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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Thairis, Tharis, possess. pron. Also: thairris, -ys, thair(e)s, theris. [ME and e.m.E þeȝȝres (Orm), þayres, þairs (both Cursor M.), þeires (Manning), thaires, theires (both c1400), theirs (1480); reduplicated possess. f. Thair(e possess. adj.] Theirs.

1. Used predicatively or absolutely: That or those (people or things) belonging to them. Also with of.(1) 1375 Barb. i 471.
Thai … Fawcht … For to delyuer thar countre Fra folk that … Held thaim and thairis in thrillage 1375 Barb. xiii 201.
Thai and tharis maid sic debat That quhar thai come thai maid thaim gat 1384 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 5.
Gyf thir couenantz … likis or mislikis to the … erle of Northumbre or to the lord the Neuill thay sall certifie be thair lettres or be on of thaires opon Blakmonday that next cummis c1420 Ratis R. 1552.
Thai are [= or] tharis with gret pan Sal as thai met resauf agan c1420 Wynt. viii 5768.
[They] Passyd and heryd in Ingland And made all thairrys that thai fand c1420 Wynt. viii 6157.
Othir lordis … Sayd, he had fillyd fullyly His baggis, and thairris all twme war c1475 Wall. v 30.
Than said thai all, Wallace mycht nocht away, He suld be tharis for acht at he do may 1491 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 482.
We thank ȝou and tham and accordyng to ȝour saidis wryttingis and thairs prayis ȝow of gude continuance 1519 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 54.
Jhone Frer and his wyff to suer the geis thairis and nocht pertenit to Sir Jhone, his mother, nor yet to his fee rycht 1567 Sat. P. vi 40.
Because the Lord of Hostis they did not feir, Thairis did decay, and ay ȝoure honour grew a1578 Pitsc. I 194/21.
The nature of thame is evir reddie to tak siluir of baith the handis and quha that will gif thame maist thay will be thairis 1608 Highland P. III 114.
Ȝour heichnes dominiones ar inlargeit beȝond thairis(2) 1375 Barb. xviii 199.
Thai war mony tyme … Assailȝeit with Irschery … And … oft of tharis to thaim gaff thai To lat thaim scaithles pas thar way ?1438 Alex. ii 1335.
Thay culd wele shute … Quha drawes thame nere, of thairis sall haue Memoryall 1522 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 65.
Quhatever burges … disobayis the alderman balye or thair officiaris in ony poynt or ony of thairis, the said disobearis sal [etc.] 1632 Cullen B. Rec. 6 June.
And reuercit all richt tytle and entres thai or ony of thairis or thair forsaidis has had

2. Magre thairis, in spite of them. See Maugre prep. a for examples.

3. Used instead of Thair(e possess. adj. in apposition to a plural noun: = Their. Chiefly in collocation with another possessive. 1498 Reg. Privy S. I 34/2.
A protectione to the Lord Setoun and all men that pas wyth him, … to be une-sumond, une-attechit, une-arrestit, in his or thairis persoun or gudis be ony of our officiaris or legis 1506 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II 163.
I bind and oblis me, myn aris, executoris and assignais, … and all … myn and theris gudis, movable and immovable 1526–7 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 84.
[They] ar … oblyest be the fatht of thairis bodyes … to compeir in Edinburgh 1546 Reg. Cupar A. II 35.
Grantit … to … Jhone Small, Jonet Ogylwy, his spouse, and to ane air maill … ane tuelf pairt of our town and landis … for all the days … of thairis and ilkane of thairis lyftymes 1550 Aboyne Rec. 81.
Fourty dayis warning to be maid to me my airis or assignais pesonalie or at our dwellin placis or be oppin proclamatioune in myn or tharis paroche kirk 1560 Inchaffray Chart. 167.
Als fre as … ouris or thairis granitaris or chalmirlanis in ouris or thairis names josit brukit or intromettit with