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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhither, -ir, conj. and pron. Also: quither, qwither; whit(t)her, uhither; wither. [e.m.E. whither (a1530), OE hwiðer, Quhether. Cf. OHG diu-hwiduru, tho-hwidaro, The-quhether, and early mod. G. wider neither. Cf. also Quhidder.] Whether.

A. conj. I. With correlative or.

1. Introducing a noun clause. = Quhidder 1.a. = Quhether 1 a. b. = Quhether 1 b.a. (1) a1578 Pitsc. II 90/23.
To sie whither they sould gif ower the castell or gif they wald fight 1691 Rep. Hist. MSS XV App. ix 56.(2) 1535 Stewart 39733.
And quhair awa, quhither to hevin or hell, … no man … can tell 1549 Lamb Resonyng 9/17.
That ony ane of thame be juge quhithir ȝour opinioun or myne be conforme to reasoun 1558-66 Knox II 373.
Whitther it was the nychttis sleape, or a deape dissimulation … wyese men may doubt 1596 Dalr. I 3/3. 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 282.
Qwither he or shooe was lyabill to pay it [he] knowes nott — a1578 Pitsc. II 64/25.
I taught never of the number of the sacramentis quither thair was sevin or ellevin(3) 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 282.
That all men may understand quither I be worthie of sick an bruit or not 1612 Breadalbane Lett. 28 Nov.
To wit quhither or not thir sumondis suld byde continewation or not c1616 Hume Orthog. 20.
That the ear can hardlie judge quhither their intervenes a voual or noe 1638 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 410.
Avisand quither or no it suld be a platt, or a upstanding ruiff(4) 1549 Lamb Resonyng 139/3.
Ane instrument of homage … nocht specifeand quhithir to the first or last Edward Kyng of Ingland 1600-1610 Melvill 416.
To schaw him my judgment in effect because it dependit on his credit wither I thought [etc.] 1614 Aberd. Council Lett. I 126.
Quhither(5) 1535 Stewart 24434.
I can nocht tell ȝow quhy, Quhither it wes … That he durst nocht, or than lude him so weillb. 1670 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 82 (?14 July).
First to interrogatt … whither or not that they knou [etc.]

2. Introducing a clause in adverbial relationship to the main clause. = Quhidder 2, Quhether 2. 1535 Stewart 42294.
Quhither or nocht he wes thairof to blek, Off all he said [etc.] 1596 Dalr. II 277/20.
Quhaireuer he cam, quither to the King of France, or til vtheris princes … , he tald of the humanitie of Scotland 1602 Conv. Burghs II 133.
The cumpany to serue hamewart … quither the schip be laydnit or licht 1622-6 Bisset I 136/18. 1670 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 268.
That no defunct persons whither strangers or inhabitants of this brughe be buried [etc.]

II. 3. As a simple conjunction. = Quhidder 3, Quhether 3. 1600-1610 Melvill 416.
A … frind asked me … wither I thought they wald be ordeanit to be absolvit at that tyme c1616 Hume Orthog. 19.
I appele to al judiciouse eares … quhither the aspiration in quho be not ex imo gutture 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 281.
Bott knowes nott whither he pasturet them the last yeir 1691 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 55. — 1668 Lauderdale P. II 117.
& it begins to be a questione uith me uhither ue can mak any thing of such obstinat people

III. 4. As an interrogative marker, simple or correlative, introducing a direct or rhetorical question. = Quhidder 4, Quhether 4. 1456 Hay I 221/23.
Than is here the questioun quhither he aw to be prisounare and pay fynaunce or nocht? c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) xvi 46.
O quhithir wes kythit thair trew lufe or none? c1590 Fowler II 44/5.
Whither did the Apostles remaine in their successours bodily or spiritually? 1661 Lamont Diary 134.
Sir wither doe ye speake as a priuate man or as the mouth of this meiting?

IV. 5. comb.

a. Wither that, = Quhidder 5 a, Quhether 5. b. Qwither if, = Quhidder 6 c, Quhether 6 b.a. 1600-1610 Melvill 81.
Wither that his majestie was nocht readie to behauld or the playars to present tham selves I can nocht tell —b. 1566 (16..) Bk. Univ. Kirk I 91.
Queritur whither if the parties may be joynit in lawfull mariage or not 1574 Bk. Univ. Kirk (Peterkin) 145.
Qwither if the parochiners of a towne … aucht to have the election of their own belman and clark? It is answerit that [etc.]

B. pron. Which (of the two). = Quhether pron. and Quhidder pron. 1549 Lamb Resonyng 13/15.
Quithir of the twa nationis be maist culpabill thairof, God dois knaw Ib. 61/9.
At quhithir of thir twa opinionis will ȝow abyde?