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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.

Gard, Gaird, n. Also: garde, gairde; gward, guaird. [e.m.E. guard(e, gard, ME. garde (1426), OF. garde, guarde.]

1. Keeping, care, protection. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1241.
All erdly riches and ruse is noght in thair garde 1490 Irland Mir. I. 63/15.
The devin providence was mare deligent for his saule … than for the gard and keping of his body a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. ci. 86.
Thairfore ȝe sould tak rycht gude garde Or lestand feid ȝe on ȝou bring c1600 Montg. Suppl. 200/48.
I sell stand vpoun my gaird 1615 Crim. Trials III. 277.
Ane airmie of fyve hundreth men airmit for ȝour guaird and defence c1650 Spalding I. 277.
Letteris … craveing him to be send with ane regiment for thair gaird and protectioun

2. A number of armed men engaged to protect a person or place.(a) 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 43.
Gevin to Schetho … passande with lettres … for the ditte and the garde, vij s. a1500 Seven S. 2305.
He … bad him boun To be in to the kingis gard 1533 Boece viii. v. 258 b.
He subormt ane parte of the garde … that war blindit to covatice 1535 Stewart 45687.
Wes neuir sene, nother with lord nor lard, As he with him had sic ane graceles gard 1570 Leslie 241.
Ane archear of the King of France gard 1596 Dalr. I. 184/23.
Quhomeuer he suspected he commandet his garde to slay(b) 1535 Stewart 13965.
Bayth land and gude in to that graceles gaird, He sparit nocht to gif thame in rewaird c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 591.
All capitanes of the kingis gairdis Gaif to the squyer riche rewairdis Ib. 1417.
He and his gaird 1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 319.
The archearis of the Quenis Majesteis gaird a1578 Pitsc. I. 288/13.
This Duike passit to the sie with … xxiiij gentillmen in his gaird 1596 Dalr. I. 151/23.
Out of al partes he gathiret a gaird … as impudent as him selfe 1613 Highland P. III. 135.
Chargis ar direct aganis the … keeparis of Allaster … for delyuerie of him to one of the gaird 1660 Peebles B. Rec. 424.
Payd for ten stone of colle furnished to the gaird 1695 S. Leith Rec. 179.
To speak to the accommodant to desyre him to appoint the gaird to assist the searchers on the Sabath(c) a1578 Pitsc. I. 27/30.
The gouernoure … retinit ane gret gward of men of weir 1683–4 Stirling B. Rec. II. 326.
Ane whyt iron candlestick to the guaird … Item, to the guaird ane bowatt 1692 Conv. Burghs IV. 635.
For coall and candle to the guaird

3. A protective device; esp. a sword-guard. 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 367.
Four gret gardis for justing 1538 Ib. VII. 13.
For ane grete garde to the first harnes 1577 Edinb. Test. V. 197 b.
Ane pair of … hiltis or gairdis with plummettis 1592 Ib. XXIV. 87 b.
Thrie pair of suord gairdis 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 20.
He kepit the straik of the stalfe be casting wp the gairdis of the sourd c 1614 Rep. Hist. MSS. I. 138.
Two fyne gilt swordis … , the gairdis of thame lyk to Sir James Sempillis

b. comb. 1569 Edinb. Hammermen 232.
Thomas Cwnynghame gairdmakar payit for his vpset xx lib. 1583 Ib. III. 33.
Robert Lyall, gairdmakar

4. = Gardenap. (Cf. Garding n.) 1578 Maxwell Mem. 312.
Ane tyn pynt, ane tin quart, ane tin gaird 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 128.
Ane grit chargeour plait … , ane gaird of bras