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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.

Bere, Beir, n.² Also: ber, beire, beyr, bier, bijr, birre, beer, bear(e, beair; bair(e, bayr. [ME. and OE. bere.] Barley. Brede of bere, = Bere-brede.(a) a1400 Leg. S. i. 426.
Petir … bad ger bring hym bred of bere Ib. xxvii. 988.
He socht to saw thare bere and ry 1388 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 294.
Land to the sawing of sex ferlotis of bere c1420 Wynt. vii. 3615.
A boll off bere for awcht or ten [pennies] In comowne prys sawld wes then 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III. 97.
The bere, quheyt, and yrn, he tuk fra my childyr in Abyrden 1479 Acta Conc. 25/1.
The wrangwis withhalding of … x bollis of bere 1493 Crosraguel Chart. I. 57.
Extending in the hale to xxviij bollis of mele and ber 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 77.
The cornys croppis and the beris new brerd 1546 Reg. Cupar A. II. 35.
Fyftyne bollis ane pec of gude sufficient bere for thair ferme of the samyn 1604 Misc. Hist. Soc. II. 245.
Fayftine chalders vituall, tua pert mell and thrid pert ber(b) 1450 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 135.
The said Johnne sal pay … a boll of beir yheirly 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III. 93.
In grangeys, xxiiij chaldyr of beyr Ib. 94.
The Vicar … had … all the beir that I had grouand in Tayn 1504–5 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 50.
For the spoliacioun … of … fyve thraiff of beir 1535 Stewart 30004.
He … With breid of beir and cald water wes fed 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 434.
Ane pek guid and sufficient beyr 1570 Peebles B. Rec. 320.
For the inlaik of the proffit of his … yard, ane boll beir 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 467.
For kaill, candle, and knocked beir, … He never payis ane penny 1596 Dalr. I. 57/27.
The Ile called Leuis … [has] plentie of beir and aites 1614 Lett. Eccl. Affairs I. 340.
Comptand ane last and ane half last to ane chalder of beir 1659-60 Hay Diary 142.
I … saw my nighbour begin to lead in his beer 1671 Wodrow MSS. 4to XXXVII. No. 7.
One of them lost a chader of meell, bier, and grots(c) 1521 Montgomery Mem. 93.
Twelf bollis of bair 1547 Reg. Cupar A. II. 45.
v bollis … sufficient baire for ferme and teind thairof 1559 Black Bk. Taymouth 129.
The feyr [price] of maill and bayr xl s. 1564 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 8 b.
Sex bollis sex pectis bair, gud and sufficient stuff 1633 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 154.
The said Catrein … cam in … to puik sum bair(d) 1549 Treas. Acc. IX. 282.
Ane chalder of bear, price of the boll xls. 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I. 86.
Thow was apprehendit … steilling … greyn growand bear 1614 Crim. Trials III. 325.
That Robert sould send the Erllis creare, laidnit with beare and salt goodis, to Brein, in Norroway 1633 Misc. Spald. C. V. 220.
Quhatsumewir tenant … happinis to sell beair or aitis 1652 Lamont Diary 43.
About Dundie in Angus, ther was beare stowked 1692 Misc. B. Rec.100.
Eight or ten of the inhabitants trading in bear and maill

b. Attrib. with bonnok, caff, crop, knoking, lafe (loaf), mesour, schefe, shilling, stak, ȝard. c1520-c1535 Nisbet N. T. I. 12.
Jesus feade fyfe thousand men with fyue beare laiffis Id. John vi. 9.
A child is here, that has five bere laaues a1568 Pedder C. 28.
Beir bonnokkis with thame thay tak 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVI. 292.
I leif to William Mure my kyndnes & possessioun of the beir ȝaird 1612 Crim. Trials III. 220.
Ane beir stak, contening tuelf schevis of beir 1619 Edinb. Test. L. 213 b.
Ane morter stane for beirknoking with ane mell 1627 Dumfries Test. I. a. 139 b.
Extending to twelffe bollis beir meassour 1659-60 Hay Diary 128.
That John Broun should caray away his beer crop 1661 Lanark B. Rec. 187.
To stand … with ane beir sheiff on hir bak 1672 Forbes Baron Ct. 289.
He aleigis that … Walker did stolln his beir shilling in the mill of Barflat 1695 Foulis Acc. Bk. 174.
For bear calfe to the kye