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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
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River, Ryver, Rever, n. Also: riw-, ryw-, rew-, and -ere, -eir(e; -ar(e, -air; -ir(e, -ier; rivieier; reiver; rewear; reaver; rawer. [ME and e.m.E. riuer (1297), -ere (c1320), also reuer (14th c.), -ire (a1450), OF rivere, -iere (late 11th c. in Larousse), med. L. rivera, riveria.] A river. Also attrib. and fig. or in fig. context.Such rhymes as chere, dere (= deer), fere, nere and stere suggest that in early use the stress fell on the second syllable.(1) 1375 Barb. xiv 337.
A gret rywer [C. revar] he gert him pas a1400 Leg. S. xvii 107.
A ȝunge mane … enterit in riuere faste, … Bot … drownyt thar Ib. xlii 299.
The todir … in the rywere can hym caste c1420 Wynt. iv 617.
Danoy, that gret rywere, That marchand is to Sythy nere c1475 Wall. viii 1177.
In till a waill be a small rywer fayr 1490 Irland Mir. MS fol. 235a.
Naturale and elementare as is the rane wattir of the sey of the ryvere of the well a1500 Quare Jel. 20.
A bonk quhare as a small ryuere [: fere] Makith his course c1500-c1512 Dunb.(S.T.S.) lxxxviii 25.
London … Aboue all ryuers thy ryuer hath renowne 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 19.
Ryveris ran reid on spait with watir brovne 1528 Lynd. Dreme 820.
Off Scotland … considderis … the gret commoditeis … The ryche ryueris plesand and proffitabyll c1590 Fowler I 64/161.
Riwers 1635 Dickson Wr. 119.
Mercy is letten run like a river 1649 Lanark B. Rec. 139.
Ane new boat … be the speit of the river wes caried away 1661 Acts VII 259/2.
To … fish herrings and white fish in all and sundrie seas channells firths rivers floods laiks & lochs in … Scotland(b) c1420 Wynt. i 865.
Betwene the gret rywarys twa, Ynd and Tygyr 1513 Doug. vii viii 94.
Ryvar 1531 Bell. Boece II 179.
The lochis and rivaris stude frosin(c) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 238.
Riveir(d) 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 2788.
Than suld thai fall weill neir Ane hundreth fawdome doun ane riuieier(e) c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 28.
Doun throu the ryce a ryvir ran wyth stremys Ib. 44 (Ch. & M).
Riwir(f) c1420 Wynt. iv 259.
Than gert he drawe that revere all In to … smalle And narow swyrlis c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 17.
The sone … causis reueris to ryne apone the erde 1461 Liber Plusc. 382.
All thir watteris … Baith of salt sey, of burne, well and revere 1469 Acts II 96/2.
In to reueris that has cours to the sey a1500 Colk. Sow ii 10.
By a rever, Cokelby saw [etc.] c1515 Asl. MS I 160/27.
Thar is sum rever of pondes [? = Pontus] that neuer ebbis nor flowis as dois the occeane Ib. 321/8.
[They were] in … danger of laubour be reweris desertis and vther molestacionis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 74/52.
Every fische that swymis in rever 1580 Dundee Chart. No. 71.
Ane great nomer of twnis and meathes quhilkis thai ar to … place at the entrie of the said rever, quhairby [etc.](g) 1375 Barb. xiv 337 (C).
Revar a1500 Lanc. 2891.
Rewar c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3187.
Sum doun the reuar ran 1565 Lennox Mun. 266.
Caus the schippis quhilk ar in the revar to schoit at thame in thar gangin by 1575–6 Reg. Privy C. II 500.
That the indwellaris of the Hieland hes … convoyit tymmer to the burrowis nixt adjacent be the revaris watteris and lochis havand thair cours to the same(h) a1400 Leg. S. xxv 394.
Reuire 1461 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 362.
To be haldyn … the forsaide landys … in … rodis watterys reuirys medewys pasturis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 60/9.
Revir(i) c1450-2 Howlat 12 (A).
Throw thir cliftis so cleire, Withoutin fallowe or feire, I raikit till ane reveire a1500 Henr. Fab. 2617.
Ane cruell volff … Vpon ane tyme past to ane reueir [: cleir, neir] 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 396.
Kepand … passage to the said brig owr the said wattar and reweir 1549 Compl. 7/23.
Reueire 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 18.
Fleure of stank or corrupt reueir, with all vther fylthy corruptioun(j) 1604-31 Craig ii 166.
Reauers(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 285.
Criste … Come to Sancte Johne howine to be In-to the rywere of Jordane c1420 Wynt. i 142.
Off Nyle the ryware 1456 Hay I 39/23.
The ryver of Tibre 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 395.
With passage conuenient of saxten fwit of breid … owr the water and ryver of Dee 1531 Bell. Boece I 143.
Agricola … come landgait ouir the riveir of Levin c1638 Lennoxlove MS (The Duke of Hamilton) C1/8224.
Benorth the Ryver of Tay 1700 Glasgow Chart. II 282.
Their ships and other vessells loading and livering within the river of Clide(b) a1500 Colk. Sow i 368.
The reuir of Ryne 1531 Bell. Boece II 63.
The reveir of Thamis apperit bludy 1580 Dundee Chart. No. 71.
Resortand … with thair schippis … vpoun and within the rever of Tay 1583 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 310.
Ane sycht … downe the rewear of Forthe Ib.
Rawerais 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX 600.
Benorthe the watter and revair of Forthe c1615 Chron. Kings 45.
The landis betuix the reuieris of Tweid and Forthe Ib. 43.
Rewer Ib. 46.
Rewier Ib. 107.
Reware 1622-6 Bisset II 158/2.
The revare or wattir of Carroun 1640 Dumbarton B. Rec. 60.
The reiver of Clyd(3) 1513 Doug. vii xii 84.
The ryver Sarnus(b) c1515 Asl. MS I 154/24.
Fra the revar Tanais be the north occeane 1622-6 Bisset II 292/17.
The Revir Phasis(4) attrib. 1456 Hay II 137/21.
A ryver syde of tender herbe 1513 Doug. viii i 26.
Apon the ryver bank hym self dovn laid a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxii 33.
Dreigh river marks … Ar perrillous, and not as they appeir 1676 Glasgow Chart. II 186.
To build ane wall … in that place of the river syd — 1513 Doug. vii viii 42.
He held doun swymmand the cleir ryver streme 1685 Lauder Observes 181.
The morse being wet with the river water(b) ?1438 Alex. ii 4410.
He … ouertuke thame at the reuer-syde 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 1235.
Rycht be ane reuer syde a1500 Henr. Fab. 2778.
Ane lyttill mous come till ane reuer syde 1535 Stewart 605.
Within ane nes ane rever mouth tha saw a1578 Pitsc. II 312/2.
Mony horsis on the rewir syddes war borne away(5) fig. a1500 Henr. Annunc. 38.
The miraclis ar mekle and meit Fra luffis ryuer rynnis 1490 Irland Mir. I 81/7.
Foure gret riueris for the … recoueraunce of the hail waurld that ware the foure nobile fludis of the precius blud of Jhesu [etc.] Ib. II 71/1.
The sevin sacramentis … ar riueris and wellis procedent fra the hie and noble fontane of grace(b) c1515 Kennedy Asl. MS II 273/17.
Revar of grace that sall ws all releif

