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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hard, adj. Also: harde; herd, haird. [ME. hard, herd, OE. heard.]

1. Hard, in various usual senses.a. a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 1379 (the erde hard was thane). ?1438 Alex. ii. 1448 (his sword richt hard to sheir). a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 186 (in hard harnes). c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 179 (hard hurcheoun). 1533 Boece ix. xvi. 330 (his wame was boldin and hard). 1570 Sat. P. xv. 6 (ȝe hard rocks, ryue for sorrow). 1596 Wedderburn Compt Bk. 46 (twa furris hard keill).absol. 1504 (1584) Reg. Great S. 239/2.
Keipand betuix the nesche and the hard north and northeist a1500 Doug. K. Hart 62.
The heit, the cauld, the harde and eik the soft 1618 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 371.
Ascending … betuix the nesche and the hardcomb. a1500 Henr. Fab. 895.
The hardbakkit [B. hard-bak] hurcheoun a1500 Rauf C. 831.
Thay hard harnest men, thay hewit on in haistb. (1) 1375 Barb. ii. 369 (sa hard and hewy dyntis). Ib. xiv. 26 (Schir Philip … sekir was in herd assay). c1420 Wynt. ii. 403 (yhet ware thai set in hardare pres). ?1438 Alex. i. 578 (for force of hard fechting).(2) 1375 Barb. i. 265 (how hard a thing that threldome is). Ib. 267 (wedding is the hardest band). a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 822 (fayndingis that war hard & il). Ib. xxxvi. 1065 (he fel in hard seknes). c1420 Wynt. ii. 344 (than was he put in hard presowne). Ib. iv. 32 (throw hard tempest and swdane cas). 1456 Hay II. 39/9 (religiouse of the hardest order that is). c1450 Cr. Deyng 2 (dede semys harde … to mony men). a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 324 (hard is thy dome). 1513 Doug. iii. v. 46 (that hard dissyverance). 1596 Lett. & State P. Jas. VI 16 (my hardest hap). 1629 Maxwell Mem. II. 202 (the hardest prison that dettouris is put in).(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii. 387 (in herd payne ay ourcom he). c1420 Wynt. vi. 1093 (in till herd pyne). 1533 Boece ii. xii. 84 b (scho liffit ane herd and narow liffe). a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxiii. 8 (than sall eird haue herd departing).(c) 1610 7th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 723/1 (the beginning [of the voyage] wes sumquhat haird).(3) 1375 Barb. vii. 103.
I trow he suld be hard to sla Ib. 352.
[A] nobill hert … Is hard till ourcum c1420 Wynt. vi. 2351.
In genealogy to procede Name be name is hard in dede ?1438 Alex. ii. 5479.
The hardest [task] lyis at the escheuing 1558-66 Knox I. 304.
Yf it sall happin … any hard-place of Scripture to be redd c 1568 Maxwell Mem. II. 131.
Commonis is hard to caus understand thair avin weillisc. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 707 (ȝoure hartis ar herd as flynt). c1420 Wynt. ii. 524.
Thareoff, … be kynd we ta For tyll be dowre and harde alsua 1456 Hay I. 16/34 (hard hertit heretikis). a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1179 (herd hertis). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxii. 29 (harde or dour, or mercyles).(2) 1640 Aberd. Council Lett. II. 197.
Ane haird letter … against Doctor Sibbaltt [etc.]

2. a. Of wind: Dry, not carrying rain. 1456 Hay II. 128/8.
The wyndis ar mare lowin and mare dryand na in winter and hardar

b. fig. Of the mind: Insensitive, dull, blunt. 1549 Compl. 22/3.
Oure vit is ouer febil, oure ingyne ouer harde

3. In special applications of sense 1 a.

a. Of hides: Hardened by being allowed to dry. 1460 Exch. R. VI. 664.
In sex martis mortuis … quarum corria, videlicet hard hidis, cum sex corriis dictis similiter hard hidis [etc.] 1494 Acta Aud. 186/2.
The sovmme … aucht be him to the said Elene for hard hidis 1557 Inverness Rec. I. 7.
Ane hard hyd

b. Of fish: Dried. Esp. hard fisch. 1512 Household Bk. Jas. IV 4 a.
Coft xl hard fisch pryce x d. 1516 Fam. Rose 189.
Twa hundreth herd killing … , ane hundreth herd scat 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 83.
Thay payand ȝeirlie … cariage to our hard fysche in tyme of ȝeir Ib. 87. 1590 Black Bk. Taymouth 302.
Enterit of hard fische, that com out of the kilbarne of Ballach 1695 Scots Mag. (April 1890) 384.
For a hard fish, [14 s.]

c. In hard sege, on a hard dok, ? on a firm bottom, firmly aground. c1420 Bute MS. 174.
Gyf the schip be in harde sege the mayster aw to ger the schipmen amend it sone at the schyp tak na skath 1590 Welwod 53.
Gif the schip lyes on a hard dok or swing ouer in a dry harbery

d. Hard bread, oatcake. 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 89.
Cryes he ... Give me a piece of that hard bread (for so they call their oat cakes)