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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.

Quha-ever, interrog. and rel. pron. Also: qwha-, wha- and -evir, -evyr, -ewer. [ME and e.m.E. who ever(e (Wyclif), early ME hwa efre. Variously written as one or two words. Cf. Quho-ever.]

1. As compound relative in indefinite or generalised sense: Whatever person or persons, anyone who, if anyone. b. Whichever person or persons (of a pair or group).(1) c1420 Wynt. vi 2071.
Thare suld nane pay mare Than foure pennys for thare fare, Quha-evyr for his frawcht wald be For caus frawchtyd owre that se 14.. Burgh Laws c. 42 (B).
Qwha evir be made burges of awaste land … he may haf a kyrkset 1513 Doug. xi xi 127.
Quha evir with wond doys … violat Hyr haly body … , Quhiddir he be Troiane or Italiane, … that he onon be slane Ib. xvi 33. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v 41.
Quhaeuir constrenyeis thee a thousand pasis, ga thou with him vthir twa 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2588.
Quha evir held commoun theivis within thair boundis … Withowt remeid thair cheftanis sowld be hangit c1550 Id. Meldrum 1504.
Quha euer straikis with ane sword, That man salbe with ane sword slane(2) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2097.
Quha evir beis hangit in this cord Neidis nevir to be drownd a1570-86 Maitl. F. clvi 24.
Quha euer is large is haldin vnhabill 1616 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 146.
Quhaevir sall yok to leid wair on the Sabbothe … sall make publik satisfaction in the kirk 1622 Black Bk. Taymouth 374.
Contrair the lairdis actis quhairby it is ordanit quha ever byis ane mairt fra any [etc.] … sall pey [etc.] … and quhaewer sellis the mairt overagane to pey [etc.] 1645 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 59.
The said inhabitants … war content wha euer sould be absent being in the toun … to to be poyndit thairfoirb. (1) 1456 Hay I 110/23.
Bot quha ever of ȝow be first, that he be lawest servitour to ȝow 1584 Reg. Soltre 240.
Quhaeuer of the prebenderis beis absent in the towne(2) 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 193.
Quha evir in Latyn hes the bruyt or glor, I speke na wers than I haue doyn befor

c. With immediately preceding pron. antecedent. (Cf. Quha pron. 5 a, b.) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3505.
Thay tyne thir steps all thay quha ever did sin

d. Also in defin. use: That person who. 1405 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
Qwhaeuer enfourmyt yhour Excellence that I hade brokyn myn athe it hade bene fayrar for him to haffe sende me that querell

2. Introducing a conditional-concessive clause: No matter who. ?1438 Alex. ii 3127.
Sum men may tyne, quha euer it be a1500 Henr. Prayer 70.
Dissiuir did nevir quha euir thé besocht c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxix 24.
Fra it as fra the feynd thay fle, Quha evir tyne, quha evir win 1513 Doug. i Prol. 278.
Bot twichyng Virgillis honour … , Quha euer contrary, I mon stand at defens 1531 Bell. Boece II 202.
Quhaevir was Edmondis fader, trewth is, that Edmond succedit immediatly to King Athelstane 15.. Clar. iii 1541.
The grit King … That ever is wicht quhaever be waike or seik

3. interrog. As an emphatic extension of Quha, used rhetorically to imply astonishment and = No-one ever. 1513 Doug. ii x 173.
O God! quha euer couth Sik cryme to me be said of faderis mouth? 1587-99 Hume 61/293.
Quha ever hard of armour sick, Quhat bullets euer flew sa thick, As [etc.] … ?