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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SHUIR, adj., adv. Also shure (Rnf. 1871 D. Gilmour Pen' Folk 18; Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods 94; m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 64), †shour (Bnff. 1723 Annals Bnff. (S.C.) I. 194), shör (Sh. 1898 “Junda” Klingrahool 29), shur-; suir (m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 99, Ayr. 1955 S. T. Ross Bairnsangs 1), suire (Rxb. 1961 W. Landles Penny Numbers 11), seur (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 3), seure (Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 321); shair (Uls. 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings 62; Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xi.; Dmb. 1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle i. xii.; Rxb. 1933 Kelso Chronicle (3 Nov.) 5; Ags. 1953 Scots Maf. (June) 228), shaire (s.Sc. 1931 Border Mag. (Nov.) 162), share (Lnk. 1888 R. Young Love at Plough 46; Lth. 1920 A. Dodds Songs of Fields 10), shaer (Kcb. 1901 R. D. Trotter Gall. Gossip 368); ¶sair (Sc. 1789 J. Rannie Musical Dramas 224); ¶sire (Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Ajax 10), seer (Abd. c.1700 J. Maidment Sc. Ballads (1859) 20), seir (Abd. a.1807 J. Skinner Amusements (1809) 99), sear (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 216), sere (Abd. 1829 A. Cruickshank Poems 48), sheer (Abd. 1832 A. Beattie Poems 126), sheere (Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 109), shier (Per. 1774 Gentleman and Lady's Weekly Mag. (27 April) 23). Sc. forms of Eng. sure (Slk. 1901 C. M. Thomson Drummeldale i.; Lth. 1920 A. Dodds Songs of Fields 14). [I., m. and s.Sc. ʃø:r, ʃyr, ʃe:r; ne.Sc. ‡si:r, ‡ʃir. See P.L.D. § 35.]

Sc. forms of Eng. sure.Gsw. 1972 Molly Weir Best Foot Forward (1974) 71:
'My Goad,' Grannie would say, 'that wean's gaun to be a meenister, I'm mair shair o' it than ever,' and for some reason she seemed to be trying to stop herself laughing.Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 21:
Ye'll get yer sairan dinnae fear
ye'll no aye gang scart free,
but ae think shair I'll no be here
ye've seen the last o me.Slg. 1991 Janet Paisley in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 129:
'Dinnae hing aboot here, hen. Share yer aw right?'m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 11:
Ye must be shair ae yirsel tae risk loassin thirty cents!m.Sc. 1994 Mary McCabe Everwinding Times 95:
"Hello, lassies, wherr youse wans gaun the night?"
"Naewherr wi youse, that's fur shair!"
"Uch, c'moan, be nice an we'll gie yese a chip!"m.Sc. 1994 John Burns in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 25:
He hadna a girlfrien an wasna shair that he wantit yin.Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 20:
Ye may be shuir thai warna lang
or thai frogmaircht him out the houss,
richt smert, Scotch skoundril that he wes.ne.Sc. 1996 W. Gordon McPherson in Sandy Stronach New Wirds: An Anthology of Winning Poems and Stories from the Doric Writing Competitions of 1994 and 1995 61:
"Ae corn!" said the King. "Is aa yir men in, grieve?"
"Aa'll jist mak sere," said the grieve, bit afore he gat awa, some-one cried oot, "The Lame Emmet's nae in!"w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 3:
Lang lums,
black belchin reek,
mark shair the thrivin toun
that lives
weel-daein there.

Sc. adv. usage, also in Eng. and Ir. dial. and U.S.: surely, really, indeed, for certain, often introducing a clause asserting truth or requesting confirmation. Not very common and now looked on as an Americanism. Cf. Shuirly, adv.Ayr. 1786 Burns Dream i.:
My Bardship here, at your Levee, . . . Is sure an uncouth sight to see.Lth. 1813 G. Bruce Poems 33:
Tho' warl's gear may fast tak wing, Sure ye'll no lea'e me.m.Sc. 1827 A. Rodger Poems (1838) 35:
Then sure they were daft, not to tak' Charlie Fox For pilot.Gsw. 1938 Edward Gaitens in Moira Burgess and Hamish Whyte Streets of Stone (1985) 9:
'Och, shure I lent ye sixpence yesterday!'Gsw. 1947 H. W. Pryde 1st Bk. McFlannels i.:
My sister Polly that was to be up sure at half-past six to keep the children. Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 67:
sure Used in a statement when the speaker is seeking confirmation: 'Sure we're on holiday on Monday?' 'It's no ma turn, sure it's no?' Gsw. 1985 Anna Blair Tea at Miss Cranston's 76:
Mother didnae approve of the Victoria Road thing, sure she didn't. Gsw. 1988 George MacDonald Fraser The Sheikh and the Dustbin (1989) 25:
"... . The boy's no' a bairn ony langer, sure'n he's no'. He's a grown man." He glinted at me. "Sure that's right?..."