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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
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Val(o)ur, -or, -eur, n. (adj.). Also: -(o)ure, -owr, -eo(u)r, -iour, -eure, walour(e, -ur, -or, -owr, vallour, -eur, wallo(u)r, vaill-, waillour. [ME and e.m.E. valour (c1330), valure (1422), valeure (1433-4), valor (1467), vallewer (1592), OF valour, -ur, F. valeur, med. L. valor.]

A. noun. 1. The quality of being brave, honourable or chivalrous, as displayed in battle or behaviour more generally. Also pl. and transf.(a) 1375 Barb. i 451.
Thai … throw thar gret walour Come till gret hycht & till honour Magre thar fayis 1375 Barb. i 556.
Arthur that throw chevalry Maid Bretane maistres … Off [tuelf] kin[rikis] that he wan … Bot ȝeit for all his gret valour [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 421.
Ane erle that wes a fare man, Quham for beute & waloure The emprice luffit ?1438 Alex. i 946.
Throw thy helpe, worship and valour, Thow sould vs venge c1460 Consail Vys Man 185.
Luf nocht … ladry For maner makis man of valour And bringis a man to gret honor c1460 Thewis Gud Women 227.
Thai suld be … Worthi women wys and abile, And eftir cum to gret valoure c1460 Regim. Princ. 119 (Fairf.).
Sparand thair gud & spendand thi honore Mar for thaire profyt na for thi valoure 1461 Liber Plusc. I 383.
God of nature … Defaid thaire freschnes for Thi gret valoure, … Quhill we haue murnyt a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 328 (see Va(i)lȝeant (ppl.) adj. 1 a (h)). c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 109/2.
Hie tryumphing in wirschip and valoure … most Cristin knight and kene c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 277b/49.
Ladeis thai ar of excelland valour Ladeis ar digne to haif autorite 15.. Clar. iii 68.
Ȝe sall capitane be … Unto that rout as knicht of great valoure 1584 Colville Lett. 49.
The said … ar callit men of no force nor courage … suche es every monethe hes ane new assignation to practis and yit laikis boyth power and valour to execut the same 1604 James VI Tobacco 84/12.
Our fortunate and oft prooued valour in warres abroad 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas i 562.
Arm'd with trew valowr not misseledde with rage(b) 1375 Barb. xii 444.
Walur 1567 G. Ball. 179.
Valure 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 50.
Barrones and gentilmen of good soirt … by quhas valure the kingdome hath ever been defendit(c) c1590 Fowler I 70/95, 100.
So greit hir mynde and courage was with valeur of the same That nather was the Volsian quene, nor Amazonian dame … In anye point of worthines with Laura to be compared Whose valeur far surpast thame bothe c1590 Fowler II 96/34.
Mercenarye captains ar ather men of valeur or persons of litill vertew. If they be of valeure [etc.] c1590 Fowler II 106/17.
Na princedome … not propped vp … by ther auen forces can be stable … having na vertew nor valleur in them selfs to sustane theme(d) 1626 Garden Worthies 58.
From works of valor thay ther honor hade, And knightlie courage keith'd wnto the coast Of foes defaitpl. a1500 Bernardus 384.
Gef ther progenitouris War nobyl men, gentyl and of valouris 1626 Garden Worthies 161.
By your worthie walors they were … Stai'd and constrain'd to fighttransf. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxviii 18.
London than art … Gemme of all joy … Most myghty carbuncle of vertue and valour

