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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wary, -ie, v. Also: warye, wari, waré, vary, -ie, warry, warré, wayry, uayry, wearie, wery. P.t. also waryt, warijt, varyt, uareyt, verijt. P.p. also waryt, warijt, warite, waryde, varyt, waireit, veryte. [ME and e.m.E. wari (c1200), warie(n (Ancr. R.), wery (Manning), warye(n (Chaucer), OE wierᵹan, wærᵹan.]

1. tr.To curse; to lay a curse on in a formal or informal way; to invoke afflictions on; to revile; to slander a. A person. Also applied to animals. Also with the soul or a part of the body as the object. Also reflex. b. A place or thing.Freq. in collocation with ban, curse, etc.a. pres. a1400 Leg. S. xxi 500.
Thai … Warnand hyme witerly but wen That Symon Maguse he had ben. Thane sayd he: ‘Quhat aylis ȝou Me to refuse & wary now, & I ȝowre fadyre & ȝe fle me?' a1487 Gud Wyf & D. 304.
Quhen thai [sc. children] haf tane a fall, Than wary thai thair frendis all, And puttis thame out of Goddis grace 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 100 (L).
My febyl wit I wary a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 312.
Thy kin that leivis may wary thé and ban 1531 Bell. Boece I 283.
Thay began to curs and wary thaim that gaif thaim counsall to fecht 1533 Bell. Livy II 159/32 (see b below). c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 30.
Fyue foullis I chaist outthroch ane scrog, Quharefor thare motheris did me warie 1551 Hamilton Cat. 63.
Quha brekis the secund command? Thai that sweris be the name of God fulehardelie … , thai that sweris ane lesing, mainsueris thame self, wariis bannis and widdillis thair saule, to excuse thair fault 1572 Sat. P. xxxi 193.
Than sall thay warie, curse, & ban The murtherars that thir weiris began a1585 Maitl. Q. 211/91.
The sillie bird into hir caidge Wareis hir taker in hir awin langage 1609 Garden Garden 91.
Thy bogie bursts, and as inraged she railes, And waries all the world for this wrongp.t. 1375 Barb. vii 230.
His foster broder menyt he And waryit [C. varyit] all the tother thre [sc. traitors] a1400 Leg. S. xxx 487.
That fel best scho folouyt sa That scho cane son it oure-ta, & waryt it in that stede; & it but bad fel done dede 1525 St. A. Formulare I 269.
I … declaris all and syndry the committaris of the saidis saikles murthuris [etc.] … togydder with … thare counsalouris and defendouris of thare evill dedis alanerlye, cursit uareyt aggregit and reaggregit with the grete cursing 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 117.
The kingis seruandis … waryitt this abhominabill weche for his slauchter 1535 Stewart 13406.
The wemen [sc. witches] … And Drewedes with bibill, bell and buik, Haldand thair handis to the hevin and luik, Witht cruell cursing and with cummerance Thair wareit hes rycht rudlie the Romans; Beteiching thame to Pluto, prince of hell And [etc.] 1586 Calderwood IV 490.
We ranne to the lords, … we discharged our consciences to them; we threatned them, waried them, and cursed them(b) 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 345.
The pure verijt and band the regent and haill lords oppenlie in thair presentis, quhen ever thaj past or repast fra the abbayp.p. a1400 Leg. S. iv 230.
Thane sad Josyas … 'Thu Be varyt and thi goddis now, And Cristis name blissit be Thru all the world in al degre!' a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 767.
& gif ony of myn o[f]spryng percase Gane-sais it, waryt mot he [be] a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 347.
In the law God gef Moyses Waryit are thai callit thare That had na barne bot barane ware c1420 Ratis R. 241.
Mony men throw werk of handis Tynis thar lyf, thar gud & landis, And worthis waryt that is were Than vthir tynsell is be fere 1460 Hay Alex. 19217.
Folie is to vndertak Againis a prince a tressoun for to mak For all first thay ar cursit of thair deid And eftir syne waryit with all leid c1515 Asl. MS I 300/29.
Caym cursit dampnit figuris Jowis warijt and condampnit 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 635.
Wo worth Cupyd, and wo worth fals Venus! Wo worth thame baith! Ay waryit mot thay be! 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1362 (B).
Bischopis ar blist, howbeit that we be wareit, For thay may fuck thair fill and nocht be mareit 1551 Hamilton Cat. 32.
Thai turnit thame to the brekaris of the law, and spak to thame mair scharply saying: Cursit and wariit sall thow be in the citie, and cursit in the feild 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10735.
Waryit be the wame, that brocht thé in this lyfe a1585 Polwart Flyt. 222 (T).
Folk will cry, ‘fy!’ Then thow wilbe warreit [H. warred] with ilk wyfreflex. 1531 Bell. Boece II 239.
The Inglismen … wareand thameself, that thay chesit not erar to have deit … than to leif with sic dailie oppressioun be tyranny of unmercifull ennimesb. a1400 Leg. S. xv 157.
& thare tempyl waryt he [sc. Barnabas] Quhare-in sik men had entre c1420 Wynt. i 158.
Adam worthyde to wyne his fude Off the erde, that waryde [E. warite] wes c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 122/26.
So warryit [M. 386/26, variant] is this warldis rent That nane thairof can be content 1513 Doug. iii iv 121.
We wary and cursyt oft … That land quhilk bred the cruel Vlixes 1513 Doug. iii vi 188 (Sm.).
Thus oft the pepill but ansueir gayis thair wayis, And wariis the sait of Sibyll all thair dayis 1533 Bell. Livy II 159/32.
Na man stude that day in the concioun of Romanis that did nocht wary & detest the heid, the hous, and all the gudis pertinand to L. Virgineus and M. Sergeus 1572 Sat. P. xxxi 197.
Edinburgh, that castell strang, Sall wareit be that stude sa lang, Sic murther for to feid(b) 1525 St. A. Formulare I 269.
[Excommunication, in the vernacular, of Border reivers] … I uayry thare cornis, thare catall, thare woll, thare scheip [etc.] … and all ther quyk gudis, I wayry thare hallis, thare chalmeris, thare beddis [etc.] … and all the gudis and houssis that ar necessar for thare sustentatioun and uelefare

