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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
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Pair, Pare, n. Also: paire, pairre, payr(e, paier, paer; par; pear(e; per. [ME. peire (c 1290), peyre, pair(e (Cursor M.), payre, e.m.E. also peyer (1478), payer (1486), north. ME. also par(e (1374), F. paire (OF. also par, pair) and L. pār neut. sing. of pār adj. equal.]For the occurrences in rhyme (both with air and fair and with sare, thare, etc.) see sense 6.Chiefly pair of (something), and freq. without of. After an adjective of plurality (as, a cardinal number) freq. without plural inflexion.

1. A pair of inanimate things, in usual applications.a. Of garments, footwear, paired pieces of armour, and the like.Pair of bracelettis, of curas, see these nouns.sing. (a) 14.. Acts I. 364/2.
For a payr of schone of iiij pennijs 1456 Ib. II. 45/2.
With ane jak … or ellis a payr of splentis 1562 Inverness Rec. I. 91.
For ane curche and ane pair slewis a1578 Pitsc. I. 258/13.
Witht … ane pair of bottouns on his feit 1623 Perth Kirk S. MS. 25 Sept.
The lugeis of ane pair schone 1699 Foulis Acc. Bk. 254.
For a pair new stockins(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 2869.
A pare off spwris 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 20. 1497 Ib. 334.
Par 1603 Montgomery Mem. 247.
Ane par of boutis to my page(c) 1507 Mill Mediæv. Plays 262.
For ane paer of gluffis to Cristplur. (1) 1375 Barb. xiii. 463.
Sevin hundreth paris of spuris rede 1505–6 Treas. Acc. III. 112.
For vj paris schone 1551 Ib. X. 18. 1664 Old Ross-shire I. 204.
Too pers of glovs on per wheet [etc.](2) 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 71.
For xl pare of schone 1504–6 Ib. III. 90.
For iij pair vantbrases 1516 Fam. Rose 188.
Pare 1603 Montgomery Mem. 245.
For tou par of gloufes 1653 Sc. Ant. IV. 98.
Tua peare of shous 1674 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 375.
And tua pare of sleives 1675 Cunningham Diary 61.
Pair

b. Of other paired objects.Pair of kardis, see Kard(e n.¹ Pair of knyffis, see Knife n. 1 c.Pair of buttis, see But n.² 1 and sense 7 below. c1420 Wynt. viii. 5695.
A payr off coil crelis 1478 Acta Conc. I. 26/2.
A pare of flakonis of siluer 1500 Edinb. Hammermen 32 b.
For the remayne of a paire of new tortas 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 88.
Ane pair of grathit cart quhelis 1533 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 451.
Ane par of woll camis a1540 Freiris Berw. 157 (B).
Haif thair ane pair of bossis gud & fyne 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 176.
A pair of grytt lastis, ane myddil pair of lastis, and ane les pair of lastis c1575 Balfour Pract. 234.
Ane pair of bed-courtinis 1586 St. A. Test. II. 60 b.
Ane balk and ane pair of broddis 1640 Bk. Carlaverock II. 502.
A peare of long raxesplur. 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 212 b.
vi payre of cardis 1537 Treas. Acc. VI. 336.
For tua pair of girthis … for armyn sadillis 1542 Ib. VIII. 146.
Four pair of junctouris 1581 Ib. MS. 852.
Ten pair of chassis 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI. 127.
Tua dossoun of greit halk bellis with fyve pair small 1624 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 259.
Tua pair fynning kaymes

c. Also applied to twin members of the human body. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 110 (B).
I tak on me ane pair of Lowthiane hippis Sall fairar Inglis mak & mair parfyte Than thow can blabbar with thy Carrik lippis 1746 J. Row Sermon 5.
Take care when they come with swords and stalves … that some do not with Peter shaw a pair of heels

d. A brace of animal carcases. 1538 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 92.
The pair fatt cunings for xl d. a1540 Freiris Berw. 163 (M).
And als ane pair of pertrikis new slane 1698 Foulis Acc. Bk. 225.
Got out of the dowcat last weeke 7 pair of dowes, and this day for the 2^d herrying 50 pair and a dow