2. Monetary value or worth, price. a. Of (in) (ane grete, the sammyn, etc.) valour. Also pl. b. The valour of (a thing). Also pl. and ellipt. or absol. Also, in negative const., applied to a thing of nugatory value. c. To the valour of (a sum or comparable thing). Also to the just (verray, etc.) valour. d. (Of) small (litill, sobir) valour, of little value or consequence; trifling. e. In other usages. f. A thing having monetary value, a valuable.a. (1) 1427 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 40.
Alsfer has the said landis ar of walour to sel or to set in to ferme c1460 Regim. Princ. 187 (Fairf.).
Justice wald haue … An auditoure of complayntis … Quhilk … suld minister iugement To pure folk … Spendand mare na thaire clame is of valure 1526 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 80.
[The] meir was prysit for twa merkis and fond in this court of the samyn valour a1538 Abell 11a.
Nabuzardan … spulȝeit the tempill and … tuk all the ornament of it and the laif of the pepill of ony walour and draw thame bundin in Babilone 1545 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 21.
Meill of the walor of xvi bollis 1553 Dundee B. Ct. II 223 (28 April).
The setting of the samyne in few … to be to the few takkaris of als gryt valeur & effect as [etc.] 1566–7 Reg. Privy S. V ii 290/1.
Landis of als greit valoure in the Lawland as the landis abonewrittin 1573–4 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 255.
Quhilkis oxin of the price and walour forsaid 1576 Crail B. Ct. 18 Oct.
Victuallis ar presentlie … off les walour and better chaippe nor [etc.] 1587 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 18 June.
That the tak … be … of sik walour, as it may paye [etc.] 1591 Haigh Mining P. iii ?20 Oct.
Gif the ouris beis … nocht fynit heir ȝe sall newir knawe … quhat thei ar of walowr 1598 Murray Lyon Hist. Lodge Edinb. 9.
The fourt pairt of the worth and valour of the said wark 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI 375.
Geir … of better valour(b) 1552 Grant Chart. 107.
Landis … beand mare of valiour of tua hundreth merkis 1578 Acts III 100/1.
To … discharge the said erll of Mortoun … of ony thing of quhatsumeuir valeour grite or small(c) 1599 Brechin Test. I 179.
Guidis … of the vallour quantetie and pryce efter mentionat 1601 Brechin Test. I 203.
Wallor(d) 1594 Brechin Test. I 121b.
Waillourpl. 1594 Brechin Test. I 126.
Vaillouris 1627 Melville Chart. 161.
Guidis … of the prices and wallouris efter specifeit(2) 1573 Reg. Privy C. II 218.
Alsmekill in valour … as … twa full yeris wages 1607 Inverurie B. Ct. 2 Nov.
The paddok buttis … is fund to be in als mekill walour as [etc.]b. (1) 14.. Burgh Laws c. 36 (A).
Na burges sal lene … bot the valur [Acts I 31/2, to the valur] of xl d. of his gudis 1424 Acts II 8/1.
Thre serplathis of woll or the valour therof 1492–3 Acta Conc. I 293/1.
Thai fand … that the saidis landis ar of les avale than thai ar worth nocht makand trew and perfitt mensioun of the valour of the sammyn landis 1498 Acta Conc. II 177.
Withhalding … samekle a soume of money as the valour of the mariage 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 120.
To … pay … the saidis ȝeirly profeittis and valor of the saidis landis 1559–60 Coll. Rebus Alban. 92.
Sal pay the valor or estimatioun of the avail of the ward and mariage 1560 Admir. Ct. Bk. (St. S.) 175.
To restoir … ane heid stik of ordinance … or ellis the price and valour thairof 1588 Conv. Burghs I 278.
To be comptabill … for the valour of the saidis impoistis 1597 Skene Verb. S. (1599) s.v. Cathorius.
It is equivalent to the valure of nine kye 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Gysarum.
All men … sall haue armour, conforme to the quantitie, and the valour of their landes, and moveable gudes 1609 Glasgow Merchants House 105.
For observeing of the statutis of the sukin, his worth and valeor being verifeit be testimoniell of Thomas Morsoune 1609 Argyll Rentals 9 Oct.
Item of scheip the vallour of … half mark 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I 358.
Permitting the dollers … to have course … at quhat pryce the inbringars thairof pleased far above the valour of his hienes awin moneyis a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 270.
Found that ane instrument cannot prove the valour of any thing (e.g. that anything wes given back in als good caise as it wes befoir) 1644 Army of the Covenant I 155.
The soume off nyne hundreth eighty sevin pounds nyne shillings sterlinge for the valour therof receaved in leadpl. 1531–2 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 54.
The vrangus … occupying … of the landis … with the profeittis and valoris thairof 1551 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale I 35.
The valures therof ar to be esteemedellipt. or absol. 1456 Hay I 135/12.
Quhethir he be behaldin to restore agayne the thing or the valour 1467 Acts II 89/1.
The samyn substance and walour redunde to the ressavour lik as he sulde haif hade the tym of the making of this act 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 336.
Of the quhilk gudis, … the valour be estimatioun is jugeit to sex hundrith and fourty pund stirling 1600-1610 Melvill 340.
They compell tham to height thair teinds above the reasonable valor 1603 Reg. Great S. 516/1.
Of all dry mersarie wairis … ilk Scottis pundis worth or valour to pay 40 penneis 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 43b.
All the gude cunȝie, or money of the king of England, … salbe receaved within this realme … conforme to the trew valour as it giues in England(2) 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 155.
Duncane … Hes not hir left the valoure of ane hen a1651 Calderwood I 483.
With them remained not the valour of a babiec. 14.. Acts I 34/2.
Thai sall halde na mare in thair house … bot to the valur of iiii d. 1428 Wemyss Chart. 57.
Al the lave of the salt panis [etc.] … to be set to the verray valoure 14.. Acts I 6/2.
He sal put his weddis … to the valur of the scath that the folowar sais hym til haf tane 14.. Acts I 32/2.
Collec to the valure of xx s. 1467 Acts II 88/2.
The Inglis noble … the Franche crowne … and the ridar sall haif cours in this realme of our mone to the valor … at thai haf in Flandris 1498 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 90.
[He] sall gude and wair one the sade boitht of his awn expens to the walour of half a [pr. halfa] mark 1525–6 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 79.
Twa persones prissit the skynnes … to the valour of iii^xx and ane skyne 1530 Wigtown B. Ct. 235b.
To the valovre of a pec of flovre 1564 Edinb. B. Deeds 145.
The airschip of the said insycht … salbe apprisit … to the just valoure a1578 Pitsc. II 176.
The quene gaif him ane cheinȝe to the wallour of ane thowsand crounis 1597 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 156b.
To restoir the said meir … Or ellis to pay the price of the samyn to hir vttir valoured. 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I 81.
Ilk … sall pay ilk oulk ane penny, quhilk is bot small valour 1533 Bell. Livy II 25/24.
Ane croun of gold of litill valoure, effering to the riches in thai dayis 1549 Lamb Resonyng 47/1.
Thre or four aikiris of barrate mure of sobir valoure 1551–2 Reg. Privy C. I 121.
Ye sall tak sik uthair tryall as ye … can aggre for decyding of that land that is indifferent, swa that for ane litill valour nocht to leif the landis undividite. 1531 Vaus (1531) 4.
In the sammyne cais ar gouernit all dictionis that signifyis price, valor, or rauard 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Valor, the price, the valourf. 1590 Misc. 3 Spald. C. II 10.
Jonet Gillespie … maid … William Norie hir executor to receaue hir siluer valouris pertaining to hir be deceis of … hir bruyder

