Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Fary, Farie, n. Also: farye, fari, fayrie, fearrie; pharie, phary, pl. phareis. [e.m.E. fairy (farey, phary), ME. fairye, faierie, etc., OF. faierie, faerie, f. fae, a fay or fairy.]

1. The fairy folk; fairy-land. a1500 Henr. Orph. 119 (A).
Erudices, your quene, Is with the fary [B. phary] tane befor myne ene c1500 Crying of Play ii.
I am the nakit Blynd Hary, That lang has bene in [B. with] the fary Farleis to find a1585 Polwart Flyt. 637 (T).
Ane claverand cohubie that crakis of the farie [v.r. pharie] 1603 Philotus cxxviii.
Gang hence to Hell or to the Farie, With me thow may na langer tarie 1615 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 167.
Jonet Drever … convict and giltie of … haveing conversation with the fary xxvi ȝeiris bygane

b. King, Quene, or Court of Fary. Also Fary Quene. a1500 Henr. Orph. 126.
Scho … fellin swoun; with that the quene of fary Claucht hir wp sone, and furth with hir can cary c1500-c1512 Dunb. 15.
His mother was ane Farie Queyn, Gottin be sossery 15.. Berdok 29.
The king of fary, hir fader, than blew out, And socht Berdok all the land abowt 15.. Clar. v. 974.
Queine Proserpina with hir Court of Fari 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1536 (B).
I pray the alreche quene of fary To be ȝour protectioun 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 5 (B).
Me thocht the king of farye had me tane a1605 Montg. Flyt. 275 (T).
The king of pharie [v.r. fary] … With mony alrege incubus 1603 Philotus cxxii.
I conjure thé be Sanct Marie, Be alrisch king and Queene of Farie 1662 Crim. Trials III. 604.
The Qwein of Fearrie is brawlie clothed, … the King of Fearrie is a braw man

c. A single fairy. 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 371.
Ane carling of the Quene of Phareis, That ewill win geir to elphyne careis 1611-57 Mure Dido ii. 300.
Montaine faryes did bewaile the chance Ib. iii. 100.
The priest … doth showt On fiends and pharyes thither to repare 1628 Stirling Ant. IV. 187.
He … put one elff-arrow stone in the water becaus it was ane remedie against the fairies schott 1662 Highland P. III. 23.
She answered The disease ailed herwas blasting with the faryes Ib. 27.
Blasting is a whirlwinde that the fayries raises about that persone quhich they intend to wrong

d. Attrib. with folk, man. 1615 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 167.
Jonet Drever, … convict and giltie of the fostering of ane bairne in the hill of Westray to the fary folk, callit of hir our guid nichbouris 1616 Ib. 189.
The blak man came to hir … and callit him selff ane farie man quha wes sumtyme her kinsman 1623 Crim. Trials II. 537.
Being askit ‘If scho hed ony conversatioun with the farye-folk?’ answerit [etc.] 1628 Stirling Ant. IV. 185.
[He had learned the practices] of the fairye folk quhom he had sein in boidilie schapes in sindrie places

2. A vision as of fairies; an illusion. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1767.
I tuke my club and hamewart couth I carie Swa ferliand as I had sene ane farie c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 11.
Thane thocht I thus, this is ane felloun phary Ib. iii.
Than as ane fary thai to duir did frak

3. A dazed or excited state of mind. a1500 Henr. III. 153/86.
It sall fle thame, in faith, out of the fary 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. Prol. 107.
Amyd the virgultis all in till a fary, As feminine so feblit fell I down Ib. iii. 585.
I persaue thé halflingis in ane farie Id. Æn. x. xiv. 31.
Baith hys handis … [he] Towart the hevin vphevis in a fary