Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rome-raker, -raiker, -ar, n. Also: Roome-, Rum- and -ryker. [e.m.E. Roumeraker (once, 1566); Rome n.¹ and Raker n.¹] A person, esp. a cleric, who is continually travelling to Rome in the hope of gaining personal advantage thereby.Freq. applied to pardoners; hence the surname given to the pardoner in Lynd. Sat.(1) 1535 Stewart 51632.
Of blak habite ane freir Ane lous lymmer wes full of rycht euill layttis, Ane Rome-raiker that gane had mony gaittis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2201.
Becaus ȝe [sc. the pardoner] ar ane Rome rakar A commoun publick calsay paikar Bot dowt ȝe wilbe hangit 1542 Misc. Bann. C. I 17.
So vtterly opprest withe bussheps, monckes, Rome-rykers, and preistis a1568 Pedder C. 21.
And sanis thame with deid menis banis Lyk Romerakaris with awsterne granis Speikand curlyk ilk ane till vder a1568 Bann. MS 79b/39 (see Rome-rinnar n.).
Rome raker 1570 Sat. P. xxi 3.
Quhat menis … Thir ruggars, reifars, Romeraikars? a1585 Polwart Flyt. 737 (H).
Gled glaiker, Roome raiker [T. Rum raiker] for releiffe(2) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2044.
I am Schir Robert Rome raker, Ane publict perfyte pardonar, Admittit be the paip