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: 1375-1420, 1475-1665
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Care, Cair, n. Also: car, caer, cear; caire, cayr(e; kair, keare. [ME. care (kare), OE. caru.]
1. Care, distress of mind, anxiety; trouble or pain.(a) 1375 Barb. xx. 586.
The banys richt honorabilly … war Erdit, with dule and mekill car a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 642.
Thi tormentis sall leste, … deand but drede in lestand car a1400 Ib. ix. 90.
With that wourd, … The seke wes heylit of his care c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 760.
Twenty thousand … They slew that nyght with dole & care c1420 Wynt. v. 1117.
The comfort off my care, my sone, Agayne the lauche to dede is done c1420 Ratis Raving 1121.
[A] child can no mare Bot lauch or gret for joy and care c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 396.
This is no thing bot eking off my car a1500 Golagros and Gawane 1121.
It semyt … that kendillit wes care(b) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 170.
Scotland is left in cayr c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 470.
Thought I haif cair, … Ȝit haif I solace a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1911.
Ȝone cursit pyot, God gif hir caire 1513 Doug. ii. vii. 19.
Our alquhar dreid, our alquhar wo and cayr c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5143.
Thay depart frome cair and cummer Frome trubyll, trauell, sturt and stryfe 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 3544.
Kindillar of cair, bald baldestrod 1567 Satirical Poems iv. 163.
My kingdome [was] cair, my wealth was ay in weir 1572 Ib. xxxii. 51.
We wait of nocht but meikle cair and cummer a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xxiii. 30.
Thy lyf is nocht bot cair without blythnes(c) a1568 Scott xxiv. 8.
Quhome to sall I complene my wo, And kyth my kairis … ? Dunb. xxi. 2 (B). The kairis kene of Cupeid king 1596 Dalr. I. 2/22.
Quhill Brutus with grett sollicitude and kair was seiking a resting place
2. Expression of grief; lamentation. a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 94.
Slepand sa he deit thare, Quham for mony mad gret care a1400 Ib. xxxiii. 163.
Mare care mad neuir ony man! a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 277.
The emprys murnyt and maid grit caire c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1446.
Boith beistis and foulis in the air In thare maneir maid mekle cair 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 1348.
The King was noyit to se hir mak sic cair
3. Assiduous or benevolent attention. 1558-66 Knox II. 57.
To lett his afflictit understand that he tuik cair for thame 1558-66 Ib. 200.
The poore … commended to our cayre 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 180.
Ȝe may considder the greit cair, The thocht and mynde scho tuke … Anent hir sone a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitland Folio MS xxix. 53.
To get sum geir ȝit man I haue greit cair 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. xxxvi.
As the foular casts his cair, His catch for to preuent 1596 Dalr. i. 94/2.
In makeng thame, appeirit na kair or trauel neglected 1602 Wemyss Corr. 55.
The cair your Maiestie hes to sie my Lord off Murray's estait sattlit 1615 Highland P. III. 203.
Thair keare teakin in advansing ȝour Ma[jes]teis seruice 1635 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 30.
Mathow wndertakis to … haif ane cair of the haill leid vpoun the … kirk 1665 Highland P. III. 31.
To recommend unto ȝour Lo[rdshi]ps caire a petition [etc.]
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"Care n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Apr 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/dost00055082>
