A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1420, 1475-1513, 1569-1605
[1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Affer(e, Affeir, n. Also: afeir. Cf. Effere. [Early ME. affere, afere (c 1300), OF. afere, var. of afaire, whence late ME. affayre, Affair. The main Sc. uses (which are common in OF.) are not found in ME.]
1. Manner of bearing or conducting oneself; appearance or deportment. Freq. with adjs. as grete affere (= pomp, dignity), gude affere, etc. Also in pl. = manners, ways, actions. 1375 Barb. ii. 182.
Bot off thar nobleis gret affer, Thar seruice, na thar realté, Ȝe sall her na thing now 1375 Ib. xx. 89.
The queyne and Mortymer On othir party cummyn wer Vith gret affeir and rialté a1400 Legends of the Saints xlvi. 320.
Apolyna … The cors … can ta, And in hir ȝard gert it entere, Of gastly Ioy vith gret affere c1420 Wynt. iv. 1955.
Thou sall hym wytht gud relewe … That … avynand is off honesté, Off fayre affere and thewys gud c1420 Ib. ix. 3145.
The multitude … Commendyt heily his affere, His aporte, and his manere c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 144.
Wallace twa men … went, Dissemblit weylle, that no man suld thaim ken, Rycht in affer as thai war Inglismen a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 3041.
[To observe] Yhowr manhed, yhour worschip, and affere, How ȝhe conten, and how yhe armys bere c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 39.
Thair leggis wer chenȝeit to the heill, Frawart wes thair affeir 1513 Doug. ix. xii. 99.
Lynceus … Resistys, as he myght, with fell afferis 1513 Ib. xiii. viii. 59; etc.
The fair fresch Lavinia … Of bewte, schape, and all afferys … Sa excelland that wondir war to say a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS cxxx. 73.
That fre anserit with fair afeir
2. State or condition. 1375 Barb. xvi. 27 (E).
He said, he wald … se the affer Off that contré, and of thar wer c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 514.
Thai … Chesyt a strenth, quhar thai thar lugyng maid; In gud affer a quhill thar still he baid
3. Equipment, outfit; array (of battle). c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 166.
Thai tald Wallace off Patrikis gret affer c1475 Ib. x. 206.
[There were] xl thowsand, apon the Scottis to fair, With fell affer a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 984.
Arthuris folk … ware to few aȝaine the gret affere Of Galiot ȝit to susten the were 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 253.
The gret afferis of athir host and array
4. Affair, business. 1513 Doug. xi. i. 32.
The grettast part of our warkis and afferis Beyn endit now 1605 Stewart Memor. 114.
He dar nocht … repair in the cuntrey for doing of his lessume afferis
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Affer n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/affere_n>
