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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Brother, Bruther, n. Also: brothir(e, -yr(e, -eyr, -air, -ar, broyther; brou-, browthir; bruthir(e, -yr(e, bruyther; pl. brether, -ir(e, -yr(e, -air; breither, breether; brither, -ir, bruthire; breth(e)ren, -eine, bretherin(e, -(e)ring, brethirne; breithren, -rein(e, -rin(g, breithereine, -erin, breetherine, -ing; brithren, -ring, -er(e)ine; brotheren; brethers. [ME. brother, broþer, OE. bróðer, bróðor, ON. bróðer, -ir. See also Broder n.]

1. A brother by relationship.(a) sing. 1375 Barb. v. 627.
The brothir that the hand-ax bar Ib. xvi. 27.
He said he wald blithly se His brothir c1420 Wynt. ii. 188.
Off byrth he wes the yhungest brothire Ib. vi. 1805.
Schyr Edmwnd the eldast brothir 1456 Hay I. 190/32.
How the ta brothir aw to defend the tothir Ib. 226/18.
Anent the fader and the sone and brothir 1507 Dunferm. B. Rec. 162.
Gif hir brothir happynnit to cum hame 1517 Reg. Privy S. I. 451/1.
Adam … and William Turnbule his brother 1546 Reg. Privy C. I. 31.
George Kirkcaldy brothair to the said James c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5392.
Quhilkis suld aggre as brother to brother 1556 Carte Northberwic 73.
The said priores wytht awise of … hyr brotheyr 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 53.
To hir selfe, to hir sone, to hir brother 1570 Rec. Earld. Orkney 132.
Williame Tullocht … the yongest brouthir 1596 Dalr. I. 185/19.
The reuenge of his brotheris slauchtir 1606 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 56.
Johne Forbes brothir lauchfull to William Forbes 1642 Wemyss Fam. P. MS.
Robert M^cGill … [and] his broyther(b) 1397 Douglas Chart. 37.
Qwhat landis … that dame Isabel … likis to talie and gif … til hir lufide bruthir c1420 Wynt. ii. 406.
Joseph thame taulde He wes thare bruthire 1453 Maxwell Mem. I. 174.
Robert Stewarte my bruthyr 1482 Lennox Mun. 122.
His bruthir the Duc of Albany 1501 Dunferm. B. Rec. 116.
The deces of the sade wmquhill Johne his bruthir 1529 Reg. Morton II. 2.
That ȝe haue ane bruther 1541 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 50.
The said Rechart his bruyther 1596 Dalr. I. 157/8.
Eftir the deith of his bruther Caractak(b) pl. 1375 Barb. iii. 93.
Twa brethir war into that land a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 153.
Blesit be thai brethir twa Ib. xxxi. 50.
His dochtir … With hyr brethyre he tuk c1400 Troy-bk. ii. .
Hyre fader … And hyr doughty brethyr c1420 Wynt. vi. 2104.
The lawchfull twa Brethire forsuke wyth hym to ga Ib. viii. 4363.
Willame off Carrothyris ras Wyth hys brether 1426 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 202.
To me … [and my heirs or] to my twa ful brether 1456 Hay I. 226/25.
Suppos thare come till a knycht his brethir … or cousing germanis c1475 Wall. vii. 477.
Hys brethir sewyn till harnes sone thai ȝeid 1511 Reg. Privy S. I. 345/1.
All and sindre his brether, assistaris and anerdaris to him 1518 Ib. 471/2.
Johnne … and William Hoppringle, brether 1527 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 307.
Me, my brethyr, kyne and frendis 1533 Boece iii. xxi. 123.
He, with his spous, douchter & brethir 1564 Crim. Trials I. 451.
The laird, his saidis twa brether, and Williame, alswa his brothir 1589 Misc. Spald. C. II. 278.
Ane sower freindschip … betwix ws as twa brether born of ane mother 1599 Crim. Trials II. 81.
Thair grandsyris ar tua brether 1622 Misc. Bann. C. II. 248.
The saidis John and Androw Hartes, his breither 1635 Maxwell Mem. I. 441.
The pyper of Cramound … who hes smittit his tuo brether 1671 Wemyss Corr. 113.
His gritte grandfather and myne war full brethers(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxix. 193.
Thire bruthire thre … He gert bryng to that place 1533 Boece xvi. viii. 623 b.
James Douglas … with his ij brithir 1608 Stewart Memor. 120.
[Neither] with Alexander nor Johne Stewartis … brither to the said Neill(c) pl. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 189.
William Maitland … and … his brithren 1596 Grant Chart. 186.
As cationer and souertie for … [the] bretherine 1661 Edinb. Test. LXX. 95 b.
I nominat … my breethering tutouris [etc.] 1676 Stirlings of Keir 471.
Breithrin to the said Laird of Keir

b. Brother in lauch or law, brother-in-law. 1429 Wemyss Chart. 61.
My derreste and beste beluffit bruthir in lauch c1515 Asl. MS. I. 318/15.
To quhome come Enneas brother in law to king Priame of Troye 1582 Edinb. Test. X. 261 b.
Richard Clerk his bruther in law 1620 Grant Chart. 320.
To dispone the samen to thair … brethir in law