2. Applied to the two matching or corresponding component parts of a single garment or implement.As pair of brekis, of scheris.Also, pair of clokis, a cloak.(1) sing. 1455 Acta Conc. II. xiv.
All commissaris of burowys … to haif ane pair of clokis of blew 1495 Treas. Acc. I. 257.
Quhite carsay to be the king a paire of armyng hois 1609 Edinb. Test. XLVI. 15 b.
Ane pair of auld Inglis claytht blak cloikisplur. 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 156.
To be x payre of schort hoyse to the dwke 1503 Ib. II. 238.
Thre pair hos 1559 Inverness Rec. I. 39. 1621 Edinb. Test. LI. 126 b.
Thrie pair balling bodies — 1526 Treas. Acc. V. 296.
To be twa paris of hois 1618–19 Black Bk. Taymouth xxxiv.
For … red stenning to be him tua paris [sc. of stockings] 1662 Stitchill Baron Ct. 23.
Pairs(2) 1496–7 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 169.
Vnum le par tayggis a1500 Bk. Chess 1422.
His richt hand a pair of scheris suld beire Ib. 1566.
A pair of ballanx in to his [sc. the merchant's] richt hand 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 22.
For ij pair of scissouris 1501–2 Ib. 140.
Tua pair small bellisses 1538 Soc. Ant. II. 403.
A pair of clipis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1154 (B).
Ane pair of stokkis 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 73.
Coft ane pair gogillis to ane workman 1594–5 Misc. Spald. C. V. 60.
For tua pair of joggis quhilks ar put on the gibbet 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 28 Feb.
Ane paire of tayngis 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 15 b.
For ane par balens c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiii. 42.
Ane pair of gallows lairg and lang 1697 Irvine Mun. II. 315.
Two pair jam bands

3. Pair of schetis, blancatis, plaidis, ? chiefly or only, = a single large sheet or blanket, used folded in two (as in the later dial. ‘pair of blankets’).(1) 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 41.
xij elne of braid clath for a pare of schetis 1506 Ib. III. 48.
For xxiiij elne Bertane clath to be bering scheitis, ij pairis iij elne lang 1511 Ib. IV. 246.
Ane pair schetis … tua new blancatis 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 174.
Five payr of riffyne schetis ane therof sewit with sylk for candilweikkis 1546 Guide to St. Andrews (1953) 91.
[The conspirators brought the corpse to] the wall-heid in ane payr of schetis 1562 Will A. Betoun 223.
Thrie pair of heid scheitys 1565 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 97.
32 pare of schetis whairof 20 pare are small lynning and 12 pare round lynning 1565 Prot. Bk. Gilbert Grote 68. 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 274. 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 138.
Ane pair of scheittis stentit about hir 1672 Haigs of Bemersyde 473.
Of lining shitts pares [£11] 1673 Corshill Baron Ct. 112.
Pairre 1694 Inchmahome Pr. 159.
Of harne sheets … 20 pair 1703 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 170.(2) 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 50.
Ane pair of blancatis 1591 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXXI. 175. 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII. 302.
Two pair of … blanketts containing three breeds 1680 Moncreiffs 666.
4 pers of fin marled blankets(3) 1593 Brechin Test. I. 108.
Ane pair of auld plaidis 1662 Stirling B. Rec. I. 239.
And ilk pair playds to be tuelve elns of lenth and thrie quarters of an elne in breidth at least … and if there be a web consisting of more lenth then one pair, ilk weaver is to leave the bounds of a large inch at the end of ilk pair unwafted

