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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
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Viveris, Vivaris, Veveris, n. pl. Also: viveres, -eries, -ers(e, -arris, -ar(e)s, -irs, -ouris, -or(i)s, -iers, -res, vivareris, vivvers, viwer(i)s, -aris, wiver(i)s, wiverse, wiwer(i)s, -aris, -irs, vyverris, wyveris, wywers, vevaris, -eis, -ers, wewer(r)is, vievers, veiveares. Sing. vivere, -ar. [17th c. Eng. vivres (a1650), OF vivres.] Provisions; victuals, eatables; necessities. Also fig.(a) 1533 Boece 151b.
The frutis ȝerelie be the grund producit, ar collectit to thare viueris 1547 Treas. Acc. IX 139.
To have in reddynes aittis, stra, hay, and other vyuerris for the Franchemen and thair hors 1548–9 Corr. M. Lorraine 287.
Wiweris 1549 Aberd. B. Rec. I 273.
Wyueris or necessaris 1549–50 Treas. Acc. IX 366.
Viveres 1551–2 Acts II 483/1.
The monyfald actis of Parliament … for suppressing of derth … of viuers & wynis 1555 Treas. Acc. X 297.
Vivvers 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 360.
Thir ar the viveris for [the castle of Dunbar] … quheit and flour, ait meill, malt, wyne, vennagir, plumdamas, buttir, cheise, salt salmond, salt beif, dry killing ling and skait, coillis and tymmer for fyre 1565 Edinb. B. Rec. III 205.
Wiwers 1565 Treas. Acc. XI 417.
Flescheouris, cadgerais, and uthiris furnesar of viveris 1567 Treas. Acc. XII 80.
Letters … chargeing the provest and balliis of Hadingtoun to gar baik breid, brew ale and have uthiris vivers in reddines 1569 Reg. Privy C. II 38.
At lenth in defalt of viveris, speciallie watter, thai wer constranit for sauftie of thair lyffis to becum in will 1558-66 Knox I 404.
Viweris 1576 Inverness Rec. I 252.
Aill beir or vther siclyke vivers a1578 Pitsc. II 220/33.
Wiveris 1584 Perth B. Ct. 24 April.
Coillis and vther wiveris 1586 Inverness Rec. I 306.
Wywers 1592 Acts III 576/2.
Flesche fische or vther viueris that salbe brocht to be sauld a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 178.
They directit … sum horsmen to scour the fields for viuers 1603 Reg. Great S. 514/2.
Ilk hors laid of fische, flesche, cornis and all sortis of viveris 1615 Melrose P. 215.
Send to the said coill, beeng scant of viuerse four horse load of meat, the whitche there wes two swyne 1618 Inverness Rec. II 153.
That all maner of persoun that bringis ony wivers [pr. winers], guids, geir, merchandrice, malt, meil, [etc.] … to this burt to sell that thai [etc.] 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 210.
Viwers 1641 Glasgow Trades House 216.
The sax poor men in thair hospitall can hardly leive now in this strait tyme all viveris being so deir 1681 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 32.
James Fleming lord provost for himself and in name of the rest of the magistrats that were appoynted to meitt with the comittee of the lords for regulating the pryces of the vivers [etc.] 16… Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 238.
All sorts of vivers of meat and drink(b) 1548–9 Corr. M. Lorraine 287.
Wewerris 1548–9 Corr. M. Lorraine 296.
Your grace moun caus vevaris to cum vyth the Franch men 1557 Edinb. Old Acc. I 34.
Maister James Lindesay, commissioner of veveris for the army a1578 Pitsc. I 78/18.
Ane airmie … weill furnischit witht all kynd of weweris and munitioun 1588–9 Ayr Common Good Acc.
To Thomas Mure bakster for flour & vthir vevareis debursit be him to the commvnioun xix s. ij d. a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 341.
The lieutenents had gude store of vevers and aquavitæ careit with thayme, in sik aboundance as was the laydding of fyve hundreth horsis(c) 1559 Cal. Sc. P. I 285.
[We lie nightly in our arms, most part on horseback,] nocht only to scrimische them, bot also to cut thair wiwirs 1599 Paisley B. Rec. 230.
[Certain parties] wer electit visitors of the mercat to pas with the baillies everie mercat day to visit all kynd of vivirs(d) 1563 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 11 Nov.
That all personis presentand vivars to this mercat, put na war cornis in the ers & myddis of thair sekkis, nor is in the mouth 1568 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. II 243.
Geisse, foulles, peittis, and vtheris vivaris 1572 Crim. Trials I ii 34.
Malt and vtheris viwaris 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 360.
Wiwaris 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 263.
Thair wes … greit penuritie and scant of vivaris within the burgh of Edinburgh 1601 Glasgow B. Rec. I 226.
