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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Thar(e)of(f, Thairof(f, adv. Also: ther(e)of, theirof, thearof, thirof(f. [ME and e.m.E. þar of (c1175), þæroff (Orm), þerof (14th c.), ther-of (Chaucer), thereof (1542).]

1. Of, pertaining or belonging to that place or thing, of it; with respect to that thing; from that place or thing, from it. Also with plural referent.(a) 1375 Barb. i 489.
Schyr will ȝe nocht se How that gouernyt is this countre … ȝe tharoff suld lord be ?1438 Alex. i 18.
Thairof c1405 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
Yhour men … hade takyne befor that tym certayne Scottis schippis … & the marchandis thar of c1420 Wynt. vi 320.
The graffe … Thai rypyd, and the body soucht; Bot thare-off cowth they fynd rycht noucht, Bot a serpent all wgly 1456 Hay I 8/20.
The apostolis … tuke … na rewardis that men wald geve thame, bot anerly almous dede, of thing that belangit lyfing anerly, and all that remaynit thar-of was departit to the pure folk a1500 Henr. Fab. 1028.
Will thow luke on my letter, Sen that the volff na thing thairoff can wyn? c1475 Wall. x 760.
Masons, minouris, with Scrymgeour furth he send, Kest doun Dunde, and tharoff maid ane end 1488 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 1.
The said Henre payande yerly thar for … vj s. viij d., tharof v s. viij d. to the said Wilyam Litster and xij d. to Johne of Wallod c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 277.
Thou lytill quair … Off all hir [sc. Rhetoric's] lusty rosis redolent Is none in to thy gerland sett on hicht; Eschame thar of, and draw thé out of sicht 1531 Bell. Boece I 71.
This regioun, throw the cauld humouris thairof, ingeneris wolffis 1550 Knox III 50.
Of the cuppe ye reservit to yow … ye forbad that any layit presumit to drink thairof 1556–7 Peebles B. Rec. I 236.
The said Johne to tak consultatioun quhat suld be defalcat thairof les or mair 1557 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 155.
Conform to ane procuratorie contenit within this leif at the margent thairof, befor thir witnes 1566 Crim. Trials I i 475.
Delatit of the cutting of Robert Rammage luggis, and demembring of him thairof c1575 Balfour Pract. 265.
Anent the college of justice, institutioun and judicatorie thairof a1578 Pitsc. II 91 heading.
Hou the Inglis armie send … ane uther letter to the gowernor and hou thay gat na answer thairof 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 6/5.
This booke … can it sa iustlie appartaine as unto you … since I the authoure thairof [etc.] 1615 Crim. Trials III 276.
Patrik Halcro and his associattis … being than within the steiple schuteing out thairof at all persones 1665 Rothesay B. Rec. 100.
The watter of the said brughe (throw occasioune of the extraordinar speit thairof is out of order) so that the same is prejudicial to the herberie thairof(b) c1466-80 Letter from Lord Hamilton.
Gif my seruande … mystaris other lettiris … of ȝhouris … to conwoye hym I requer ȝour ladischip hartly therof c1563 Reg. Panmure I cxliv.
In the ground thearof [sc. the tower] ane drawe wel c1592 Soc. Ant. XI 411.
If some controlement … be not used … the said effyners may make more than £40,000 of profit to themselves, and never kennel ane fyre for effyning thereof 1618 Acts IV 586/2.
Which firlot … to bee brunt and sealled with the mark of foure crownes vpon both the sydes of the bottome with fyve impressions of the letter L vpon the lippes thereof 1622-6 Bisset I 245/2.
The lyke ordoure may be observed in cornis cattell or uthir movabill guidis … liquidatioun thereof beand first maid(c) 1597 Aberd. Council Lett. I 74.
Befoir the witnesses George Knowis ane of the baillies of Abirdene Henrie Forbes David Mar Willeam Kelman tailyeour burgesses thirof 1690 Misc. Hist. Soc. X 139.
List off the schoolmasters names within the shyre off Angus … given into me John Carnegie shirefdepute thiroff

