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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FORGAITHER, v., n. Also fore-, for(e)gather, forge(a)ther, -geither, forgad(d)er, for(e)gedder; fergadder (Sh.).

I. v. 1. intr. To assemble, gather together, congregate, of several or many people. Gen.Sc. Vbl.n. forgaitherin, -gathering, a meeting, an assembly (ne.Sc., Ags., Slg., m.Lth. 1953).Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 11:
Whare fock of ilka age and name, . . . Forgather aft, O fy for shame! To drink and tipple.Dmf. 1808 J. Mayne Siller Gun 9:
Ae Simmer's morning, wi' the sun, The Seven Trades there, Forgathered, for their Siller Gun To shoot ance mair.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 50:
Whan they were a' forgadder'd there, A man stood up upon a stair.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1898) ii.:
Couple above couple dating the day of their happiness from that famous forgathering.Abd. 1858 J. B. Pratt Buchan 71:
Our ingle-nook forgatherings were not taken up with cross-breeds, railroads, and London markets.Dmf. 1894 R. Reid Poems 3:
It's raised by the Lord's ain ransom'd thrang Forgether'd abune Kirkbride.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems 19:
At the end o' the toon, a wee bit left o' the nock, There's a hantle o' men forgetherin' in a place.Sh. 1931 Manson's Shet. Almanac 193:
Ye'll no hinder a hale half-a-dizzen o' da boys ta fergadder in da owld man's corn yard.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 75:
... the heich pynt o the Martullich year fin aa the warld an his mither foregaithert tae see their kin an neebors an fiers fur a claik an a dram ...

2. intr., with wi. To encounter, meet with (another or others), often by chance; absol., gen. of two people, to meet together, with each other. Gen.Sc. Sometimes of ships, to fall in with. Vbl.n. forgaitherin, -gathering.Edb. 1772 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 67:
When I again Auld Reikie see, And can forgether, lad, with thee.Sc. 1776 Ramsay Proverbs Dedic. 6:
When ye forgather with your friends at kirk or market, banquet or bridal.Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 5–6:
Twa dogs, that were na thrang at hame, Forgather'd ance upon a time.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. v.:
Tell Sir William Ashton that the next time he and I foregather, he will not be half sae blithe of our meeting as of our parting.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie lxiii.:
Then came my forgathering in the wood with the gipsies.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1898) ii.:
He had fallen in love with my mother . . . at the christening of a neighbour's bairn, where they both happened to forgather.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xlv.:
I hed hardly apen't my mou' till 'im, fan we foregedder't at the fit o' the loan.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 31:
Deil 'e ane i' Norowa', Daneland . . . I ever foregathered wi' that could lay me back tae the grund.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv.:
We forgaithered wi' anither boat that belanged to a man Sandie Fletcher.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders xiii.:
The outsailed Seahorse and the deceived Ariel had forgathered off the Isle of Man.Sc. 1936 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 26:
Fowk wha forgaither wi' this fairlie, Whaur time is naither late nor early.Bnff. 1939 J. M. Caie Hills and Sea 56:
I forgaithered a'e day wi' an Enzie loon, An' weel-a-wat, there was twa o's.

3. To associate, keep company (with) (ne.Sc., m.Lth. 1953). Rarely with up. Also fig.Ayr. 1786 Burns Death of Mailie x.:
O, may thou ne'er forgather up, Wi' onie blastet, moorlan toop.Ayr. 1821 Galt Ann. Parish xvii.:
He . . . had forgathered with a doited tawpy, whom he married.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 119:
What think ye, sir, o' the lisp and the burr foregatherin in ane and the same mouth?Fif. 1894 J. W. M'Laren Tibbie and Tam 82:
Yon auld stupid body Andro Elshin ye forgather wi' far ower often to my likin'.Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale Moff xx.:
What's the folk they forgether wi' tae think?

‡4. To come together in marriage (Abd.²⁷ 1950).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 14:
An' gin ye mind, I but nineteen was out, Fan we forgather'd, or just thereabout.Ib. 100:
Fouk ay had best begin wi' dealing fair, Altho they sud forgether ne'er so bare.

II. n. A meeting (Dwn. 1931 Northern Whig (27 Nov.), forgether; ne.Sc. 1953).