4. A set of several like components brought or joined together to serve a single function.Pair of bedis, chaplets, a string of beads, a rosary. Pair of cairtis, a pack of cards. Pair of dice, a set of dice. Pair of harnes, a suit of armour. Pair of stairs, a flight of stairs. Also pair of buttouns, of irnis, of link-chenȝeis, of harpsecordis, monocordis, pipes. See also these words for further examples.(1) 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 86.
A pare of curale bedis 1500 Ib. II. 20.
For tua pair of bedis to the King x s. c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 141 a/13.
Ane pair of beidis abowt hir thrott 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 62. — 1632 Lithgow Trav. (1906) 253.
Fourty paire of chaplets(2) 1644–5 Misc. Spald. C. V. 163.
Sexteine dusson pear knap silk buttons(3) 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III. 363.
vj pair cartis, dis, j pair of knyfes 1574 Ib. XII. 367.
j pair of terres cairtis — a1538 Abell 114 a.
Ane pair of slecht dice(4) 1513 Doug. viii. iii. 74.
Apon the postis alsso mony a pair [: sair] Of harnes hang 1541–2 Treas. Acc. VIII. 123.
Fyfty pare of harnes(5) 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 329.
A pair of monicordis 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 332.
Virginals the pair xx li. 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 163.
He went before us … playing on a pair of pipes(6) Urquhart Rabelais i. liii.
Between every tower … there was a paire of winding (such as we now call lantern) staires

b. A single object viewed as a collection of its component parts. 1567 Bamff Chart. 71.
Ane paire of peppir quernis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 57.
I resauit twa pair of lettres of you sens my latter wryting to you 1650–1 Misc. Spald. C. V. 171.
For painteing the twa paire of cullors

5. (The, also a) pair, in assigning prices, in various above senses: = per pair or set. 1538 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 92.
The lakkest sort for … xx d. the pair 1558 Inverness Rec. I. 26.
Derrar nor xviij d. the payr 1559 Ib. 35.
For xx d. ane payr 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 308.
Garters … of silk … the pair xii li. 1616–9 Mill Mediaev. Plays 344.
For v pair of bellis at 18 s. pair 1621 Edinb. Test. LI. 126 b.
Thrie pair balling bodies at xl s. the pair

6. A pair or couple a. of persons, b. of animals.Freq. pair and (be) pair, be pair and be pair, and in(to) pair(is.a. (1) c1475 Wall. vii. 225.
Vpon the bawk thai hangit mony par [: thar] a1500 Lanc. 2585.
Whar sone thar mycht be seyne Of knychtis to-geddir many o pair [: thair] 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 80.
Of our fallowis to me come twa pair [: ayr] 1558–62 Hossack Kirkwall 69.
Thai brocht ane priest to ane chapell … and thair causset do mes and marye certaine paris in the auld maner 1626 Garden Worthies 28.
This pare therewith to pass prepair'd depairt(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 5983.
The baronis was enterit pair and pair Into the palace of Jupiter(3) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 507.
& set thai al in payre twyne & cuttis caste quha suld begyne 1494 Loutfut MS. 1 b.
Thai suld gang in paris [Lindsay MS paiers] togidder befor the kingis persoun c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 35 (B).
Bostaris … Eftir him passit in to pairis 1513 Doug. v. x. 62.
Than ran thai sammyn in paris with a quhidderb. (1) 1513 Doug. vi. iii. 64.
A payr of dowis fra hevin come with a flycht c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1398.
Of all foulis of the air Off euerilk kynd enterit ane pair(2) c1420 Wynt. i. 394.
Off byrde and best … Payr be payr and name be name … In tyll that schype he gart herbry c1450-2 Howlat 21 (A).
Thir hartes … Pransand and prunȝeand be paire and be paire [: faire, baire, levare] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1500.
And all the beistis pair and pair Past furth to seik thair pastorages(3) a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xli. 22.
Nou hurchonis with hairis Ay passis in pairisc. transf. a1568 Weddirburne Bann. MS. 287 b/31.
The dropis be pairis fallis fra thy ene

7. Pair (of) buttis, butlandis, butlenthis, in sense 1 b above and as a measure of distance, see these words, also Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXIV. 19f.Also shortened to: ane pair, = a pair of butts as a measure of distance.(1) 1629 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 106.
Befoir ye was tua pair buttis from the hous 1679–89 J. Ure in W. Veitch Memoir (1825) 477.
They … fled … near five pairs of butts(2) 1615 Bk. Islay 283.
I … was so neir tane thatt your lordschip self … was within thre pair to me 1681 Stair Inst. (1681) II. 97.
His going … to some trees a pair from his gate unsupported Ib. 96. 1693 Cromartie Corr. I. 99.
I had the opportunitie of seeing the fleet, for we lay within a pair of the Brittannia