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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ordinar, -er, n.¹ Also: -are, -air, ordynar, -er, ordenar, -er. [Late ME. and e.m.E. ordiner (1405), ordynare (1465), ordonnayre (Caxton), in senses 1 and ?2 below, thereafter appar. only Sc., f. as Ordinar a.]

1. An ecclesiastical dignitary who has, by virtue of his office, spiritual authority and jurisdiction over a region, as an archbishop or bishop; also, such a person or his deputy as ecclesiastical ‘judge ordinary’ (see Juge n. 6 b). 1427 Acts II. 16/1.
That na clerk … pas oute of the realme bot gif he cum to his ordinare first … & mak faith [etc.] c 1441 Coldingham Priory 258.
To cum to presens of thair spirituale fader & ordyner … & hedekirk of Sanct-androis 1482–3 Acta Conc. II. civ. 1491 Acta Aud. 153/2.
The senister purchessing of ane commissioune of the Bischop of Abirdene his ordiner to knaw apoun the said mater 1493 Ib. 181/1.
Dauid Priour of Inchmaholmo grantit that he haid in … keping Dene Patrik Mentethe channoun of the said place as ordiner to him 1497–8 Acta Conc. II. 98. 1501–2 Ib. III. 148.
He being ane kirkman and aucht til be befor his ordinare 1509 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 47.
Till all and sindry the ordinaris spirituale being within our realme 1526 Acts II. 306/2.
That quhare ony sic persouns deis within age … the nerrest of thar kyn … sall have thar gudis without preiudice to the ordineris anent the cote of thar testamentis 1531 Bell. Boece II. 185.
Les damage wald succeid gif the abbais … war prouiditt be thair ordinaris, and the ordinaris be the primat a1538 Abell 86 a.
Wilȝem abbat … gaif our his office in the hand of his ordinar 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2997.
[John the Commonweal to Spiritualitie:] To ȝow I will nathing declair For ȝe ar nocht my ordinair 1541 Acts II. 370/2.
All archibischopis, ordinaris and uthir prelatis … to reforme thare selfis 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 206. 1550 Coll. Aberd. & B. 181. 1558–9 Statut. Sc. Ch. 158. 1567 Digest Justiciary Proc. F. 55. 1567 Acts III. 33/2. 1571 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 210. 1571–2 Reg. Privy C. II. 107.
A letter directit to the ordinar … of the cheptour in the favour of a persoun to be promovit to ane abbacy or priory 1574–5 Reg. Privy S. VII. 3/2. 1575 Ib. 55/2.
[The provostry of Craill] vacand be the noncomperance of Maister Patrik Mortoun, last provest … afoir his ordinar to have gevin the confessioun of his faith 1600-1610 Melvill 199. 1615 Melrose P. 210. 1622-6 Bisset II. 101/12.
The lordis fande the gift of the patrone sufficient without any collatioun of the ordiner a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 48. 1675 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS. 26 Apr.
A call to a minister … to caus send the same to the ordinar to be collationed as use is 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. v. § 4 (1699) 19.

b. With the possessive in collocation with lettres: cf. the nearly synonymous ordinar lettres, Ordinar a. 1 b (2). 1466 Acts II. 86/2.
That all the ordinaris of this realme sal warne al thaim that has hospitalis in thare dioces and summounde thaim til a daye be the Kingis & the ordinaris lettres 1485 Acta Conc. I. *107/2. 1494 Ib. 337/2.
That lettrez be writtin conformand to the ordinaris to charge the said lord … to decist 1500–1 Ib. II. 495.
He being ane preist and nocht callit be the ordenaris letters 1501 Ib. III. 106. 1525 Acts II. 297/1.
According to the ordinaris lettrez of cursing

