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.
Cair, Car(e, n. pl. Also: kair(es). [Reduced from calver, late OE. calfur (OE. calfru, cealfru), pl. of Calf. Surviving in mod. dial. as cār, caure.] Calves. Also attrib. with corn, meill. 1577 Edinb. Test. V. 362.
xiij ky & ane bull, … xj cair 1579 Ib. VII. 14.
Sex ky with four cair 1587 Ib. XVII. 270.
xxvj ky with nyne cair at thair fute 1588
Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XVI. (J).
His cayrcorne … the space of four yeiris, that his cayr & beistis distroyit … to me in my tak 1626 Ann. Banff I. 55.
As persones … have kye and kair going throw ther nichtbours cornes … all persones … sall haif full libertie to tack and apprehend all ky, scheip and cair they … find in thair cornes 1637 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 458.
Sex ky and kaires, four young steiris, and thrie young queackis 1665 Grant Chart. 347.
Seven ky and seven care, at tuelv pounds the peece 1670 Forbes Baron Ct. 279.
To pey thrie peckes of meill for car meill 1672 Ib. 291.
No car … or stottis sall … pastour throught the cornes
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"Cair n. pl.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 21 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/cair_n_pl>