c. With God as the originator of the curse. a1400 Leg. S. vi 525.
Of God veryte be thai That wil nocht trev in Cristis la c1490 Irland Asl. MS 51/20.
And a persone luf nocht Jhesu Crist he is wariit be God him self c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1009.
To the serpent God said thus: ‘ … Because the woman thow begylit, Frome thyne furth sall thow be exylit: Curst and waryit sall thow be' 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 7.
God commandis fader and moder to be honored … cursing and wareyng all brekaris of this commandement

2. To speak out against (Christ, God, a deity, etc.), to blaspheme.(a) a1400 Leg. S. iv 226.
Bot thu Wary the name of Criste Jhesu a1400 Leg. S. xlviii 185.
The prefect thane his godis smal Varyt, & bannyt evir thame al ?1438 Alex. ii 1418.
Clarus neirhand out of wit is gane, And waryed [F. maudist] his goddis euer ilkane c1460 Consail Vys Man 267.
Wary nocht God for thi mischans c1460 Thewis Wysmen 452.
Thai set nocht by quham thai disples, And wareis God of thar mail-es 1460 Hay Alex. 1515.
His curage fell he wariit gre[t] Mahune, He saw his men on all syde dungin doun 1460 Hay Alex. 9779.
And warry God suppois ȝe witt na thing 1460 Hay Alex. 16874.
Grete Mahoun he warreis mony sythis a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 236 (W).
Cupido … I warye Quha left me, and reft me In sic ane furye farye a1605 Montg. Misc. P. lii 15.
I … wary all the goddis ab[u]ve The sky That every leid obtenis thair luve Bot I(b) 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 104.
The reprobate curses and wearies God and His saints

