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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nombre, Noumber, Number, n. Also: nombir, -e(i)r, nommber, nomebar, -ber, numbre, numbir, -yr, -rie, nummber, nwmber; noumbre, nowmber, -yre; nimber. [ME. noumbre (a 1297), numbre (Cursor M.), nombre, noumber (a 1352), numbur (Cursor M.), e.m.E. nomber, number, OF. nombre, nonbre, numbre. The commoner Sc. form is Noumer.] Number. = Noumer n., in various uses.(1) 1456 Hay I. 151/1.
For a king settis nocht by sa that he have his nombre and of als gude — 1513 Doug. xi. vii. 77 (see Noumer n. 1 (b)).
Numbir — 1545 Douglas Corr. 161.
We hawe sein yowr letters … not adwertessing ws whou … or what nwmber they sal cum c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3030.
The noumber of this gret armie 1560 Bk. Disc. 190.
Of the nomber, effect and use of the sacraments 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 8.
The nombre of the classis at the leist sex 1612 Inverness Rec. II. 91.
Quhat nowmber of jayelles … ar … necessarie 1613 Highland P. III. 131.
Wherby the noumbers of men of warre … is particularlie sett doun c1650 Spalding I. 347.
The cordineris of both Abirdeins wes commandit … to give wp … the number of thair ledder and to mak wp … thair portioun of 20,000 pair of schois 1650 Misc. 3 Spald. C. II. 196.
Nomber(2) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 103/14.
Citand thair names to the numbre aboue xxxvj 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 297.
Their wes … slauchter to the nummber of xvij and xv lamit a1578 Pitsc. I. 357/29.
Nimber Ib. II. 205/30.
Nommber 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 40.
Number 1605 Glasgow Trades House 5.
Nombeir 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 51.
Unleveyed … of the nomber of threttie sax 1643 Dundee Chart. 89.(3) 1456 Hay I. 180/22.
Bot quham that me lykit to tak in my nombre 1513 Doug. vii. iv. 46.
That now a god is clepit our all quhar, And to thar numbir ekis hys altar Ib. xiii. xi. 47.
Numbyr 1562-3 Winȝet I. 32/4.
Noumber 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 16.
Al that entres in the nombre of the vniuersite c1575 Balfour Pract. 634.
Nevertheles … the lordis may adjoin ane certane of thair nombre 1584 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. VI. 119.
The outward pure that ar nocht of our nomber 1587 Aberd. Trades 84.
The said craftismen to choise sax persons of their awin number ȝearly 1587 Cal. Sc. P. IX. 473.
The bearer … who comptis himself amongis the nombre of your servantis 1615 Highland P. III. 174. a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 451.
Out of which number the commissioners … were to elect four 1690 Cramond Kirk S. III.25 Oct.
The session … had suspended John Aikman oneof thair number(4) 1456 Hay I. 6/25.
And with him … grete nombir Ib. 219/3.
With grete nombre and quantitee of men of armes c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 3669.
Gif all the men of Grew Be sic as thir few nomber war ynew c1475 Wall. ii. 24.
Nowmber 1492 Myll Spect. 294/4.
Sic nomber of folkis 1535 Stewart 7097. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 626.
They wer of greiter number 1558-66 Knox II. 356.
The few nomber that war marching upoun foote in ordour a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. cxi. 13.
Grit nwmber ar in dyuers landis That prince and magistrat ganestandis 1572 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxiii.
My … thanks … to yow or to the most number of yow 1574 Conv. Burghs I. 34.
Be the small nombre of commissionaris a1578 Pitsc. I. 120/15.
Nomber 1611 Macgibbon & Ross V. 6.
Lichtis … in sufficient nomber 1621 Perth Kirk S. MS.8Nov.
Of the great decay and few number present of the bairnes of his scole 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 13.
Of such number as ar impoisit on the toun(5) 1513 Doug. ii. i. 11.
Of choys men syne … thai tuke A gret numbyr 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 400.
