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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ȝer(e)ly, Ȝeirly, Yerelie, adv. Also: ȝerelie, yerely, -lé, ȝerli(e, -lé, yerly, -li(e, -lé, ȝherly, yher(e)ly, yherli(e, ȝeirlie, -lye, yeirly(e, -lie, -lé, yeirely, yheirly(e, ȝeyrly, -lé, yeyrly(e, -lé, ȝearly, yearly, -lie, yeerlie. [ME and e.m.E. ȝerely (a1400), yerly (c1450), yerely (c1460), yeerely (1583), yearly (1687), OE ᵹéarlíce.]

1. Every year, each of a number of years, annually. a. Of paying, owing, receiving, etc. (money, rent, goods, services, etc.). b. In other uses.a. 1406 Facs. Nat. MSS II lx.
The pension of a hundre punde aucht til vs yherly of the forsaide priorie of Coldinghame 1434 Exch. R. IV 567 n.
That yhe content and pay yherly to James of Skene [etc.] 1434–5 Reg. St. A. 424.
Payand ȝherly to the said reverende fader priour and his conuent … sevin markis 1450 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 135.
Yherely 1457 Reg. Dunferm. 344.
Payand … ȝherly i boll of bere and a boll of atis 1453 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 328.
We oblist to pay him that fee yerly 1460 Stewart Mem. 64.
The four markis of male at he suld haff gevyn me yherly 1472 Aberd. B. Rec. I 31.
Quhilk soume and pencioun of x merkis yerlie … the forsaid Schir Andro sal hafe and joise 1472 Reg. Dunferm. 369.
Ȝerli 1478 Acta Aud. 75/2.
And that the said som ȝerly of the said v ȝeris was takin vp & is the kingis rycht for the nonentre of the said aire c1515 Asl. MS I 206/3.
Evirmare to be haldin of him for a rent ȝerelie 1498 Reg. Privy S. I 24/1.
Payand … ȝerelie to our capitan [etc.] … foure seme of salmond fisch 1499 Reg. Cupar A. I 252.
[He] sal gif to ws in name of propyne ane ra or an buk … at the fest of Ȝoule and Pasch ȝerly 1508 Reg. Privy S. I 265/2.
Ȝerely 1510–11 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 11.
viii s. of annuel yerle to be rasyt to him of ane pes of land 1520 Wigtown B. Ct. 101a.
Ȝeryly 1539 Sc. Ant. XVI 195.
Yerele 1552 Reg. Soltre 115.
Yherlie 1643 Soc. Ant. IV 480.
Yearly(b) 1456 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 15.
That he sould gif ii markis of annuell yeirlie to be raisit of his tenement … to the reparatioun of the altare of Sanct Vbertis … and till infeft it yeirlie 1466 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 22.
The mylnis ar sett to Alexander of Turing for twa ȝeir to cum for xiiij^xx merks yeirly 1488 Liber Aberbr. 259.
Yheirlye 1493 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 47.
Yeyrly 1496 Acta Conc. II 11.
Yeirely 1511 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 182.
Yheirly 1524 Reg. Panmure II 298.
Yeirle 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 77 (see Ȝerely adj. 1 a (b)).
Ȝeyrly 1535 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 409.
Payand … ȝeirlie … ane nychtis lugeing with supper and dynner to the bischop quhen it sall happin him to cum in the cuntre 1536 Prot. Bk. M. Fleming 110b.
Ȝeyrle 1539–40 Reg. Episc. Morav. App. 420.
To deliver yeirlye to the bischop aucht skour fyr sparris sufficient to be gestis 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II 195.
Alexander Forbes pays ay ȝeirlie at the first Marymes in Dunde for all the haill ȝeir 1549–50 Reg. Soltre 113.
Yheyrlye 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II 79.
Thay payand [etc.] … with cariage to the hame bringyn of our cheis ȝeirlie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4770.
Preistis suld no more our substance so consume, Sendyng ȝeirlye so gret ryches to Rome 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6101.
The king … gaue to hir ȝeirlie Ane sowme of gold to keip hir honestlie(c) 1611-57 Mure Hist. Rowallane 243.
For payment of ane pound of comine seed in name of blensch ferme yearlie(d) 1664 Banff Field C. (1903) 132.
Of the said tuo rigges of land at six pecks victuall yeerlieb. a1400 Leg. S. xl 1079.
That man syne ȝerly can hym seke … Ilke ȝere, I tak one hand 14.. Acts I 57/2.
That the wa hed mutis of the justice salbe haldin ȝerly at Edinburgh or Peblis 1453 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 328.
The saide Sir Henry is oblist to remain for the saide fee with us yerely 1457 Acts II 49/2.
It is sene speidfull that justice ayris be haldin and continewyt ȝerly out throu the realme 1460 Ayr Chart. 34.
For als mykill as we haff grantit till our lovidis the alderman [etc.] … off Ayr … a fayr to be haldyn yerli 1491 Kennedy Aberd. Ann. II 5.
Thar sal be ȝeirly ane general anniversary 1497–8 Acta Conc. II 111.
That thai cheise yeirely a … thesaurare for the inbringin, ressat and keping of thare common rentis 1499–1500 Reg. Privy S. I 68/1.
To haf merkatis and fairis in the said burgh ȝerle, with a merkat cors 1507 Edinb. Chart. 191.
To begyn yeirlie the said Alhalow fair vpoun the ferd day of … November 1532 Glasgow Prot. IV 49.
[To] brwk the sayd place … for ther lyfftymes alanerlie, thai haldand wp the place yeyrle 1536 Kirkwall Chart. 11.
Yearlie 1549 Lamb Resonyng 35/12.
As concernyng the faith and religioun, thair actis and proclamatiounis ȝeirlie ane aganis ane vthir will speik 1553 (c1650) Dundee B. Laws 15.
The kirkmaster to make compt ȝearly of all sic actes as be foundis in the townes buikes for that ȝear 1555 Peebles B. Rec. I 221.
For xiiij s. of annuell quhilk is infeft for doing yerelie of the said dirige 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 168/25.
We mak oblatioun, for thais quhilkis ar departit, ȝeirlie be day of thair departing 1562-3 Winȝet I 126/9.
Obseruing ȝerlie abstinence fourty days in the lentrene 1571 Inverness Rec. I 203.
Yeirle thir thre yeiris bygane he refusit yeirle to await and keip my peis as he that was ane of my cottaris 1607 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 35.
The compleiners rige beand teillit yeirle and the defenderis lyand le c1650 Spalding I 77.
For granting … ane comisioun of surranderis of superioriteis and teyndis groundit for helping of the ministrie and releif of the laitie leiving yeirlie wnder the bondage of the lordis of erectionis a1689 Cleland 58.
They being men of public station concerned yearly with the nation

2. Of value or profit: A year, per year. 1445 Glasgow Chart. II 440.
To be haldyn and had the said annuale rent of nyne schilingis yherli 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III 96.
Of the quhilkis vj markis [of annual rent] thar lyis fifty s. worth ȝeirly in Louranston besid Leyth 1554 Montgomery Mem. II 150.
The samyn [lands, etc.] … to be ȝeirlie worth … five hundreth merkis, by kane fowlis and kane hering a1578 Pitsc. I 250/12.
The bischoperick of Burges of Barray quhilk was to him ȝeirlie in profeit iiij^c tune of wyne