2. Uncommonly, a lay ‘judge ordinary’: see Ordinar a. 1 b (3) and Juge n. 6 b. 1429–30 Acts II. 17/2.
And swa ay til endure & minister in the saide office quhil his powere be lauchfully reuokit in courte be his ordinare 1479 Acta Conc. I. 40/2.
& ordanit of before to be put to execucion be the ordinare the balȝeis & counsale of the tovne and ordanis that lettres be writtin to the provost & balȝeis … to execute the said decreite 1540 Acts II. 360/2.
Of commissionis gevin in preiudice of the ordiner 1583 Perth B. Ct. 16 July.
That he and his ordiner recours to the hear magistrat gif neid beis

3. a. One of the ‘ordinary’ lords of session. b. An ordinary lord delegated to a special duty, esp. one who was taking his turn of sitting separately in the ‘outer house’ to deal with cases of first instance or one receiving ‘bills’ or petitions. See also Ordinar a. 1 b (5), Ordinary n. 2 (3) and Lord n. 14 b and c.a. 1587 Acts III. 448/2.
Providing … thair be nyne ordineris of the saidis lordis of sessioun at the geving … of ilk decreit 1677 Lauder Notices Affairs I. 162.
8 is a quorum of the session, being the major part of the 15 ordinarsb. 1619 Melrose P. 331.
That haill weeke he wes ordinair in the vtter house, and reportair a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 26.
Act dischargeing the lords … to heir causes reasoned in the wtter hous … except he be ordinar of the week Ib. 278. 1650 Acts Sederunt ii. 63.
And in like manner ordaines the lord who is ordinar on the bills to go furth everie day at nyne houris for calling of such acts and copies [etc.] 1662 Ib. 86. 1687 Lauder Notices Affairs II. 781.
He sate 2 dayes in the utter hous with the ordinar for his tryall 1688 Acts Sederunt ii. 182.

4. An officer or other person who has a regular or permanent appointment or engagement: cf. Ordinar a. 1 c. a. A (permanently engaged) gunner.Gret ordinar, a gunner in charge of a large gun.Perh. regarded as f. Ordinance n. 5 b. 1566 Mill Mediæv. Plays 343.
James Hector & Charles Bourdeous principall ordinaris a1578 Pitsc. I. 193/25.
Leiftennand of the towr of Londoun and captaine of the gret ordinarris [I. ordinance] 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII. 10.
Archibald Gairdiner ane of the ordinaris of the castell of Edinburgh 1610 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 324.
For ane pynt of wyn to the ordineris quhen thay had schot the gones 1622 Ib. II. 147.
Upon the fyft of November given to the ordinaris of the castell to drink

b. In other applications. 1599 Hist. Clan Gregor I. 252.
Thai are yit with him as his … servandis and are specialie acknawlegeit be him as twa ordinaris of his househald and familie 1603 Moysie 5.
That the King sould cheise counselleris ordinar and extraordinar to him selfe. The names of the ordinaris wer thir 1625 Linlithgow B. Rec. 23 Sept.
Compeirit the counsalloris foirsaidis as ordineris for electing … the counsalloris of this burgh 1672 Stirling B. Rec. II. .
To pay fourtie shilling Scots to each of the ordinares that are to reside in the said hospitall for their aliement

c. ? Erron. = Ordinance n. 5 a. (Cf. 4 a above.) — a1578 Pitsc. I. 262/11.
xxx schott of greit artaillȝe and xxx feild peaceis witht all thair ordinaris of poullder and bullat

