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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.

Littar, n. Also: -are, -air, -er, -ir, -or, litire, lyttar, -er, letter. [ME. liter(e (Cursor M.), litt-, lytter, letere (15th c.), AN. litere, OF. litiere, med.L. litera, letera, literium, leterium, lectarium, -erium, etc., f. L. lectus (F. lit) bed.]

1. A litter, the vehicle of transportation.a. A couch or seat, sometimes shut in by curtains, carried on poles or a framework by men or horses. b. A stretcher for sick or wounded. c. A litter for carrying game. d. A bier. Also hors-littar and see also Hors n. 3.(1) 1375 Barb. ix. 106.
In littar thai [him] lay, And till the Slevach held thair vay 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 425; 1506–7 Ib. III. 362.
For carying of xi littaris with deir … ilk littair, xiiij s. 1505 Ib. 148.
For mending of the Quenis littair 1512 Ib. IV. 339.
To James Bymann, for tursing and bering of the Quenis littar, in drinksilvir to hyme and his folkis 1513 Doug. xi. ii. 19.
Thyr beddis beldyt, or funeral lytteris, Syk tumbys as for ded corps efferis 1533 Boece 15 b.
Occa and his broder … quhom king Ambros in ane litire discumfist Ib. xi. ii. 402 b.
Malcolme sare woundit was convoyit to Scotland in ane littir betuix tua hors Ib. xv. i. 575.
Becaus he mycht nocht suffir the cacheing of ane hors, he devisit to be borne in ane littir 1535 Stewart 25947. 15.. Clar. iv. 539.
Heich upon the litter was scho set, Whilk was with stonis and pearles all owerfret 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 146.
Sum harnessingis … : Half a littar of crammosie velvot freinyeit with gold and silk … , Twa litle fut mantillis of the same velvot 1578 Ib. 239.
Ane littare lynnit with crammosie satine and steikit with the harnissing thairto and tua litle chyres in it and a cordoun of silk and gold 1654 Lamont Diary 79.
She was caried on a letter, with two horses in black, and a black velvet pale was caried over hir corps(2) 1502–3 Treas. Acc. II. 355.
For vj hors hire quhilk caryit thre hors littaris fra Glasgo to Strivelin with deir 1582–83 Reg. Privy C. III. 559.
[They] left thame all thrie … for deid, swa that thay wer careit hame in ane hors littar

b. Attrib. with geir, hors, men, sadill. 1600 Crim. Trials II. 237.
For mending and repairing of hir Majesteis litter-geir, saidillis, harnessing 1601 Treas. Acc. MS. (1600–1601) 106.
To Robert Abircrumbie saidler, for furnissing of sadillis, brydillis, litter geir and vtheris necessaris — 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 425.
For schoing of the Quenis littar hors that bure the deir all ȝeir 1575 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 658/1.
For three pekis aittis to the litter hors, the nycht 3 s. — 1505 Treas. Acc. III. 97.
For ij steikis chamlot to the Quenis tua littar men 1507 Ib. 321. — 1597 Treas. Acc. MS. 117.
For covering twa of his Majesteis litter sadillis and certane furnissing thairto

2. Straw or the like serving as bedding for animals or for persons. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3773.
In the letter [F. estrain] sho sekes ane stra 1535 Stewart 24520.
All the stra and litter quhair tha la, It set in fyre richt lang befoir the da

b. Straw or the like used in gardening. 1683 Reid Sc. Gard'ner (1721) 67.
The husbandmen's flitfolding is equivalent to gard'ners covering the surface, especially of dry … ground with leitter, etc.

3. A litter of young animals. 1513 Doug. viii. ii. 35.
A mylk quhite sow … With hir lyttar new ferreit in that sted 1531 Bell. Boece II. 512.
Ane sow had hir litter with dog heidis