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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rerd(e, Reird(e, n. Also: reard(e. [ME and late ME rerd (Orm), reryd (a1450), also rorde, reorde (a1250), rurde (c1400), OE reord voice, cry, appar. obs. after c1400 except in the northern dial. Cf. 19th c. Northumberland dial. reard, reerd = riot, confusion. Cf. also OHG rarta voice, melody, ON rödd, radd- voice, song. Cf. Rede n.⁴]Common in Doug.

1. A loud cry; a noise or din made by crying or roaring.Only in verse. c1420 Wynt. i 804.
Thai bestys … oysis wyth gret rerde to rare c1450-2 Howlat 794 (A).
Sa come the ruke with a rerd and a rane roch a1500 Henr. Fab. 954 (Bann.).
Tod Laurence … Ryvand his hair, he rarit [H., Ch. cryit] with a reird c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 230.
And caiger aviris castis bayth coillis and creilis For rerd of thé 1513 Doug. v vi 89.
With rerd and favorabil hailsyngis furth he sprang Ib. xi v 50.
Sum with wofull rerd Feill corpsis deip bedelvys vnder erd 1535 Stewart 4100.
Quhill all the rochis rang With mony raice and mony reuthfull reird 1591 James VI Poems I 140/493.
Such pell-mell dinnes and ringing reards [MS dinnis] [etc.] … Do from one corps proceed at once

b. Clamour or uproar made by many people shouting, crying, etc., together; a noise made by a number of birds or animals.(a) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 163/94.
Thik was the clud of kayis and crawis … The rerd of thame rais to the sky 1513 Doug. iv xii 42.
The clamour than and rerd Went to the toppys of the large hallys Ib. v iii 91.
As the rerd vpwent Ib. 85. Id. Exclam. 35.
Quhen all thar rerd is rong That wight mon speke that can nocht hald hys tong 1533 Boece 154b.
With felloun rerde and noyis come grete confluence of men, wemen and freyndis Ib. 443.
Herethrow followit sic rerde and reill amang the Scottis armye(b) a1500 K. Hart 80.
Thai within maid sa grit melody That for thair reird thay micht nocht heir the sound c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 119/31.
Rangat ringis but ony ordour With reird of rebaldis and of swane 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece II 34.
That na man wist quhat wes to be done, throw reird of men and beistis Ib. 153.
The reird and noyis rising be fleing of Inglismen 1535 Stewart 26487.
Siclike tha sang, all with ane schout and cry, That throw the sound, the rumord and the reird, … trimlit all the erd c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 653.
Thay … With reird sa rudelie on thame ruschit, That [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 86/16.
The bucheris … quha brak about him witht sic ane reird and clamour … he was … affrayit 1580 Hume Promine 112.
Birdis blyithlie on the branches sang, With sic ane reird, quhill all the rokkis rang

Passing into: c. (Noisy) disorder, disturbance; tumult.Perh., in some instances, merely further instances of b above.Cf. the later Sc. dial. reardie = a wild noisy frolic or quarrel. c1475 Wall. viii 302.
At the reskew thar was a glamrous rerd 1513 Doug. xii v 121.
For the rerd and deray, hait in ire The hartis kyndillis of euery bald syre 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece I vii.
I did sone espy ane fellown reird Of courtly gallandis 1567 G. Ball. 96.
Bot humill men sall … leif in peace fra wickit mennis reird Ib. 109.
Quhat gart … ȝe hillis lyke lambis loup and bend? It was the Lordis feir that maid sic reird — a1500 Peblis to Play 125.
All that hous wes in an reirde

2. A sharp, loud, harsh or metallic sound; a noise or din of any kind.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 9706.
He … sterit his steid with sic ane rerd 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 1291.
The ost maid a reird Lyk till ane thounder or erding quhan it steird Ib. 6161.
Thai strak togidder with sa gret a fors That sic ane rerde was baith of men and hors That [etc.] c1475 Wall. viii 208.
Gret rerd thar rais all sammyn quhar thai ryd Ib. x 284.
The rerd at rays quhen sperys in sondyr glaid c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 241 (B).
Thay fyrit gunis … Till that … The rochis all resoundit … For reird [Ch. & M. rede] it semit that the rane bow brak 1535 Stewart 2339.
The dartis … rappit on sa rudlie with greit reird Ib. 13501.
Mogallus als, … Hes enterit in with sic ane rous and reird 15.. Christis Kirk 135 (M).
The rerde rais rudlie with the rappis Quhen rungis was layd on riggs a1578 Pitsc. I 365/23.
And so mekill artaillȝe … that no man might heir for the reird of thame(b) 15.. Clar. v 2030.
And … birneis gois to ground, Whill with the reard thair breistis did redound Ib. iv 1039.
Rearde c1590 J. Stewart 55/76.
As thunder thuds vith quhiddrand reard he ran(2) 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 942.
And syne the trumpettis schwamis and menstrallie Maid sic ane reird it was gret melodie Bell. Boece I 75. 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 137.
Sa huge nois rais be reird and sowne of bellis 15.. Christis Kirk 209 (M).
So rudlie rang the commoun bell Quhill all the steipill rokkit for rerde c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 628.
The trumpettis blew … The rumour rais with ane fell reird and cry(3) 1513 Doug. ii xi 47.
Throw out the wallis the rerd of fyris grew Ib. iii ii 51.
The quyet closettis oppynnyt with a rerd 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece (M) I 275.
Quhen suddanly come ane huge schoure of haill, with sik reird and pres … that [etc.] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1409.
The roikis with rerd began to ryue 1587-99 Hume 54/61.
Quhat for reick, rude rummishing, and reard, The heauens resound 15.. Crawford Mun. Invent. II 57 (1 April).
Your lordship … wil be quiet without ony din or reird of the towne 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 80/27.
Drumlie cloudes with rumbling thunders rearde Doe threaten [etc.](4) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 157/205.
He lowsit it of with sic a reird Baith hors and man he straik till eird, He fartit with sic ane feir