2. Of or concerning that subject or matter, about, of or with respect to that state of affairs, situation, etc., of or for that action, etc.(a) 1375 Barb. iii 176.
Quhether-sa yhe be freynd or fa That wynnys prys off chewalry Men suld spek tharoff lelyly 1375 Barb. vi 10 (C).
Tharof 1375 Barb. x 469.
The Douglas that nycht held the hall All-thocht his fayis tharoff war wa, His men was gangand to & fra Throw-out the castell all that nycht ?1438 Alex. i 105.
Emynedvs was wonder wa, That sawe his men rebutit sa, And bot vengeance thairof be tane He prysis him nocht worth a chirrie-stane ?1438 Alex. ii 1966.
Thareof ?1438 Alex. ii 3146.
‘Schir’, said Gaudifeir … ‘I sall do as ȝe deim, ilk deill!' ‘Freind’, said the king, ‘that lykis me, And thairof greatly thank I thé!' c1420 Wynt. ix 1160.
This part … wes noucht my dyte; Tharoff I dare me welle acqwyte 1456 Hay I 64/30.
The … ox spak … sayand … quhy broddis thou me? Thou dois nocht wele tharof c1475 Wall. i 270.
His eme wist weyle that he the squier slew; For dreid thar of in gret languor he grew 1490 Irland Mir. II 41/27.
The ladeis … that knew his glorius resurreccioun had mekle ioy and plesaunce tharof 1501 Acta Conc. III 91.
The sade Jhone Stewart sall present ane sic like persone to the forsaid juge or of laware degre as said is; and failyeing thairof that the sade lord jug may and sal [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 127/22.
My maine is turned in to quhyt, And thair off ȝe heff all the wyt 1535 Stewart 365.
Quhen he hard pece, thairof he wes content, But contrapleid tharto gif his consent c1590 Fowler II 107/7.
A prence suld have no other obiect … nor apply him self to any other office bot vnto the weres and to the reules, ordour, and discepline thairoff 1598–9 Elgin Rec. II 70.
That Grissall Jhounstoun and Bessie Corben be causit stand besyde the joiggis quhill thair headis be clippitt, and Gilbert Gadderar salbe the doar thairoff(b) a1400 Leg. S. i 438.
I sal tel bath thocht and dede To Nero—haf ther-of na drede! 1474 Aberd. B. Rec. I 32.
That thare sal na dene of gilde be chosin for this yere bot the alderman, quhilk has had the vse of that office … to mak compt therof at the ische of his aldermanschip 1562-3 Winȝet I 92/5.
Albeit we may bring intellable testimoneis theirof; ȝit for schortnes we will adduce bot a certane [numbre] to ȝour memorie 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. I 179.
Seing tua oxin bund in on seill, passit raslie to lous the oxin, and in doing theirof was strukin deid a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 287.
The statut indures only quhill the king should make speciall revocatione therof 1675 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 22 Dec.
They knew the foirsaid cow laufullie bought … And that oppenlie and payed fourtene punds Scots therfor And that some of the saidis witneses declared to ther judgement the cow was too dear therof

3. From that source, (deriving) from that, thence. c1420 Wynt. ii 523.
Ovide maide thir ilk wers … (Inde genus durum sumus experiens quoque malum: Et documenta damus, qua simus origine nati.) Thareoff, he says, be kynd we ta For tyll be dowre and harde alsua, And we mak kend in propyrte Quharoff ony kynd suld commyn be c1420 Wynt. viii 254.
Schyre Jhon the Ballyoll … Assentyd to do all hys will: Thare-off [C. Tharfor] efftyr fell gret iwill c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 71/20.
Sum hes thair advocattis in chalmir And takis thame selff thairoff no glawmir c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke vi 35.
Do ye wele, and len ye, hoping na thing tharof [Vulg. inde] 1562-3 Winȝet I 4/35.
Sen ȝour godly leving garnisit with chastitie, fasting, prayer, and sobritie, be the worthi frutis tharof … is patent to al man