A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1437-1575
[0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Herber(e, Herbar(e, n.1 Also: herbeir, herbir. [ME. herber(e (c 1300), AF. herber, OF. herbier. Cf. Harbeir n.] A garden of herbs or flowers; a flower-garden. Also fig.(a) 1456 Hay II. 6/1.
A faire well … quhilk … past throu the herber till othir gardynnis and preaux 1456 Ib. 143/30.
Men suld sytt on faire bynkis on thai herberis c1508 Chepman and Myllar Prints (S.T.S.) 156/4.
The fynkle [is] fadit in oure grene herbere 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 673.
At a posterne towart the fair herbeir 1513 Id. Æn. xii. Prol. 150.
Thir galȝart gardyngis and ilk greyn herbere 1575 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. 88.
With hows, herbir, eng and owthell(b) 1456 Hay I. 162/20.
A gude gardenare … quhen he wedis his herbare 1456 Ib. II. 143/27.
Thare suld be fair herbaris with herbis of diuers naturis 1505 Blackfriars Perth 110.
Le Gyltin Herbare ex australi [parte] 1553 Ib. 233.
Quhilk pece land is callit the Gilt Herbar … and was callit … in auld tymes the Kings Gardynefig. c1515 Kennedy Asloan MS II. 272/2.
Aue Maria, herbar of amouris
b. Attrib. with halche, hill. 1437 Reg. Dunferm. 285.
The gate liand be north the herber hill 1495 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 524.
Reservatis … Monte Castri cum castro eiusdem ac le Herberr Halche
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Herber n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/herbere_n>
