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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Several, adj., adv. and n. Also: severall(e, sevirall, severell, sevarell, sewerall(e, sefrl, seaverall, siverall, saveraill, saweraill, -ale, servall. [Late ME and e.m.E. severell (1421), seuerall (1422), several (1448), AF several (12th c. in Greimas), med. L. separal-, f. L. sēpar separate, distinct.] Several.

A. adj. I. 1. Separate, distinct; of or on its (one's) own. Also, to hald (oneself) severall.predic. (1) c1420 Wynt. ii 292.
Thir landys all in Grece ar hale, Suppos thare lordschypys be severale c1420 Wynt. v 5824.
Rosmarkyne, … made was a place cathedrale Be-north Murrave severalle 1513 Doug. x Prol. 65.
Thocht thir personys be seuerall in thre granys(2) 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 28.
At thai hald thame self seuerall fra all vther parsonisattrib. a1500 Colk. Sow ii 118.
A cornar of a cuntre seuerall 1509 Prestwick B. Rec. 41.
That … sa mony as the ingres ma bere to gang befor that hird, and in nane uthir seuirall way 1558 Knox IV 446.
What is the dutie of magistrates and what power the people hath … my purpose is to write in a severall lettre to the nobilitie and estates of the realme 1560 Bk. Disc. 200.
Every severall kirk must provide for the poore within the self 1558-66 Knox I 237.
A severall peace was contracted betuix Scotland and Flanderis 1572 Reg. St. A. 363.
Repentance and marege to be on several days 1576 Orkney Oppress. 18.
In everie seuerale yle and paroche of the cuntre 1578 Bk. Carlaverock II 487.
That the custody of the said castell is ane seuerale office, having feis and dewiteis appropriat thairto 1618 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 371.
That the Chaple of Kearne is onlie ane pendicle of the Kirk of Forbes and hes neuir bene ane seuerall paroche kirk per se 1639 Acts V (1817) 282/1.
Everie commissioner … to haif ane severall voyte to be markit per se 1646 Irvine Mun. II 64.
To elect … ane boxmaister to ilk severall craft to keip our boxis(b) 1627 Orkney Rentals iii 50.
The kirk of Stromnes is ane distinck and servall kirk be itself, and no way is vnitit nor can be commodiously vnitit

2. Qualifying a plural noun: Separate as individuals; different. a. Preceded by a numeral. Also (once) with inflected plur.(1) a1500 Henr. Hasty Credence 51.
Thre personis severall he slayis with ane wowrd a1500 Henr. Fab. 2391.
Ane draw well … Quhair … twa bukkettis seuerall suithlie hang 1589 Conv. Burghs I 303.
Thatt the saidis commoun revenues … be rowpitt thre seuerall dayis a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxix 7.
The son of [Venus] sent Tua seuerall shaftis 1609 Reg. Privy C. VIII 605.
So that the armes of Scotland shall contene tua severall quarteris of the same coate 1623 Crim. Trials III 556.
Be … putting ane hesp of yairne thre several tymes furth at the said hoill 1626 Justiciary Cases I 47.
The horrible murthour of foure seuerall infantis 1685 Lauder Observes 195.
Argile … was so conceitty he had neir 20 severall pockets … in his coat and breeches(b) 1679 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 267 (3 Jan.).
It is impossible for the said complainer … to defend befoir tuo seaverall judges for one actioune 1687 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 121.
Seaverall(2) 1681 Hunter Fam. P. 66.
Wher both heritours manured lands begins being eightein severalls marches sett at distance ane from another

b. Preceded by the or a possess. adj., in reference to certain small numbers: Various. 1492 Myll Spect. 290/2.
The god Appollo and all his severall [ed. souerall] feistis to be hallowit 1580 Acts III 191/1.
All the seuerall sortis of lay and vther cunȝeit siluer 1639 St. A. Baxter Bks. 56.
To send out two or thrie out of everie regiment to the severall quarters of the country 1643 Acts VI i 12/2.
That the severall estaits meit ilk day at nyne houres in the morneing 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II 4.
The persones befor nominat, to conveane their severall quarteres 1656 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 62.
For certain poynts of theft at length mentionat in ther severall indytments 1656 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 17.
The Counsell ordaines the writts of [Heriot's and Trinity] Hospitalls respective to be inventarred and put up in their severall cabinets 1660 Mercurius Caledonius 31 Dec.
The commissioners for the severall burghs 1669 Kelso Baillie Ct.
That the said Johne … shall compear at the severall randevous quhen he shall be requyred 1676 Edinb. B. Rec. X 256.
The good toune hes beene destitute of a mester smyth these seaverall yeares past 1682 Irvine Nomenclatura 124.
The Lews is much frequented by strangers for its great fishings which are very plentiful in its several lochs 1693 Conv. Burghs IV 184.
That the merchants … may not be leised or hurt in ther sewerall interests 1697 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 235.
To enter them to their severall posts on Mundays morning nixt

