Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

Nefare, -ere, Newfayr, -far, Neffir, Neiffer, -ir, Niffer, n. [Chiefly or only Sc.The absence of forms in -v- and the early forms are conclusive against the assumption that this is a simple freq. deriv. f. Neve, Nefe, fist. Appar. f. Neve n. and Fare n., = ‘a going between fists, a passage from hand to hand’, with subsequent loss of -v-: cf. the deriv. of Chafare n.]

The process of exchanging or bartering; an instance of this, an exchange, a bartering deal.The buit of a ‘niffer’ was an amount added to make the exchange equal on both sides. 14.. Burgh Laws c. 3 (B).
Ilk burges may ponde furthdwellaris … in his hows and vtouth bot gyfe newfayris or fayris be haldyn in the burgh [L. nisi commercia vel nundine teneantur in burgo] 1529–30 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 20.
For ane gray hors to the cart and for the newfar betuix ane les blak that ves in the cart ande ane other mair resavit … to the saidis cartis 1531 Wigtown B. Ct. 259 b.
Fore to houphald hym ane blak hors … that he was bot acht ȝeirald … the quhylk was cassyne in nefere to the said Wilȝam 1533 Ib. 287 b.
Schallans for the wrangus castyne in nefare to hym of ane vnsuficient hors, the quhylk was nocht his avyne in the tyme that the said Jame kest hym in nefare 1563 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 18 May.
Allegand he got hir fra him in ane neiffir 1610 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 80.
In ane ȝow lamb to James McGhie … quhilk he promissit him in neffir of a voddir 1632 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 12 Apr.
Allowit to the said Jon Bwie four merkis money in the neiffer of ane swerd betuix him and the said Jon Allane a1661 Rutherford Cry from the Dead (1765) 8.
Christ made an exchange; Christ would cross looves with you, and make a niffar a1661 Ib.
Accept of his niffer, and change with him 1666 Rothesay B. Rec. 116.
Twa punds money as rest of fyve punds money promeist be the said Robert to him betuix the niffer of ane kow and bull 1669 Salmon Borrowstounness 90.
[£8 Scots] as buit and niffer promised … in the exchynging of ane horse 1670 Corshill Baron Ct. 104.
For the sowme of four pond Scotis money and that as the niffer of ane horse in tooboot1672 Corshill Baron Ct. 103, 104.