour the cite fleand hard I glyde 1535 Stewart 9494.
Syne furth with thame attouir the feild thai fuir Ib. 15511.
All in ane will … Full mony raice attouir the wall hes maid 15.. Clar. iii. 1344.
Furth thay glyd Atowre the floodis 1650 Peebles B. Rec. 390.
Nother resort to kirk or mercate or … … go abroad attowr her awin guther

b. Down over. c1475 Wall. vii. 1054.
Atour the roch the laiff ran with gret dyn a1500 Henr. Fab. 488.
Makand sair murning, With teiris greit attour hir cheikis fell a1500 Doug. K. Hart 783.
Langour the watche attour the kirnale flaw 1535 Stewart 54263.
Tha … all the laif gart loup attouir the wall a1540 Freiris Berw. 557.
Be this Freir Johine attour the stair is gane Ib. 528 (M).
He was so fers he fell attour [B. owttour] ane sek

2. Of position: Above; down over. a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 380.
Thane furth come campyonis foure, & al stud Adryane atoure, & dange hyme a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 163.
Atouir his belt his lyart lokkis lay c1500 Rowll Cursing 198.
Sum with teith and tegir tungis Attour thair chin c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 22.
Kemmit was their cleir hair, and curiouslie sched Attour their schulderis doun schyre

b. fig. Above, over, in authority or rank. c1420 Wynt. iv. 1814.
Crowthne … Wes the fyrst … Atoure the Peychtys kyng regnand 1456 Hay I. 125/34.
Princis … hafand nane atour thame in soverayntee Ib. II. 76/7.
Desyrand till have lordschip atour othir men 1510 Reg. Privy S. I. 326/1.
Our custumaris generale attour all the partis of our realme

c. fig. Over (one's head). 1571 St. A. Baxter Bks. 41.
That nane of saidis baxteris by quhit [= wheat] attour his nychtbouris heyd

3. In respect of degree, quantity or number: Above, beyond, more than. By and attour: see By prep. 1375 Barb. ii. 368.
He him-selff, atour the lave, Sa hard and hewy dyntis gave Ib. iii. 199.
Atour all thing kepys ȝow fra disparyng Ib. xx. 434.
He had nocht with him atour ten Of all men a1400 Leg. S. v. 12.
God gaf hym wittinge atoure athire of prewe thinge Ib. xxx. 534.
I haf the lufit atoure althing 1405 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 173.
Atour this the said schir Dauid here apon hase tane instrument 1418 Liber Melros 503.
He is obliged to gyf … ten pvnd … attowre the said some of fowrty pvnd c1420 Wynt. viii. 2640.
Noucht attoure aucht thowsand then Off Scottismen … Agayne thame gaddryd at Roslyne 1456 Hay II. 53/35.
Throu cheritee man lufis his God atour all thing c1420 Ratis R. 995.
Ȝarn nocht vynyng at-oure mesour 1460 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 189.
Gif ocht be done atour that, I protest for me and myne airis a1500 Seven S. 693.
He lufit me attour all wicht c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 15.
With manassing attour mesure 1535 Stewart 27604.
No man ane wedow fra hir hous suld caw Attouir ane myle for to thoill the law 15.. Clar. i. 1208.
Thai could get na tyding Of him thay luifit atoure all eardlie thing 1567 G. Ball. 60.
Quhome suld I lufe bot him, attour the laif? 1567 Sat. P. iv. 112.
O wickit wemen … In mynde malicious attoure all creatuire! 1631–2 Misc. Spald. C. V. 149.
Debursit to the said Francis … attour his ordinar allowance

b. Beyond (a certain time); after (a date). a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 1124.
Dais fyfe atoure that [he] bade c1420 Wynt. i. 1388.
Thare nakyn best off wenym may Lywe or lest atoure a day Ib. viii. 3277.
That lestyd noucht atoure foure yhere 14.. Acts I. 306/2.
For ilk frael [of woad] remanyand … vnsauld atoure the feste of Sanct Mertyn c1420 Ratis R. 1644.
Gyf ane syk eild passis at-oure 1562 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 31.
Remaining a certane space with hir Hienes, attour thair quarter, in the towne of Abirdene 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 80 b.
Gif the … King possesse the lands … attour the space of ane ȝeare and ane day 1645 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 47.
To continow … attour the space of ane yeir fra his entrie