3. Without qualifier: A number of different, various, diverse, sundry, passing into sense 3 b below. c1420 Wynt. i 523.
Part of thaim syne chawngide were In othir kynrykis severale 1593 Acts IV 34/2.
The quene … provydit sindre of thame to seuerall personages 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 166b.
Tuentie four pechtis penneyis of siluir of seuerall cunȝie at v s. the peice 1647 Misc. Bann. C. II 271.
In his booth or chap, certane books of severall sorts 1653 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 325.
Ther hes bein severall abuses committed in the land fleshmercat … in blowing of the luires of kyne blowing of sheip [etc.] 1654 Conv. Burghs III 395.
Severall wtheris … quho ar interessed be foirfaulted persones 1665 Edinb. B. Rec. X 2. 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 28.
One inteer stone of sewerall colours 1672 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct.) 22 Nov.
For sewerall merchandable commodities comformed to the compt … [600] merks 1674 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 163.
The petitioner … having severall affaires to doe in shipping, livering and entering of goods 1675 Edinb. B. Rec. X 250.
Seaverall 1684 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 24 April.
For mending the gin at severall tyme [4 s.] 1694 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 257.
For sevarell small things 1699 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 106.
For severall other reasones causses and considerations

b. As an indefinite numeral: A few, a number of. 1603 Dundonald Par. Rec. 33.
George Wricht … to stand severall Sondayes, twa in his lyning claithis … at the kirk end 1652 Stirling B. Rec. I 201.
The buike … [is to] be revisit and everie leaf [ed. loaf] thairof markit … becaus that thair is severall leafes [ed. loafes] cuttit out 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 497.
For laik of ane sufficient peir … there are severall banks of small stone and sand cast up 1684 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 99.
He fand that ther wes severall fyers keeped in the said timber hous[i]s 1686 Acts VIII 581/1.
The draught of a letter from the parliament to the king … being … several tymes read 1686 Dunlop P. III 30.
Ther is sefrl ocsons that parsons get letrs from their frinds but we get non from you 1686 Inverness Rec. II 342.
[They] have several years bygone encroatched upon the saids supplicants lands 1697 Penninghame Par. Rec. I 15.
Alexander M'Kie hit her severall tymes with a staff

4. ellipt., with of: A good number. 1649 Lanark B. Rec. 139.
Severall of these boittis … caried over Clydis Lin 1692 Symson Descr. Gall. in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 79.
When the tide is ebbing from these banks severall of the countrey people … use to go a fishing with the halfe net

II. 5. Of land or territory: a. Privately owned or occupied. Also const. to (a person). b. Belonging to an individual (kingdom), sovereign, not common or debateable.The Acta Aud. and first Selkirk B. Ct. quots. in a may be examples of B 2 below.a. 1416 Liber Melros 539.
A certane pece of land … the quhilk the saide John claymis sulde be common to bathe the forsaide placis and the saide religiouse severale 1473 Acta Aud. 27/1.
Quhethir the said land … has bene broukit & joysit be the saide Johne of Carmichell & his forbearis … outher in ering & sawing or in pasture as propirte & seuerale til him 1540 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 216.
Geif James Vilkesone … hes tayne the said grenhauch … fra Patrik Murray … be vord or vryt as saveraill, we ordand that he be adnullit of his fredome … James Vilkesone exponet … that geif the greyne hauch and certane vatter stanes to the caull var common, he vauld hald it as common, and geif it var saweraill to his maister or nocht he vauld do as the communite and burgesses doisb. 1532 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 23.
His grace … has bene sa continuallie in peceable possessioun of the saidis landis of Canary as seuerale ground of Scotland 1553 Reg. Privy C. I 150.
Upoun the severall ground of Scotlande nother pleyable nor debatable, ane gret way within the peceable marche of Scotland 1553 Reg. Privy C. I 150.(b) 1538 Hamilton P. I 55.
Brokin men of Scotland … fleis to the siverall grund of Ingland

B. noun. 1. In several: (Of land) As private property; in private ownership.Cf. the Liber Melros quot. in 5 a above. 1473 Acta Aud. in Orig. Par. I 148.
Vppone the landis of Wistoune pertening to him in seuerale and propirte c1550 Corr. M. Lorraine 439.
He hes tane in in sewerall to him self in corne and gyrs neir twa myle off eird

2. Land in private ownership. 1659 A. Hay Diary 97.
We … rode round about the whyte common, and marked the contraverted bounds quhar it joins with the severall 1677 Galloway P. 12 Oct.
[A tack] of that severall of land called Croftmorat

3. pl. Several persons or things. Also, of (a certain group or category).(1) 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 3.
I have bein desired by severalls to have direct him to our Mr. Mowat 1679 Fountainhall Decis. I 62.
It was a field conventicle, for there were severals without doors 1689 Cramond Kirk S. III 6 Dec.
Penalties … lyable to satisfie the church censure for severalles committed c1690 Dunlop P. III 65.
I assure you they ware let sie to severalls, which mead noe good use of it(2) 1654 Stirling Ant. II 17.
It was delaited to the session that severales of the parisonrs did transgress the Sabbath day 1669 Sc. Hist. Rev. XL 59.
Severell 1676 Edinb. B. Rec. X 277.
Seaveralls 1683 Garden in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 133.
We are not in use of eating any of these fowls, tho severals of them oftimes be killed at sport 1688 Rep. Nat. Reg. Arch. 34.
I have begun with severalls of my own tennents to make them preparatives to the rests of the Commons 1689 Siege Castle Edinb. 26.
Severalls of the king's friends renewed ther advyces to him 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 292.
It being affirmed by severals of great veracity 1698 Donaldson Postscript Husbandry 44.
Tho severals of our stock-keepers may feed their cattle prettie well in summer 1698 Donaldson Postscript Husbandry 45.
I know severals have written perhaps as well as any man can in general

4. At several, severally. 1549 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XVII 205.
That all guidis … be put to clengeing and vsit as at sawerale for the space of xv dais