3. Of a (non-material) thing: Worth, value, account, efficacy. Also applied to a thing of nugatory value (see Valu(e n. 2 and cf. 2 (2) above). b. Of (grete, small, na, etc.) valour. Also const. ane as indef. art. or numeral. c. For smal valour, for a thing of little worth, for the slightest thing.(1) 1490 Irland Mir. I 137/15.
He offert, … all the price and waloure of mannis redempcioune 1490 Irland Mir. III 34/25.
Considerand the gret dignite valour and excellens of this haly sacrament c1490 Irland Asl. MS 13/23.
It restoris the werkis that was … meritore, & tynt be syn to thair waloure 1613 Breadalbane Lett. 7 March.
Ȝour maisteris constantt kyndnes is mair acceptabill to me nor ane thowsand tymes the walour of anie gift(2) c1420 Wynt. vi 2170 (E) (see Valu(e n. 2 (2)).
Valeurb. (1) c1420 Wynt. v 191 (W).
The tempillis all Fell … That in all that land wes nane Temple standand of valoure [: figoure; R. walu, C. walew] 1456 Hay I 32/1.
Gif the key of jurisdiccioun dois thing that it aw nocht to do, … that suld be of lytill valeur a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1022 (Asl.).
Thire ar wordis of walour & wertew c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. xiiii 6 marg.
Sick waik ande begerly traditionns as tha thame selfis had kawleg affor to be of na walour 1533 Bell. Livy I 131/12.
I wate nocht gif the faderis kepit iust mesour in all thingis concernyng thare liberte for thai garnist the sammyn nocht onelie with materis of grete valoure bot als with thingis of small effect 1551 Hamilton Cat. 48.
The rychteousnes that is of valour afore God a1586 Maitland Geneal. Setoun 7.
Willing the same [book] to be thankfullie receauit thoght it be of small valour 1581 Burne Disput. 105b.
The concile did nocht follou his opinione thairin, nocht esteming his authoritie of greit valoure 1583 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 273.
Euerie industrie is nocht of lyke valour and substance c1590 Fowler I 26/21.
This noysum wicked world … of valeur voyde a1599 Rollock Wks. II 73.
It is a sober indictment to say, ‘He is an evil man;’ that must be qualified, and Pilate thinks this of no valour, and casts it off(2) 1460 Hay Alex. 15403.
The vertew of thi dragouns banys Is mervelus and of ane grete valoure 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 78.
Is Sebastianes wedding of sic ane valure, that ane masking-dance thairat is to be preferrit befoir wyfelie dewtie a1578 Pitsc. II 69/1.
Thaies sayingis … ar verrie wychtie to me and of ane gret walour 1588 King Cat. 46.
Thair ar sum quha wald haue all traditions almaist to be of ane valour and forcec. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 384.
Thai wyll nocht waind for smal valour To len an aith to thar nychtbour