5. a. A person's regular allowance, chiefly of food and drink; the regular provision of board and lodging or an allowance for this, one's ‘keep’; food as regularly provided or taken in a particular establishment, one's ‘table’ or ‘board’. b. A fixed portion or permitted serving of food and drink. c. Also, a regular allowance of fodder to an animal.a., b. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 374.
To Maister Alexander Ogilvy in hale pament of his ordinar fra the xiij day of August to the x day of September 1525 Liber Aberbr. II. 450.
Paying yearly … for the vicarage 40 marks in money and 4 barrels of salmon by all othir ordynar 1532 Balfour Pract. 135.
The thesaurare takand allowance in his comptis of ony ordinare pertening to the King or his officiaris 1553 Reg. Privy C. I. 142.
The exhorbitant prices takin … for thair ordinar, viz., dennar, supper and bedding 1553 Fam. Rose 218.
To haif ther ordiner in the plaice forsaid 1561 Reg. Dunferm. 454.
To the puire in ordinar of baikin bread 1566 Reg. Privy C. I. 489.
Ane mannis ordinar at the melteth, being servit with bruise beif muttoun and rost at the leist xvi d. 1567 Acts III. 41/1.
The alteratioun of the price of vittallis nevir makis the ordiner bettir chaip 1567 Crail B. Ct. 8 July.
For his mait and ordener 1575 Reg. Privy S. VII. 42/2.
With ordinare and leveray in his hienes hous to himself and servand 1575–6 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 96.
My daylie ordinare wes alterit and diminshit apynt of aill ane breid and oulkly ane quarter of muttoun 1591-2 Rob Stene 4.
Ordynar 1600 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 207.
That nane of thame [the town pipers] have nather boy nor doig with thame quhair thai eit thair ordiner. Item, that thai stope na friemen that is hable to gif them ordiner 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 287.
For the intertenement at bed and buird of the sevin Flemyng wobsters … to pay … aucht schillings daylie for thair ordiner ilk persoun … and for thair extraordiner to haif for thame all ilk day [6s. 8d.] 1613 Sc. Ant. I. 74.
Everie maile, noone and evin, the trynsheour salbe laid doun & ilk man sall pay his ordinar 1617 Acts IV. 538/1.
The saidis commissioneris [are] to sett a pryce vpoun … the ordinaris of pennye brydellis 1620 Grant Chart. 323.
Reackoned with the good wyff for ordiner and extraordineris 1649 Conv. Burghs III. 347.
Ordanes all merchandis … to keip thair ordinar at the said hous c1650 Spalding II. 414.
Bot ilk capitan … had frie quarteris for tua ordineris bot the thrid ordiner thay furneshit them selfis 1665 Craven Ch. in Orkney 140.
Ordinerc. 1538–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 248.
To ix carthors furnessing in corne ilk hors hawand in ordinar daily ane pek atis

6. a. One of a course of lectures delivered at regular or stated times. 1600-1610 Melvill (B.C.) 170.
[The King] calles for Mr Andro, saying he was com with that gentleman to haiff a lessone. Mr Andro answeres that he haid teatched his ordinar that day in the fornoone

b. One of a series of sermons on the same text; the text of such a series of sermons. = Ordinar a. 1 e.Also in the later dial., and Ordinary 2 (5). 1679 Craven Argyll Diocese 186.
This day Mr Alexander McCalman … did preach on his ordinar before the brethren and such of the congregation as was conveened

7. What is customary or usual to a person or thing.a. For ordinar, as one's customary practice, regularly, habitually. b. One's usual practice, what one is accustomed to, one's wont; one's usual state of health.a. 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 290.
For ordinar he us'd First to incall, than read, Then prayb. 1635 Dickson Wr. 36.
And if the joints be violently pressed beside their ordinar c 1680 Morisone in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 212.
There ordinar is to have all things commone c 1686 Haddington Corr. II. 199.
My sister … hath been worse then her ordinar this ten or twelve dayes 1691 Lett. (Annandale P. transcr. R. C. Reid) 14 Jan.
The childeren ar well & I after my ordinar wishes you good health

8. a. The rule of a monastic order. b. An ordinal or consuetudinary, a book containing the rules or usage of church services. c1420 Wynt. vii. 678 (W).
He brocht channons … regulare Efter Sanct Augustynis ordinare [R. ordyr thare, Au. ordurar] a 1500 Coll. St. Salvator 158.
Ane ordinar in parchment in the vestre