c. In addition to. Also by and atour: see By prep. 1456 Hay I. 83.
And atour this, the thing that is of mare pris … is mare vertuous Ib. 174/3.
And [= if] his maister, atour his lefull … prisoun, do him sum outrageous injure 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 71.
Item to the said herauldis atour the iij li., xl s. 1492 Ib. 207.
Attowre the tuenty pundis contenit in the litill buke, xj li. 1526 Liber Aberbr. 456.
The sayd sowm of fowr pundys atowr the sayd threscoyr of pundys 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 184.
With careage ws and wont, attour the portar and the fisching 1585 Misc. Spald. C. II. 344.
The said sowme … besyde and attour wther gret sowmeis 1647 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 82.
Vnder the said pain of tuentie pounds attour the remoueing thairof 1665 Forbes Baron Ct. 264.
They sall not suffer tenentis to put any dust or rey attour thair ferme

4. In transgression or violation of. 1391 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 163/4.
It suld nocht be his wil … oucht to do … attour the commone lauch 1456 Hay I. 106/10.
Atour his commandement and inhibicioun Ib. 201/28.
Gif a man, banist out of a realme, war … cummyn in the realme atour his bannysching 1535 Stewart II. 12 heading.
How the Pechtis crownit ane King attouir forbidding 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xx. 39.
All action that is atouer and against the statute of the Lord is but superstition 1622-6 Bisset I. 299/19.
Gif thow sit attoure that charge to pay dalie maill xxs.

B. adv. 1. In addition, besides.See also Here-, Mare-, Thare-atour. 14.. Acts I. 369/2.
Gifand till him … the remane therof gif ocht be attour c1420 Wynt. i. 832.
In it ar countreis thryis tene And thre attoure 1434 Liber Coll. Glasg. 249.
Witnes atour … bodely takyn … Schir Richard of Are … and Schir Water Ra 1453 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 20.
The feft chaplanys that beis absent … sal tyne atour thair chaplanijs a1500 Seven S. 1763.
To schaw our sciens ȝit attoure This nycht we schape to dreme all foure c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke x. 35.
Quhat euir thou sal geue atoure, I sal yeld to thee quhen I cum agane 1530 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 132.
Protestand what was done atour suld turne him to na pregiteise 1550 Rec. Earld. Orkney 104.
Gold, silver, cunyeit and uncunyeit, cleithing and attoure, and all maner of dewiteis [etc.]

b. Introducing a further statement: (and) atour, (and) besides, (and) moreover.(1) 1440 Misc. Spald. C. V. 263.
And forthmare it is accorded … and attour it is accordit, that [etc.] 1466 Acta Aud. 3/2.
The lordis decerne [the letter] of na vale … And attour the lordis ordanis [etc.] 1482 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 45.
And attour … thir custumys to be payit … by the hevin siluir 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 280/1.
And attoure we charge … all and sindry our justicis [etc.] 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 12.
And attour, I abhor and detest all veneratioun of idollis 1580 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 253.
And attoyr … he is presentle vesseit be the prouision of God with seknes(2) 1448 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 8.
Attour thai haue promissit to the said John a reward for his … labour 1531 Bell. Boece I. 13.
Attour thay had be prophecy, that the Pichtis suld be exterminat Id. Livy II. 246.
Attore, Numa schew in his kalendare sic days as war happy 1551 Hamilton Cat. 183.
Attour the wattir of baptyme is weil figurat be the Red Se 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 97.
Attour, that serpent … In euerie toun and citie he arryuit a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1565.
Attowre now, ȝow four now Sall cum into a band 1622-6 Bisset I. 113/12.
Attoure, the said … president sall caus be called [etc.] c1650 Spalding I. 79.
Attour thay ar of intollerable grediness

2. All over; everywhere. c1420 Wynt. i. 642.
In Ynde are landys fourty and fowre Quha that sekys it all atoure Ib. vi. 431.
A gret fyreflawcht … hapnyd in Rome … All a nycht atoure fleyand a1500 Rauf C. 467.
His plaitis properlie picht attour with precious stanis 1513 Doug. vii. v. 68.
Quhy suld I dreid or spar To purches help, forsuyth, atour alquhar

3. Beyond, further. a1568 Scott xxxiv. 62.
That band I hald it best, And nocht to pass attour