A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1400, 1475-1696
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Mor(e, a.1, n.2 and adv. Also: moir(e, moyr, moor, mour. [Midl. and south. ME. and e.m.E. mor(e.The early instances, confirmed in rhyme (esp. with before), in Barbour, Leg. S. and Troy-bk., seem anomalous. Another comparatively early instance occurs at Holland's Howlat 528 (of evir more rhyming with befor, sore, thore), but this piece, like Henryson, Wall., Gol. & Gaw., and the later poets, has other examples of o for native a, also confirmed in rhyme, no doubt as ‘anglicised forms’ according to the usual later 15th and 16th c. practice.] = Mar(e, in various senses. More and les, les and more, see Les a. 4.a. adj. (1) 1375 Barb. x. 199.
A fothyr … gretar and weile mor Than he broucht ony that yer befor a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 13.
In More Iynd Mathew prechit 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 275.
Of moir novmer 1528 Lynd. Dreme 630.
The leist sterne … Is more than all the eirth be my iugment 1545 Reg. Privy C. I. ii.
The new Inglis … grotis … ar false for the more part 1569 Ib. II. 4.
The … moir part of the counsallar a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1310. 1676 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 238 (26 Aug.).
At moir lentgh(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 268.]
[Bot angelis … It kepit thane, myne no mare [: before], Fra wath of watir c1400 Troy-bk. i. 228.
The housses … All of a hight baith lesse & more [: before](3) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iii. 136.
The Sothroun saw thar curage was the mor [: befor] c1475 Ib. iv. 680, v. 547, viii. 316. a1500 Bk. Chess 1013.
Traistand sen ȝour worschipe is fer mor [: thairfor] That mor rewardis ȝour knychtis suld resaif Quhen [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 73.
And ȝit, more panence wald I have, Had I rewarde amang the laif 1531 Bell. Boece II. 218.
Na thing wes more impediment to Scottis than thair desire to have the heidis of Danis erar than victory 15.. Clariodus ii. 1804. 1635 Wodrow in Hay Geneal. Hays 86.
It wer agrieable … that the same [dyet] wer prorogatted till he receaved mor health(b) 1535 Stewart 45417. 1535 Ib. 59619, etc.
For moir dispyit c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 866.
Quhairthrow hir dolour wes the moir [: befoir] 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 6560.
I can dres sic thing and it war moir [: befoir] a1568 Scott iv. 81. c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 225. 1570 Leslie 213.
Jugeing it moir wisdome so to doo than to joperde him self 1587 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II. 36.
With the moir speed 1622-6 Bisset I. 51/16.
Quhill moir opportunitie occurred 1629 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 107.
Androis wyff fearing ye haid bene doing moir evill strak yow c1650 Spalding I. 284.
Moir(4) 1659 Forbes Baron Ct. 224.
That no tennentis … cast nor leid moir peittis ȝeirlie … nor [etc.] 1674 Inverness Rec. II. 257.
Throw the eschape of on or mor prissoners(5) c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 451.
Withouttin moir remead 1570 Satirical Poems x. 185.
Withouttin proces moir 1696 Wemyss of Bogie MSS.
Goieng through the kuntray inqweiring for mor victuall(6) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1235.
He … kyssyt hyr with outyn wordis mor [: befor] 1548 Grant Chart. III. 102.
Forsayemekill as the said Ewin … hes doin mor innormiteis … to the said James landis a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 131/28.
1100 and more ȝeres sene 1685 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries LIX. 49.
That … ther might be many mor seats builtb. absol. and noun. (1) a1500 Henr. III. 107/8 (Ch. & M.).
The more [Makc. moyr] of age the nerar hevynnis blis(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvi. 107.
With syk a sowme of gold ore more [: before] a1500 Bk. Chess 864.
Experiens … Dois mor in battall … Than [etc.] 1513–14 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 26.
That tua thraiff or litel mor wald geiff the boll 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 250. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1019.
Mor belongs to a bed nor four bair limmes 1666 Laing MSS. I. 350.
As my cosen germen … you will doe the mor(b) 1535 Stewart 13866.
The moir thai drink, the moir thai haif of drouth a1540 Freiris Berw. 432.
Gif that ȝe list … to haif moir [: thairfoir] 1558 Inverness Rec. I. 22.
Quhen the half or moyr of the sowth syd is thekit 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 53. 1621 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 193.
We have all moir nor reason to gieve him harty thanks c1650 Spalding I. 107. c1650 Ib. 213.
Moir nor they lookit for 1652 Cullen Kirk S. 12 Sept.
What moir they did he knew not 1655 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs III. 400.
Moir nor thair dew(3) 1567 Criminal Trials I. i. 495.
The E. Bothweill … accumpanyit with thre more(4) 1535 Stewart 23171.
Ten ȝeir and moir 1641 Strathendrick 4.
About tua houris and mor therefter(5) 1375 Barb. xii. 299 (C).
Covatis and [E. of] senȝhory Amovis thame for-outen mor [: befor] c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 171.
