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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.

Labourar, Laubourar, n. Also: labo(u)rar(e, -er, labowrer; laubo(u)rar(e, -er(e, lawborar, -er; lauberar. [ME. labourer, laborer (c 1325); f. Labour v.]

1. One who performs manual work. a. Commonly, one who tills the soil; a landworker or peasant. Also, more fully, labourar of the erde, gr(o)und, land, and land-laborar.(a) 1424 Acts II. 8/1.
That ilk man of sympil estate that of resone suld be a laborar haf other half an ox in the pluch or ellis delff ilk werk day vii fut on lenth and vii on breyd 1456 Hay I. 64/27.
Thare was a labourare … at his pleuch gangand Ib. 160/15.
Throu the quhilkis labouraris merchandis and men of craft all the warld is sustenyt Ib. 239/12.
Labouraris of the erde, as plewmen, harow men, wyne men, and all labouraris and delvaris of the erde 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2806.
That al the temporal lands Be set in few to laboreris with thair hands 1596 Dalr. I. 96/14.
Thay ar bent mair willinglie … to seditione and stryfe than to be labourars of the ground or men of craft 1598 St. A. Baxter Bks. 54.
[To] bring the victuall fra the laboraris of the ground and husbondmen 1675 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 291.
It … shall be leasome to any land laborars or others to take and remove any middings … they shall first … apprehend 1678 Rothesay B. Rec. 356.
That every inhabitant labourer within the toune … saw halfe a fortpeit peck of peize upon ilk boll sawing of corne and beir 1681 Stair Inst. ii. iii. 80.
Hereȝeld … is … the gratuity left by the labourers of the ground to their master(b) c1460 Thewys Wysmen 57.
Thai do bot opnis the erde newly, As lawboureris dois, teland thar land 1457 Acts II. 49/2.
That na lauborars nor husbands weir on the werk day bot gray and quhit a1500 Henr. Fab. 1713.
Greit mirth I tuke … Of lauboraris to se the besines, Sum makand dyke, and sum the pleuch can wynd a1500 Bk. Chess 1334.
This lauborar he suld be trew & traist Vnto his lord 1513 Doug. ii. x. 116.
So as ȝhe se The lauboreris into the montanys hie … hak and hew A mekil ayk Ib. xiii. Prol. 170.
Sone our the feildis schynys the lycht cleir, Welcum to pilgrym baith and lauborer 1522–3 Fife Sheriff Ct. 276.
Thai being pure bodys & hes na takkis nore steidingis of thare awine bot seruandis & lauboraris of the grond to wtheris personis 1535 Stewart 2079.
Leill lawboraris for law hes left the land 1528 Lynd. Dreme 313.
Sum part thair was [in hell] of vnleill lauboraris 1558-66 Knox II. 223.
We speake … in favouris of the poore and the lawboraris defraudit … by the preastis 1585 Waus Corr. II. 338.
Considering the greit difficulitie to get out the lauborarris of the grund with cariage 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 207.
The yemen and lauboreris of the groun wanting that … pryce wiche formarlie thei ressavit by the seall of thair wolls 1656 Edinb. Test. LXVIII. 231.
Certan keartis, waineis, plewches and vther necessaris be loinging to ane lawborer of the grund(c) 1549 Compl. 77/31.
Gedeon … vas ane pure lauberar of lytil reputatione and discendit of smal linage Ib. 124/7.
Ther is nay thing on the lauberaris of the grond to burcht and land bot arrage, carage [etc.]

b. One who does manual work of any kind; a workman. Also attrib. with folkis.Also hand-lawborer, handy-labourar, q.v. — 1456 Hay I. 159/28.
The pure creaturis … quhilkis ar bot pore labouraris of the cornis and wynis and othir pore labouraris that mynisteris of thair labour lyfing to all the statis of the warlde a1500 Henr. Fab. 2699.
The pure pepill this lamb may signifie, As maill men, merchandis, & all lauboreris 1497–8 Acta Conc. II. 102.
That na … persone tak fra ony fischare … ony maner of fisch bot it thai pay for, that the lauboraris fischaris be ressonably emplesit c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 20/13.
[The priest] suld speir at … lauboraris anentis thair merchandice manswering & okire 1549 Compl. 25/15.
Mecanyc lauberaris sal reproche gentil men Ib. 124/4.
Laubereris to burcht & land and be see burd 1551 Hamilton Cat. 10.
Defraudaris of waigis fra servandis or labourarisattrib. a1538 Abell 76 a.
Knythtis … suld defend wedois fathirles barnis and laboraris folkis

2. One who performs work upon (something specific). a. One who cultivates a particular piece of land. 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II. 389.
That the tennandis and lauboraris of the landis the quhilkis ar now prisit to the sade Schir Alexander, to be unvexit be the sade Jhone 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 69.
The personis occupieris manureris and laboureris of the saidis landis 1548 Red Bk. Menteith II. 334.
With power to imput & output subtenentis & laboraris 1549 Reg. Cupar A. II. 240.
The said subtenentis beand husbandmen, lawboraris of the said grund, and duellaris thairupon 1567 Liber Dryburgh 396.
Spent to the lauberaris of my lordis tua yairdis in breid a1578 Pitsc. I. 395/26.
The occupyaris and laboraris of the samin [lands] sould be constranit to pay the ȝeirlie dewtieis … of the saidis landis

b. A worker in or of (a mine, a raw material, etc.). 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III. 8/2.
To by … fra the lauboraris of the saidis myndis the gold and silvir that salhappin tobe gottin 1586–7 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 481.
Be insufficient wark of ignorant persouns, lawborers bayth in blak wark and barket ledder 1601 Conv. Burghs II. 98.
For hamebringing of strangeris, craftismen, makeris of claith, lauboureris of woll [etc.]

3. a. One who works by negotiation or influence to some end. 1533 Boece ii. v. 67.
Dowale … was the lauborare that ȝong Rewthare … suld haue the dochter of Gethus … in mariage

b. One who does work of any kind. 1611 Lothian Dioc. Synod 108.
To teich and minister the sacramentis in his awin persoun, all substituitis and follow laboraris being secludit