4. Of a person, the soul, etc.: (Moral) worth, value, account. Chiefly in negative context. 1490 Irland Mir. I 59/1.
The hevin empyre comperit to the saule of man is of litile waloure and dignite for nouthire hevin nore erd … may … knaw … the hie diuinite as dois the saule of mane a1500 Prestis of Peblis 774.
Thus hes the saull mair wark and cure Than the body, that is of na valure c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 185.
He semys to be sumthing worth that syphyr in bour He lukis as he wald luffit be thoght he be litill of valour 1535 Stewart 3203.
God is immensurabill … infinite als he is in valour a1568 Scott xxvii 26.
Hyne sall I went, And at als littill valor set hir 1583 A. Hay Nobility 31.
The man himself of lyttle valure and judgement a1586 Lindsay MS 16b.
Folkis of litill walour sic as flatteraris ianglaris [etc.]

5. Of a route or journey: The amount or sum of the distance. a1500 Sir Eger 880.
Ye know the way is for a while, The valour more then thirty mile

6. The value or duration of a note in music. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 26b.
Augmentatioun … is the incresing of nottis beȝond the just valour

7. In the law: The legal validity of a document, process, etc. 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 4.
That somoundis is reput to be of na strynth na valur in the law 1430 Ayr B. Ct. 8 May.
& fand a borch that his borch in the defawte of the aperans of his party was of walowr 1446 Misc. Spald. C. V 285.
We … determynise the said Alexander, lachfull … ayer till his fadir … and finds of na valour the clamys made by the said Malcolm 1448 Acts I 351/2.
The witnes of the first arrestar salbe of valour 1533 Bell. Livy I 273/27.
The auctorite tribuniciane is of na valoure nor effect bot alanerly within the ciete 1549 Lamb Resonyng 127/12.
Said ȝe nocht … ȝour kyng Edward the Thrid maid him-self be crownit kyng of Scotland … How hes … ȝour kyngis departit … fra the propreitie of Scotland that commandis … nixt Scottis kyng to attend on thair jornay in France? Be sic commandis apperis that nother the surrenderence of Balliollis richt nor the semblance of confiscatioun was nouther just nor of valeur aneuch

B. adj. Legally valid. 1549 Lamb Resonyng 119/19.
Ȝe allege mony homagis, bot neuer ane lauchfull nor valeur