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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.

Gers, n. Also: gerse, geirs. [Northern ME. gers(e, OE. gers, gærs. Cf. Gars, Girs(e.]

1. Grass. Also in pl.Very common throughout the 16th cent. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 791.
Nere about hyr greu rycht nocht, … Gers, na tre 1397 Douglas Chart. 37.
[Thai] sal haf the gers of the wode … til thair hors 14.. Acts I. 326/2.
Gif the king will set gers be the tym of fogage ?1438 Alex. ii. 9352.
Baith erd and gers of blude vox red 1471 Acta Aud. 20/2.
Distrublans … in the eting and distroying of thair gers 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 63.
Herbis, flowris, and gersis wallowyt away Ib. iii. iv. 25 (Sm).
Flockis and hirdis … In the rank gersis [B. gyrs] pasturing 1533 Boece i. viii. 53.
That regioun … full of gude pasture and naturale gers 1557 Peebles B. Rec. 243.
That euery freman … salbe fre to vse the gers … with thair bestials this ȝere 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 184.
The use of the gerse of the medo quhen it is mawin 1617 Montgomery Mem. 276.
For ane hwik to scheir gers with 1621 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 222.
To warne the nichtboures against Wednesday nixt for setting of the gers of the borrow loch

b. A grassy spot. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 22/22.
He lay doun in ane halesum and plentuus gers [L. loco herbido]

2. Attrib. with beif, hauch, mail, mart, pile, roum, yaird. 1454 Exch. R. V. 661.
De xij martis dictis gerse martis 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 91.
Rendryng … the gers pilis thar hycht 1545 Reg. Privy C. I. 3.
The best carcage of gerse beiff 1592 Reg. Great S. 713/2.
The Magdalein yaird, lyand adjacent to the nixt gers-yaird 1595 Stirling Chart. 218.
Kingis maill, gers maill, and stallange 1595 Reg. Great S. 131/1.
Pascuam lie gers roume de Glasquhorie 1597 Ib. 258/1.
Peciam terre … cum lie gers hauche adjacente