Bow kaill and vtheris vivars 1603 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 28.
It sal be lesum to sell kaill and herbis and na vther kynd of waris nor vivaris 1631 Aberd. B. Rec. III 37.
Thair salbe no kynd of fleshe or vivares bocht or sauld on the mercat day … till aucht houris in the morning c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 11.
The dearth of vivars being very great(e) 1566 Reg. Privy C. I 488.
The greit exhorbitant derth … throw rasing of the prices of all kynd of viveries(f) 1569 Argyll Fam. Lett. 12.
To furneis the castell … with all viures that may be gottin 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 430.
That … persouns quha bringis any fische, coillis or herbis or any vther viures in this burgh … place thame selffis … in the commoun mercats 1617 Lett. Eccl. Affairs II 536.
For abundance and store off all prouisiouns and viures for horsse or men(g) 1585 Glasgow B. Rec. I 118.
The pryces of all vivouris within this toun 1598 Stirling B. Rec. I 90.
That na coparis nor forstallaris by ony kynd of vivors befoir ten houris 1615 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bks. 65.
That … no persone … sall repair to the sound nor ile of Brassay for furnishing of beir, vivoris and uther necessaris to the Hollandaris(h) 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 20b.
Gif he sould cume fra places farre distant, swa that he may not cause victuall to be caried, he sall cume weill furnished with siluer to bye vievers for his sustentation(i) 1619 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 10 June.
[The council] understanding that the generall conventioun of the haill burrowis of this realme … is appointit to be haldin … in this burgh … thai haif … intimat to … the baxteris … to haif thar ovenis reddie for bakein to nychtboris baikein meit, and fleschours to haif new slayne flesche … & vtheris the lyke vivareris to be the lyke provydeit(j) 1621 R. Brown Paisley 215.
No market of fruit, herrings, nor other viviers be openly made before the afternoon preaching be endedfig. 1588 King Cat. 87.
This is our viuers during the pilgramedg of this transitorie lif

b. In collocations with victuall(i)s, victualling, the terms may be either synonymous or complementary, with victual referring to grain and vivers referring to other necessities. Cf. Victuall n. 1533 Boece 98a.
Becaus of victualis to furnis the armye was penwrite and skantlie was in Britane to sustene the inhabitantis … he had na beleif viueris mycht be caryit, and … he concludit retere his armye to Gallia 1550 Treas. Acc. IX 445.
Victuelling and vivarris of the said castell 1550–1 Reg. Privy C. I 114.
The greit … derth, rissin … of all kynd of victuallis and viveris 1562 Treas. Acc. XI 201.
Victualis and uthiris wivers 1565 Aberd. Trades 241.
As the pris of victuallis and vivaris [pr. viciaris] rysis, or diminissis the prices and expenses foresaid to be alterat … in reasonable maner 1572 Treas. Acc. XII 314.
For expensis maid upoun the schip … for furnesing and reiking of hir to the sey in capitane, skipper and marineris feis, viveris, victuallis and uthiris necessaris 1576 Inverness Rec. I 252.
In case onye of the office men licient onye to pas wyth vivers victuallis or aill to the lochis or onye vther places in hurt of the libertie of this burcht … that [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 263/9.
All the wictuallis and wiuerse of the commons was waistit away … and everie lord … send ane or tua hame of thair spetiall servantis to bring them wictuallis a1578 Pitsc. II 275/33.
The lord Mephin … with ane hundreith horsmen … thocht to have stoppit the victuallis cuming to Edinburgh bot or they came the men of veir had taine all the viweris and had thame to Edinburgh 1580 Exch. R. XXI 153.
In contentationem et satisfactionem eorum victualium lie vivers of meit and drink 1595 Conv. Burghs I 467.
Ane certane number of burgessis … quha … hes laitlie tane thame to the foirstalling, regraitting and kowpping of al sort of wittuall and thairby the derth of sic necessar viweris daylie incressit 1602 Paterson Ayr & Wigton I 17.
To transport any victuall or vivres furth of this countrie 1622 Edinb. Test. LI 294b.
The haill victuall and veiveares within and about the hows 1649 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 543.
In case the prises … of the victualls or vivers in the market shall fall or rise a1651 Calderwood IV 414.
A proclamatioun was … proclamed, that none sould carie victuals to Berwick, or repaire into England with anie kinde of vivers

c. Appar. sing. Also attrib. 1588 Culross I 119.
That na taverner … sell wyne … nor any othair kynd of vivere upon the Saboth-dayes in tym of prechingattrib. 1642 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 15.
That the wholl vivar mercatts of this brugh sall be divydit in maner following … that their sall be visitours … appoynted to have ane cair of regulatting the saids mercatts and sieing of pryces of vivers