Thay murderit in presoun Johne Astoun [etc.] … with ane infinite noumber ma a1578 Pitsc. II. 120/16.
The Scoittis lordis war sic ane nomber … that thay cuired nather quein nor king 1579 Irvine Mun. II. 26.
The wrange … in makieng of ane grit number cuntre lanvert men … burgessis 1587 Conv. Burghs I. 235.
Thatt … thair be ane equall nomber of dry and sea burrowis 1596 Dalr. I. 16/22.
Ane academie nocht obscure … or of ane smal numbir 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 97.
With a few numbre … of His miracles to prouve His godhaid 1600-1610 Melvill 442.
To put upon the lyttes a guid number of the thrie presbyteries that war against tham 1641 Acts V. 503/1.
Nomber(6) 1558-66 Knox I. 365 (G).
Daylie thair was suche numbers [B. nomber] of lions … prented that [etc.] 1619 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I. 239.
Nomeberis of his maiesteis subiectis 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 66.
Be beggarlie lymmaris of whom lykeways nombers lyes between Leith and Edinburgh(7) 1570–2 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxii.
Composed of a certane nombre of the principallis of the nobillitye 1587 Acts III. 463.
Becaus … thair wilbe a number of vagabundis vnplegeit … be thair landislordis 1608 Kinghorn Kirk S. 10.
Gif ewer he be fund heirefter ryoting and intertening ane number of pypers 1612 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 157.
Ane certane number being gevin in in lyttis 1626 Fraserburgh Kirk S. II. 9 Aug.
Thay war bot ane number of bairnis in ane hous togidder 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 174.
Ane nomber of gowffe ballis 1637 Baillie I. 6.
A number lope to their friends for recommendations to court c1650 Spalding I. 46.
Ane company of hielanderis … liftit … ane number of goodis 1693 Rothesay B. Rec. 485.
A sert nwmber to … revise the cesse book impost(8) 1560 Grey Friars II. 341.
Being aucht in nomebar 1562-3 Winȝet II. 76/32.
And quhow mony preistis in number, almaist for the maist parte metropolitanes 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 75/26.
The Macedonians and Arrians daylie incressit in nomber 1624 Huntar Weights & Measures 1. c 1634 Sc. Ant. VI. 60.
[Sheep] nyne scoire and fyve in number(9) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv. 180.
Men but nombre als haf I Gert synk c1420 Wynt. viii. 6922.
Qwhill thai hostage ware, Expens but nowmbyre mad thai thare 1456 Hay I. 18/7.
Nombre(10) 1619 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I. 239.
Through the diuersitie and nomebar of forreyne speaceis of gold 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 34.
That some proportion may be keeped both anent the number & distance of place(11) 1494 Loutfut MS. 12 a.
Armorie suld be set be nombre & be mesour of compas c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matthew xxvi. marg.
Legioun … is a noumbre of sex thousand sex hundreth lxvi 1562-3 Winȝet I. 2/11.
Thre questionis … quhilkis ar in noumbre the xxxiii, xxxiiii and xxxv of the four score thre questionis 1588 King Cat. H iij.
Adde to the ȝeres of God 9 and diuyde the haill be 28; quhat restis is the nombre of the circle of the sone for that ȝere Ib. H vj.
Foregainst quhilk is placed the goldin nombre of that ȝere 1585 James VI Ess. 33.
So sybills tolde in verse what was to come, The preests did pray by nombers all and some Ib. 58.
Alwayis tak heid that the nomber of ȝour fete in euery lyne be euin and nocht odde(12) c1550-c1580 Art of Music ii.
With cyphris of trinar and bynar numbrie [sic] to the forsaidis cirkillis adionit 1585 James VI Ess. 31.
The harmony of nomber tone and song(13) 1571 Ferg. Serm. iii Malachi Sig. D ii b.
He sayis not that he wil oppin a wyndow bot in the plurall number wyndowisattrib. 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 30.
The neatt of the foirsaid quheill that guyds the numberquheill [of a clock]