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

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

Fer, adv. Also: fere, ferr. [ME. ferr(e, fer, OE. feorr. See also Ferrar, Ferrest.]

1. At a (great) distance; a long way. = Far adv. 1. 1375 Barb. iii. 411.
It wes fer about to ga Ib. xiv. 277.
We ar fra hayme to fer to fle a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 171.
I sal nocht be fere away c1420 Wynt. iv. 242.
The stoure fere owre thare hewydis stude Ib. viii. 3770.
Swme off thame war fere hym fra 1456 Hay II. 92/27.
It efferis wele to a prince to have a hye voce that he may be herd ferr off a1500 Rauf C. 69.
Fer furth in the forest, amang the fellis hie a1500 Colk. Sow 112.
I hald the folk best fure That stud fer without the dure c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 487.
Mony blenkis ben our, that but full fer sittis 1513 Doug. i. vi. 129.
I seik Itale and our auld cuntre fer [: Jupiter]fig. a1500 Bk. Chess 1557.
In dreid so am I set To get a wer thocht it be fer to get 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 123.
The rycht sentens perchance is fer to seik

b. In the phrase fer and (also or, na, nor) nere. 1375 Barb. viii. 257.
Thar is nane then, fer na ner, In all thys land that us thar doute Ib. xvii. 283.
He gert bath fer and neir His host haly assemblit be a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 134.
Assay He wald gyf men mycht fere ore nere Of hyre ony tything heyre c1420 Wynt. v. 1095.
He wes als sa liberale, … Till all abowt hym, fere and neyre a1500 Henr. III. 97/42.
The king gart seik baith fer and neir, Beth be se and land a1500 Rauf C. 411.
He saw na thing on steir, Nouther fer nor neir 1513 Doug. vii. xi. 150.
Of thar bruyt resoundis the ryveir, And all the laik of Asya fer and neir 1519 Buccleuch Mun. II. 136.
Landis … fer and neir, als weil nocht nemmit as nemmyt 1550 Rec. Earld. Orkney 239.
Land in muyr and dail, witht auld marchis and new, fer and neir

c. A long time; late. c1420 Wynt. v. 922.
Fra are none off the evyn beforne … Quhill the day fer efftyre nowne

2. To a (great) distance. = Far adv. 2. a1400 Leg. S. i. 191.
He send twa, at worthy ware, Twenty iornais fer and mare c1420 Wynt. vii. 48.
The Kyng and that lord … Togydder rad, … Fere in the wode ?1438 Alex. ii. 1412.
Als fer as ane bow mycht draw, Durst nane approche Ib. 10169.
Porrus dushit with that fer by c1475 Wall. iv. 218.
He … thocht to assaill it, fer by or he wald pass

3. To a great extent; in a high degree. = Far adv. 3. Freq. with comparative adjs. and advs.(1) 1375 Barb. iv. 22.
It wes fer wer than tratoury Ib. viii. 457.
He wald ysche fer the blithlyer a1400 Leg. S. i. 638.
His face thane the sone fer brichtair wes c1420 Wynt. v. 827.
Ane Empryowre suld ay … Than the erde fere hyere be 1456 Hay II. 61/18.
Fors of humilitee spirituale, that is fer mare vertuouse [than corporal force] c1475 Wall. ii. 212.
For thou till hir was fer derer than gold c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvii. 95 (A).
Quhilk style to kepe thai had fer levire Na ony armes beire 1592 Reg. Privy C. V. 19.
With fer gritair rigour nor with forayne inemeyis(2) 1375 Barb. xvii. 273.
That, quhill thame likit thair to ly, Thai suld fer out the trastar be 1456 Hay I. 81/32.
With mony examplis that lang war to compt and fer fra the purpos c1460 Thewis of Gud Women 42.
[A woman should] Nocht our fer pres hir till avans a1500 Bk. Chess 379.
Am I nocht set to fer in sic misdeid? 1531 Soc. Ant. II. 390.
The towne is pur and fer in det 1533 Bell. Livy II. 135.
Howbeit he wes waik, and fer run in yeris 1533 Boece viii. xiv. 284.
In this tyme, or nocht fer by, haly men schynyng in doctryne war liffand 1587 Reg. Privy C. IV. 203.
Nevertheless, fer by his expectatioun, Patrik Leslie … come … and dang ane servand

b. Als fer, sa fer, to such an extent. Also freq. in als, or sa, fer. = Far adv. 3 b.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xli. 169.
The bordale wes … The place of haly prayer mad Sa fer that [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2603.
Als fer as he did him scaith 1440 Antiq. Aberd. & Banff IV. 192.
The quhilkis … sal be jugeit and admittit als ferre as thai arre of force a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1509.
With syn thair sicht sa fer is now ourset c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 261.
Surmounting ewiry tong terrestriall, Alls fer as Mayes morow dois mydnycht 1513 Reg. Privy S. I. 383/2.
Without prejudice of the said Williamis rycht sa fer as he ma optene be justice frelie 1516 Ib. 441/2.
Dene Thomas proponis … to supple as fere as it may be to him possible the rest of the placis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 7/31.
Sua ȝe nobilis hes destroyit the trew religioun … sa fer as ȝe mycht(2) c1420 Wynt. viii. 940.
The crown … Till the Ballyoll suld fall off law, In als fere as thai couth knawe 1442 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 307.
In alsfere as in ȝow is [ȝe sal] kepe the saide Castele … vnhurt 1466 Acta Aud. 4/1.
The hale thrid of the saide landis … in sa fer as hir husband deit vest and sesit 1533 Bell. Livy II. 89/17.
In safer as les effray and danger wes … , in safer was the more aduertence tane 1562-3 Winȝet I. 82/27.
In sa fer as ȝewald punis sin, We dissent nocht fra ȝou

c. This fer, to this extent, thus much. c1500 Fyve Bestes 241.
As thai war talkand this fer thaim amang c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 219.
This fer, deir brether, … for the first heid

4. Quasi-n. (Cf. Far adv. 4) a. Of fer, from a distance. On fer, at a distance. 1375 Barb. v. 598.
Stand on fer and behald vs to Ib. vi. 87.
He herd … A hundis quhistlyng apon fer a1400 Leg. S. i. 487.
Lat Symon on fer stand fra the bede ?1438 Alex. ii. 4493.
Was nane of thame durst nych him neir, Bot all on fer assailȝeit him seir 1456 Hay II. 49/11.
Sa that men … suld se him of fer 1492 Myll Spect. 281/4.
He stud on fer and schot at him c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 436.
Quhen frendis of my husbandis behaldis me on fer

b. Be fer, by far, greatly, very much. 1375 Barb. xi. 605.
Quhenar be full fer war thai Than thair fayis a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 909.
Adriane … was mykil war To cristine men than he, be fer c1420 Wynt. viii. 5526.
The mwne that rynnys nere Till ws than doys the swne be fere c1420 Ratis R. 242.
Mony men … Tynis thar lyf, … that is were Than vthir tynsell is be fere a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 19.
We ar … Farar be fer than ever was Absalon c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 614.
God … sall … punysche ȝow be fer moir creuellie