2. A dear friend, colleague, or fellow man.(a) sing. a1400 Leg. S. xix. 598.
Stryk of myn hede, bruthyre dere Ib. xxvii. 515.
Bruther, blissit be This place 1450 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 152.
Our deire bruthir and schiref depute on the Kingis behalf c1475 Wall. x. 568.
My best brothir in warld that euir I had 1515 Douglas Corr. 69.
Kouth the kyng solyst hys brothyre of Frans [etc.] c1568 Lauder Minor P. iii. 65.
The godlie men … ar plane … onto thair faithfull brother 1570 Liber Scon 210.
Oure weilbelouit bruther, Den Henry Abircromby, pryour(b) pl. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 591.
Thar is brethyre fals c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1479.
Felawes and brether, as ȝe wate [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 93.
Sen he has all my brether tane 1551 Hamilton Cat. 251.
Let us al … ken our self to be brether in God 1562-3 Winȝet II. 71/16.
I beseik ȝow, brether, that ȝe al [etc.] c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 219.
This fer, deir brether, … for the first heid a1578 Pitsc. I. 329/20.
Lat all courteouris … do to thair nichtbouris and brether as thay wald be done witht all(c) pl. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 331.
Talbart … schew the brethren of his land How [etc.] c1568 Lauder Minor P. iii. 26.
To see thair brethren in necessitie 1578 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 404.
That bischops … be callit … brethren in tyme comeing 1602 Colville Parænese Ep. .
To my dearlybelouit brethring the ministres of Scotland

3. A member of a religious house or order, or of a gild or corporation. (Cf. Gild-brother.)(a) sing. 14.. Acts I. 90* /2.
Gif ony be noȝt bruther of this gyld 1583 St. A. Baxter Bks. 34.
Na freman or brother of craft 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 142.
Ane man, quha is nocht ane brother of this gilde 1657 St. A. Baxter Bks. 126.
Quhat brothar of the saidis sax traidis sall [etc.](b) pl. 14.. Acts I. 90* /2.
The brether of this gyld 1508 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 119.
It is statute … be the … haill brether of the confrarie of Sant Anthone … that [etc.] 1522 St. Giles Chart. 214.
Without ony congregatioun of the laif of the brethir 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 23.
We the brethir of the bonetmakaris 1530 Ib. 33.
The saidis brethir … of the wobstaris, walkaris, and scheraris c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5850.
Ȝe brether of religioun. In tyme leif ȝour abusioun 1561 Reg. Dunferm. 480.
The decreit obtenit … aganis the conventuale brethir and monkis 1569 Reg. Morton I. 44.
Ws brethair of the Abbay of Melrose 1587 Acts III. 444/2.
Lyoun king of armes and his brether the ordinar heraulds 1630 Kirkcaldy Presb. 26.
The brether are to give out thair interloquitor the nixt day 1639 Lanark Presb. 19.
The brether causing read his presentation(b) 1560–1 Bk. Old Edinb. Cl. VI. 66.
Breither of the said craft [of skinners] 1591 St. A. Baxter Bks. 47.
It is statute … be the haill breither of craft 1619 Lett. & State P. Jas. VI 34.
Ȝie haue … greate favour of all our breether in session(c) 1565 Edinb. B. Deeds 191 b.
The deikyn and brither of the barbour craft 1643 Baillie II. 71.
To get our brither satisfied and by them our people(c) pl. 1561 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 110.
To the support of pure misterfull falit brethirne 1581 St. A. Baxter Bks. 29.
The deken and haill brethren of craft 1582 Ib. 30.
The … haill breithren 1600 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 206.
The haill deikines … and thair breithrein 1656 Lanark B. Rec. 158.
The decone and remenant brithren of craft(b) 1558-66 Knox II. 424.
To devyde thame selfis from … thair bretherin 1600-1610 Melvill 626.
Diverse of the britherine of the ministerie 1611 Lothian Synod 108.
The haill bretherin of the synodoll 1631 Lanark B. Rec. 126.
Friemen and breithereine of the walker craft 1633 Acts V. 134/1.
The … remanent brithereine … of the said skinner craft(c) 1558-66 Knox II. 403.
The brethering of the Kirk 1575 Reg. Soltre 229.
Thair brethering being reprovit be the maister hospitale 1590 Reg. Morton I. 165.
The brithring of the ministerie 1600-1610 Melvill 226.
The breithring … furthe of all partes 1607 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 262.
Two of the deakins … protestit thei micht haif laiser to adwys with thair brethering

4. Brother or brether as possessives.See also Brother barne, etc., below. a1400 Leg. S. ii. 457.
Thai … throw browthir slawchtir can thé file Ib. xliii. 412.
Bruthire lufe betwene ȝou twa 1456 Hay I. 11/3.
Quhen he reprovit Herodes of his brothir wyf

5. In apposition with a following noun. 1456 Hay I. 183/28.
To safe the lyf of oure brothir Cristyn 1513 Doug. iv. xii. 25.
My spows wrokyn of my brothir ennemy 1562-3 Winȝet I. 2/10.
Johne Knox and his brether precheours