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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Acre, Aker, Acker, n. Also: acar, acur, pl. acarris, ac(c)ris, acrys; akair, akar, akere, akir(e, akyr(e, pl. aker(r)is, akerys, akir(r)is, akyr(r)is, akris, akrys; aicire, aiker, aikair, aikir, pl. aikeris, -aris, -irris; aickeris, -aris, -iris, aikkeris, -aris, -irris; ackar, ackyr, akkyr. [ME. acre, aker, etc., ONhb. æccer, pl. ac(c)ras, WS. æcer, pl. acras.]

1. An acre. (Freq. in singular after numbers.) Also pl. fields, arable land.(a) c 1190 Liber Calchou 129 (Temple-acre). c 1250 Liber Dryburgh 76 (Stany-acre). 1418 Melville Chart. 19 (twa acire of feld land). c1420 Wynt. iv. 492 (fig. how mony acris he had sawyne). 1516 Edinb. B. Rec. 159 (his arable acris). 1527 Reg. Privy S. I. 554/2 (ane croft of land with the acris thairof). 1564 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 8 (ane acar and ane half of arable land; the acarris of Jhone Wod). 1585 Inchaffray Reg. 130 (the aceris callit the New yairde).(b) c 1350 Liber Dryburgh 231 (le Halfakyr-hevedys). 14.. Acts I. 751/1 (the aker sall contene four rude). c1420 Wynt. viii. 3432 (in that akyre). 1428 Liber Melros 520 (twa oxgang and thre akris). 1454 Mun. Univ. Glasg. I. 14 (the four akiris of his lande). 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 188 (twa akrys). 1501 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 13 (an aker of land). 1513 Doug. vi. ix. 132 (nyne akyr on breid). 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 73 (ane akir of outfeild land). 1559 Mun. Univ. Glasg. I. 67 (thre akyrs).(c) 1518 Douglas Chart. 388 (our aikiris of Linlithquhow). 1520 Dunferm. B. Rec. 291 (the aikkar of land). 1554 Liber Dryburgh 290 (twa aikaris). 1558 Glasgow Chart. II. 330 (thre aikkaris). 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 252 (tuo pure aikers of borrow ruddis). 1592 Acts III. 639/2 (ane aikair). 1640 Glasgow B. Rec. 417 (the tynd schaves of the aikers). 1683 Bamff Chart. 344 (four aikers).(d) 1556 Prot. Bk. T. Dalrymple 45 b (ane aicker; ane vther aicker). 1574 Dunferm. B. Rec. 368 (sex aickiris). 1588 Mem. G. Bannatyne 38 (aickaris). 1634 Liber Dryburgh 390 (the aickeris in Anstruther). 1659 Bk. Old Edinb. C. IV. 131 (four aickers of glybeland).(e) 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 183 (twa ackaris); 184 (fyfe ackyr). 1553 Lanark B. Rec. 26 (thre akkyris of comone land). 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Bovata (ane oxen-gate suld conteine threttene acker). 1605 Mun. Univ. Glasg. I. 173 (xvj ackeris). 1682 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 506 (the ackeris abowt the toun).

2. In. combs. as acre-brede (= breadth); acre-dale, the amount of an acre; acre-lenth; acre-male (= rent). c1420 Wynt. vii. 548.
Large thre akyre leynth off land Ib. 575.
Thir ware the akyr-leynthis thre ?1438 Alex. i. 206.
I hope never to hald of land Ane akirbreid c1475 Wall. vii. 823.
The battaill on bak v [= five] akyr breid thair ber Ib. x. 356.
The worthy Scottis weryt fer on bak Sewyn akyrbreid 15.. Christis K. 70 (B).
Be ane akerbraid it come nocht neir him 1581 Lamont P. 102.
Item to him for akermales the said yeir 1592–3 Reg. Privy C. V. 56.
The boundis … sould be sett out in aiker daill 1593 Lanark B. Rec. 110.
To begyn at Thomas Hutoun merche and sua akerdaill about to the Langlocht muir 1679 J. Somerville Mem. I. 168.
Being all of it in Acker-dale land