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.
Quotation dates: 1513-1606
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Barbar, Barbour, a. Also: barbare, barbowir, barber, -ir. [OF. barbare, L. barbarus: cf. Barbar,n.] Barbarous: a. Of peoples or persons, customs, etc.(a) 1531 Bell. Boece I. 122 (ane rud and barbar man); 170 (to fecht aganis a barbar pepill); II. 7 (to deliver us of barbar servitude). 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 166 (the barbare eliment, the watter). 1576 Orkney Oppress. 82 (ignorant and barbar peple). 1606 Craig ii. 37 (the barbar newfound nations).(b) 1535 Stewart 4894 (sic barbour bodeis); 20456 (to execute sic barbour lawis). 1531 Bell. Boece I. 127 (the vane minassing of barbour pepill). 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 109 (fra peple barbour). 1581 Sempill Sat. P. xliii. 37 (ane barbour wolfe).(c) 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 4/11 (in that barbir strange cuntre); 106/13 (of ane barbir nature). 1562-3 Winȝet I. 108/4 (this maist barber ruidnes); 113/20.
b. Of language, words, etc.(a) c1550 Rolland Court of Venus Prol. 320 (with beggit termes and barbar toung). 1581 Cath. Tr. 129/31 (ane toung strange and barbar). c1590 Fowler 16 (the barbar grosnes of thair translationis).(b) 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 21 (with lewit barbour tong). 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 246 (my barbour rusticall indyte). 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 138 (the barbour sayingis of men unlearnit).(c) 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 16/13 (til excuse my barbir agrest termis). a1568 Bannatyne MS 216 a/5 (my barbir tung).
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"Barbar adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/barbar_adj>