Thre … To-gydder anerly but more [: Anthenore] c1400 Ib. 1885.
And fand … The samyne wecht of gold but more That the lettres spak of before a1540 Freiris Berw. 397 (M). 15.. Clariodus i. 371.
Within a monthis space but more sould be his wadding day(6) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxiii. 225.
The gret … pyne That, as thai wend, for-owt more Thai tholit one the day before c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 84.
The fyve to thaim retornde with outyn mor [: befor] 1513 Doug. I. vi. 59. 1535 Stewart 22967. 1535 Ib. 47252.
But ony mour, richt sone and suddantlie 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 159/431.
Ane humoure … maid To chainge into a stone quhiche stoppis … without more The sliddrie ureter
c. adv. —(1) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix. 251.
This blythis me mekill mor [: scor] Than [etc.] c1475 Ib. vi. 678, xi. 1082. a1500 King Hart 519.
Quhen that … Plesance had thame sene, Scho grevit and scho angerit weill more [: bore, score, befoir] 1513 Doug. xi. Prol. 154.
Thou may eik grace to grace, ay mor and mor [: nevirmore, tharfor, glor] 1513 Ib. xii. i. 114. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 217/9. 1535 Stewart 596.
The wynd blew fair the langar ay the moir [: schoir] 1559 Knox in Cal. Sc. P. I. 256.
Heir thei wold mor proffett us 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 5771. a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lx. 71.
[None ever betrayed,] Muche moir ane nobill baneist lord c1590 J. Stewart II. 255 § 217.
So in gloir This trie preceld the rest and meikill moir c1590 Ib. 85/204.
Moir 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii. xxxix.
Thy glore now, the more now, Is kend o potent God 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 362.
And that so much the more that [etc.](2) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1402.
Mor baundounly I maid me for to pruff 1533 Bell. Livy II. 214/23.
The more eselie 1578 Smit Bronnen II. 1182.
Zealand … becomes more quiet and the river towards Antwerp free and open 1588 Laing MSS. I. 75.
A more hote desyre 1685 Sinclair Satan's Invisible World 87.
My hand is more black in the loof 1688 Tryal Philip Standsfield 21.
I heard the voices continue, but more laigh(b) 1535 Stewart 120.
Thair is nothing moir gudlie to avance Na [etc.] 1535 Ib. 60433.
Les or moir large Na ordand wes be just equalitie 1548 Cal. Sc. P. I. 104.
The moir gentylle we be handyllyt, the moir wyld be we 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 55/5.
[The moon] is moir suift in hyr retrograid cours nor [etc.] 1549 Ib. 66/8.
None of them kepit moir geomatrial mesure nor [etc.] a1570-86 J. Maitland in Maitland Folio MS lxxxviii. 21. a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xxxviii. 48. 1589 Cal. Sc. P. X. 101.
To your moyr grawe consideration 1593 Warrender P. (S.T.S.) II. 204.
To mak my innocencie … the moir clere 1608 Criminal Trials II. 570. 1613 Highland P. III. 128. 1622 Edinburgh Testaments LI. 219 b.
Thair is nothing moir certane nor daith 1662 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 491.
For the moir commodious laidining … of boatis(3) c1590 Fowler I. 119/44.
Far spediar more agane c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxiii. i.
Ane dame moir quheiter than the snaw(4) c1650 Spalding II. 5.
Thay … returnit home agane moir foollis nor thay went out(5) a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1417.
More for hir modere than for the mes To kirk scho went c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3262.
Accompanyit … With wemen more than wailȝeant knychtis c1552 Ib. 4467.(6) 1535 Stewart 38349.
Kirk or kirkmen gat of thame no girth Moir nor the fox that rynnis in the firth a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 128/8.
More nor it var ane sprite(7) 1623 Criminal Trials III. 548.
This detestable and moir than barbarous murthour 1645 Lag Chart. 57.
Trewlie I am mor nor sorie that [etc.](8) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix. 313.
Quhat nedis mor off curtassy to tell? a1500 Golagros and Gawane 274. a1500 Bk. Chess 1268.
As of Julius Cesare reid we more [: sor] That [etc.] a1500 Ib. 1433. a1540 Freiris Berw. 374 (B).
Baith breid and wyne and vthir thingis moir [: befoir] 1622 Pope's New-Year Gift.
What would yee moir? 1642 Inverness Rec. II. 179.
Fyve hundreth merkis … moir to … eik with the said stipend 1649 Grant Chart. 242.
And what more shall be their pleasure heirin I shall most willinglie obay 1689 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 6 May.
£27 formerlie indew and some iron moire(9) a1568 Bannatyne MS 147 a/10.
I schrew me and I moir do so 1666 Jurid. Rev. XXIV. 22.
I believed never to have seen my … friends any moor(10) 1676 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 12 Jan.
Item more restand … sex pecks 1678 Fawside Coal Compt 37.
Item moor for hairth stones £6/13/4
