Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1868-1880
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BEIR, v.1 Sc. form of Eng. bear (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 203; Lth., Ayr. 1923-6 Wilson; Abd. 1926 Dieth Bch. Dial. 186; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Cai. 1975). Pa.t bure (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S.), †beer (ne.Sc.). Hence beirer, bearer. See also Bearer. [bør, bir]Abd. 1868 G. MacDonald R. Falconer i. xiii.:
I'm unco sorry to be the beirer o' sic ill news.Abd. 1879 G. Macdonald Sir Gibbie I. iii.:
Tak' ye heed o' beirin' fause witness, sir.Abd. 1880 G. Webster Crim. Officer 79:
She beer a bairn till 'im the time 't she was i' the jail.Dmf. 1874 R. Reid Moorland Rhymes 80:
Till substance could beir it na langer.
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"Beir v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/beir_v1>