b. In such phr. as upon or on (ane) river (or a specified river), on the banks or shores of a river, in its immediate vicinity.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii 25.
And all thay ludgit … In pauillionis vpon ane riuer [: cheir] c1420 Wynt. i 1354.
Thare huntyng is at alkyne dere And richt gud hawlkyn on rywere 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 453.
Luge in full land and neuir bot on ane ryueir [: steir] And neir sum wode 1513 Doug. v Prol. 4.
Gladys … The wery huntar to fynd hys happy pray The falconeyr rych ryver onto fleyn [E. the riche riveir our to flene] 1531 Bell. Boece I 145.
Ane … town, … quilk stude apon the riveir of Tay 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 3.
Gleanshin which lyeth upon the river of Shin(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2626.
Vpon the reuer … he [sc. the lamb] drank ane lytill space a1500 Lanc. 2810.
Rycht to the samyne gren One the rewere, whar he befor han ben c1515 Asl. MS I 187/15.
Thai … duelt apon the rever of Olor c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 74/54 (M).
The new fresche wyne That grew apone the revar of Ryne 1531 Bell. Boece I 3.
He biggit ane toun apon the revair of Munde a1540 Freiris Berw. 2 (M).
Vpon ane rever the quhilk is callit Tweid a1568 Bann. MS 229b/9.
Go walk vpoun sum rever fair

c. Foulis (foule) of river, birds whose habitat is the river.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. i 277.
Wyld fowlis … As of ryvere and vthyr kynd 1567 Acts (1597) ii 13.
Quhatsumeuer person … schuttis … foule of riuer(b) 1535 Stewart 16839.
With … fair falconis for foullis of reveir 1567 Acts III 26/2.
That na maner of person … sould schuit with culueringis, crosbow [etc.] … at … foule of reuar — 1550 Reg. Privy C. I 95.
That nane haron … or ony fule ar of revar be slane … bot be halkis alanerly

d. A copious flow of water. a1500 Seven S. 2183.
Vnder ȝour bed at sevyn well springis … playis nycht & day Thai are the caus … That thire sevyne rewaris cummis furth a1578 Pitsc. I 365/29.
To cause thingis to appeir … as … great reveris of watteris rynand throw the toun

e. Some artefact representing a river. 1628–9 Edinb. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 210.
For twa reveres for the mont at the West Port twa thrissellis for the Nether Bow staige

f. ? ‘A stream, or the banks of a stream, as a place frequented for hawking’ (OED).1513 Doug. v Prol. 4 (E) (see b above).