3. To curse or express intense loathing for (a period of time or the time when an event took place), esp. to regret bitterly the time of one's birth. a1400 Leg. S. xvi 453.
He cane roydly cry & rare, & waryt the tyme he wes borne c1420 Ratis R. 1145.
For-thi I bles it [sc. this age] nocht as best, Na ȝit I wary it nocht as verst c1450-2 Howlat 954 (A).
He waryit the tyde That he was wrocht in this warld wofull in weire 1528 Lynd. Dreme 91.
Blyssit be Somer … Waryit be thow Wynter c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6001.
Than sall those creaturis forlorne, Warie the hour, that thay wer borne 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 152.
The terrible day sall cum, quhen the unhappy avaricius man sall wary the tyme that ever he had the brother or sone 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 262.
He shall curse the day of his birth, and warie the hour that ever he saw this light a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxi 25.
O! waryit be the vhyle That euer we wer acquent!

4. To curse (one's fate), bemoan one's lot, to express intense hatred for (a situation, quality, etc.). Chiefly as wary one's own or another's (the) werd(is).(1) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1082.
Quhasa with wourschip sall of this warld wende, Thair wil nane wyis, that ar wis, wary the werd c1500 Rowll Cursing 33 (M).
Now cursit and wareit be thair werd Quhill thay be levand on this erd Hungir sturt and tribulatioun, And nevir to be without vexatioun 1513 Doug. vi Prol. 55.
Quhou thir heithin childir thar werdis wary, Wepand and waland at the first port of hell 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 490.
O Atropus, warye [Pitsc. I 277/5, varie] we maye thy weird c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 140b/28.
As thay war woid out of witt, Thay vary thair weird 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2219.
I reid ȝow speid … And mak na langer tarie Byde ȝe lang thair but weir I dreid ȝour weird ȝow warie c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1466.
Scho, aganis hir will, wes maryit, Quhairthrow hir weird scho daylie waryit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5736.
Quhen he is deid, ȝe sall warie ȝour weird a1570-86 J. Maitland in Maitl. F. 436/78.
Gif that it be in boundage brocht be thé Thane waireit [Sat. P. xxvii 102, warreitt] war thy weirdis and wanhap(2) c1475 Wall. (1570) iii 25.
Thay waryit the chance, that Wallace was sa past In euerilk part, thai war full greitly agast c1490 Porteous Noblenes 182/9 (A).
Auarice is warijt and haldin abhominable 1513 Doug. xi v 77 (Sm.).
Thai curs and wery fast this vengeabill weir 1528 Lynd. Dreme 168.
In flame of fyre … Was cryand mony cairfull creature, Blasphemand God, and waryand nature 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 69.
Thereus … warijt the counsale of his corruppit seruitouris 1535 Stewart 45199.
All the laue appreuit hes the same To curs and widdill, warie and condame, Bayth ill and gude, the quhilk that tyme wes done a1570-86 Arbuthnot in Maitl. F. 58/95.
I suld nocht my destany dispyte … Nor of my birth warie the influence 1589 Melvill Propine 86.
Sa dois this dulefull dame deplore her dreerie doleances, … and waries hir offences

5. intr.To utter a curse, to express intense disgust or loathing. Also with clause complement.(1) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2103.
Thus I remanit … Cursand the feildis with all the fair coluris, That I awolk oft wariand the quhile c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 214.
Than ly I walkand for wa … Wariand oft my wekit kyn, that me away cast To sic a craudoune 1579, 1617 Despauter (1617) 133.
Detestor, to hate or warie 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 72/72.
O womans witt that wauers with the winde When none so well may warie now as I As weathercocke thy stablenes I finde 1679-81 Short Compend ix.
They put us in a fiery fary, Caus'd many man and wife them wary(2) 1513 Doug. xi iv heading.
The kyng Evander complenyt sor and wareit [Ruddim. waried] Quhen his son Pallas ded was to hym careit c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxvi 74.
Than he began to warie and to suere that he knew nocht the man a1561 Norvell Meroure 50b.
Sith ye your mouthes, still exicrattes my naine. Be curse and warie when I your freindes clame a1578 Pitsc. I 30/25.
The peopill began to warie and curs that evir it chanceit theme to leiwe in sick wicked and dangerous tymes