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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.

Pur(e, Puir, adj.¹ (adv.) Also: pwre, puyr, puire; peure; poure; power; poor(e. [ME and e.m.E. pur (1297; v.rr. puir, pure), puyr(e (14th c.), also puȝr, por(e (14th c.), poure (15th c.), pewr(e, puer (15th–16th c.), OF pur, fem. pure, L. pūrus.] Pure.

1. Free from physical impurities.a. Of the air, also of the elements of air and fire: Clean, clear. b. Of metal: Unalloyed.a. ?1438 Alex. ii 31.
The lift he saw baith fare and pure [:sture] c1420 Wynt. i 1087. 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 87.
The callour ayr, penetratyve and puyr [:creatur] c1590 Fowler I 166/8.
O night destell of poorest aire the dewe — 1531 Bell. Boece I viii.
Thir four bodyis elementar: Two hevy and grosse, and two ar licht and pureb. c1420 Wynt. iv 1897.
That metalle, mad sa pure and fyne c1450-2 Howlat 371 (A).
Of pure gold was the ground Ib. 571. c1590 J. Stewart 263 § 252.
Of puirest gould vas formit euerie streit

2. a. That is nothing more than the noun specifies, no more than, mere, simple. 1453 Stirlings of Keir 225.
Wit ȝour vniuersite me, nocht throu strenth lede, na throw error slydyn, compellit, na constrenyhete, bot of myn awyn pure fre and wilful will 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 345a in Innes Rev. VI 92.
A persoune may cum to a realme be sempill and pure successioune as to ane vther heretage

b. Of an emotion or quality: Unmixed with any other feeling, unalloyed; sheer, utter; perfect, complete.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii 1026.
For pure pytte & ioy thai gret c1420 Wynt. vi 1797.
That ilke kyng for pure pyte, That off thai barnys than had he, Wald noucht thame slay a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 638.
For pure sorow of that sight thai sighit vnsound c1475 Wall. vi 206.
Pur 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 43.
Not as the poet sayis, for pure lufe c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxix 34.
Hes [sc. God's] lowe … towarttis me was so peure(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 2960.
Throw pure pryde ar mony shent c1420 Wynt. iv 702. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 681.
He … Venus ay did ban, For pure despite and greit melancolie 15.. Clar. v 2303.
Melancholike he brunt of pure invy

3. In legal use: With no condition attached; unconditional; absolute. Also adv. or quasi-adv.Also med. L. purus (a 1100), AF pur, e.m.E. pure (1536–7), id. c1420 Wynt. vii 2055.
Off all thir poyntis … As a qwyt-cleme fre and pure Be lettyre he gave in fayre tenwre 1429 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 42.
I … gyffis and grayntis in pure and perpetuale almus for the heil of my sawle [etc.] 1438 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 265.
For quhy that I … has … confermyt a charter of pur sellyng of my landys 1476 Exch. R. VIII 344 n.
Yerli … fourty schillingis in pure almois of oure lordschip of Galwaye 1485 Liber Coll. Glasg. 195. 1544 Sc. Ant. VIII 163.
Andrew Dron, for a pure debt 3 pounds, 6 shillings 1550 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 600.
[And will] mak ane power and sympill obligatioun 1584 Perth B. Ct. 4 May.
Sufficient charter of puir venditioun contenyng clausis of warrandice 1622-6 Bisset II 31/26.
In puir and perpetuall almouseadv. c1554 Makeson Genesis fol. 8.
Bot Esaw … to him sald his airchip cleyne & puir For appetyt he haid to ane potache

4. Of persons and their qualities or attributes: Free from moral corruption, undefiled, unspotted, faultless, guiltless.In some instances a mere vague epithet of approval.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 81 (A).
The plesant pacok precious & pure [: fure, mure, sure] Ib. 109.
Pur [B. puir] a1500 Henr. III 147/27.
That princes pure, withoutyn peir a1500 Rauf C. 20.
In point thay war to parische, thay proudest men and pure a1500 K. Hart 5.
So proudlie wes he [King Hart] polist, plane and pure [: vre, misaventure, endure], With ȝouthheid and his lustie levis grene Ib. 268.
Vnto the castell of Dame Plesance puire [: fure, creatuire, fure] Ib. 120. 1567 G. Ball. 149.
For to cum downe in eirth thé till And tak thy vylde nature, To cleith my precius body pure, Sa clene from sin and spot(2) c1420 Ratis R. 865.
And have of kind baith clen & pur, To set thé for to wyne honore c1420 Wynt. viii 3117.
Hys lattyr day He closyd in gratyows state and pure [: Creature, = Creator] a1500 Colk. Sow ii 82.
Hir most plesand, perfyt, pure persoun a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxix 43.
I luif na thing bot pure [Q. poure] simplicitie, And [= yet] to dissemble man my tung asyle 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 166/25.
Quhilk man be offerit … with ane pure conscience 1564 Inverness Rec. I 117.
For ane yeir gratis for thair puyr honestye and obedience c1590 Fowler I 77/9.
Than with a visage fair and mylde and with a chaistly hart, With thoughts most poore 1587-99 Hume 19/85.
How far the pure immortall saull in substance dois surpas, The mortall … corps

b. Specif. in the sexual sense: Undefiled, chaste, intact.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1121.
Sene sche is clere & pure virgyne c1420 Wynt. v 68.
Ay quhill that a wyrgyne pure [: endure] Suld bere a barne Ib. 3036. 1490 Irland Mir. I 101/4.
This haly lady, nete and pure without ony syn Ib. II 32/23.
Pur c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2338.
Pure 1565 Treas. Acc. XI 357.
And xxiij pure virginis 1567 G. Ball. 43.(b) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 133.
Ane puir virgin 1588 King Cat. in Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 209/24. 1587-99 Hume 78/341.
A virgine chaist and puir [: huir](2) 1490 Irland Mir. I 153/6.
Sche was the moder of God in cleyne and pure virginite

c. Of religious doctrine, belief, observance: Free from corruption, error or imperfection; perfect, excellent.Also applied to a religious writer.(1) c1490 Irland Asl. MS 48/13.
Thai [theologians] haue hiear mair cleire and pure cognoscence and knawlege of the diuinite c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) vi 95.
Off the sevin giftis … Off pater noster and sevin peticionis pure c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 315.
The … maist puire Euangelion 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 180/18.
The maist hevinlie, pure, and clene sacrifice of the Lordis body c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 640.
It is Gods wourd and pure religioun That ȝe obserue 1567 G. Ball. 16.
Our eine seis outward [etc.] … , Bot our pure faith the power spirituall Of Christis blude inwart it dois behauld 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 402.
With the pure word of his Euangel a1578 Pitsc. II 61/17.
Teiching trewlie the puire word of God 1596 Dalr. I 106/23.
Pure 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 32/23.
Iehouais … preceptis als are puire(2) 1606 Reg. Privy C. VII 194.
The purest writters of our days, professors of our religion