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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.

Chere, Cheir, Chear, n. Also: cher, cheire (schiere), cheyr, cheare. [ME. chere (a 1225), cher, chier(e, etc., OF. chere, chiere, late L. cara.]

1. The face as an index of feeling; look or expression, countenance, mien; bearing, demeanour.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 34.
He … schawyt him, with lauchand cher, The endentur Ib. xi. 500.
Apon this vis the nobill king Gaf all his men reconforting Throu hardy countynans and cher a1400 Leg. S. iii. 484.
Thane sad Andrew with sobyr cher, ‘Me ferlis [etc.]’ c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 835.
Eccuba … Seyde to hyme with full yrous chere Such-lyche wordes Ib. 2571.
He went and met hime with blyth chere c1420 Wynt. v. 2720.
Wyth dulefull chere and sare murnyng The modrys … fra the hewyd the hare Tyte and rawe 1456 Hay II. 7/11.
He was worthin rycht lene, … with hevy chere, and holl eyne Ib. 92/22.
It efferis till a kyng to be … of faire langage with a hye voce and chere c1460 Consail Wys Man 137.
Be of faire chere, and of faire effere c1475 Wall. viii. 1227.
Prayand for pece thai cry with petous cher c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 211.
Me thoucht scho semyt lustiar of chere … Than of before, and lufliare of face(b) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 59.
The berne bovnit to the burgh with ane blith cheir Ib. 616.
On twa stedis thai straid with ane sterne schiere a1500 Seven S. 2439.
Quhen he hir fand he changit cheire, He wox blythar 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 208.
Fy on dissait … with fenȝeit cheir smylyng Ib. iv. x. 72.
In form of a ȝongker … Plesand of cheir 1535 Stewart 11323.
Rycht sad he wes … with dirk and havie cheir Ib. 51832.
[A chair] Quhairin he sat with manlie lauchand cheir 15.. Clar. v. 2164.
The ladies kneillit with cheiris debonair c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 330.
The ȝoungkeir … said, with ane full mery cheir [etc.] 1570 Sat. P. xi. 98.
All that … With thankfull mynde and hartie cheir … him met 1570 Ib. xiii. 173.
Fall to … with blyith and mirrie cheir 1567 G. Ball. (1578) 233.
To unbeleuaris all, this sentence giue he sall, With ire & awfull cheir c1590 J. Stewart 87/261.
He stuid … Vith hawie fixit eis and cairfull cheir a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xi. 39.
Lyk Venus with hir smyling cheir 1603 Philotus i.
Ȝour lauching lips, ȝour smyling cheir(c) c1590 Fowler 105/29.
Who did with merrie cheare Propyne a denner hard & sharpe onto his men of weir

b. Mood, feeling, frame of mind. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 114.
To spek with hyre come oure lady, … To mend hyre & hyre chere c1420 Wynt. vii. 839.
He wald wyth hevy chere Mak for this man swa gret prayere c1475 Wall. i. 251.
Thai … furth thar gait can gang, With hewy cheyr and sorowfull in thocht c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 94.
The mery foulis, blisfullest of chere Id. Tua Mar. W. 282.
[I could] ay be mery in my mynd and myrthfull of cher 1513 Doug. i. iv. 68.
He … with sik wordis comfortis thar drery cheir 15.. Black Bk. Taymouth 154.
Drownit in sorrow wes baith my mynd and cheir 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9435.
Ȝe … Fra all dolour to mirth hes changeit my cheir c1590 Fowler 242/63.
Your death, my love, hes altered all my cheire

2. Display of feeling by rejoicing or feasting, or (less usually) grieving or lamenting. Usually in the phrases to mak gude (or evill, etc.) chere.(1) 1375 Barb. xiv. 310.
That nycht thai maid thame mery cher, And lovit God fast of his grace ?1438 Alex. ii. 26.
The oist that nicht maid merie cheir 1456 Hay III. 55/10.
Dere brethir, reconfourt ȝow, and makis gude chere 1461 Liber Plusc. 387.
To slok youre syt, and gare you mak gud cheire c1460 Wisd. Sol. 741.
Et and drink and mak gud cheir a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 405.
Chenȝeit in syn thai mak bot mery cheir c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxx. 35.
Into every lusty toun and place … I haif in to thy habeit maid gud cheir 1531 Bell. Boece I. 67.
Cadall herand this consolatioun … fenyeit all the cheir he micht c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 78.
The ane maid not sa merie cheir As his fellow 1581 Cath. Tr. 91/22.
Efter scho had maid gude cheir at hame 1593 Reg. Morton I. 187.
It is guid that ȝour Lo. command ȝour cowkis and stewerttis to mak good cheir(2) 1375 Barb. xiii. 479.
He wes so wa … , makand full euill cher Ib. xvi. 229.
He askit him, quhy he maid sic cher a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 240.
The soroful & ewil chere That hyr fadyr can for hir ma a1500 Seven S. 509.
Scho grat and cryit harmisay. He askit quhy scho maid sic cheire 1531 Bell. Boece II. 40.
Hengist … reprevit him quhy he maid sa hevy cheir in the time of his mariage 1540 Lynd. Sat. 103.
Quhat garris ȝow mak sic dreirie cheir? c1550 Id. Meldrum 98.
It was greit pietie for to heir Of the pepill the bailfull cheir 1549 Compl. 68/16.
Ane lady … makkand ane melancolious cheir 1595 Davidson in Three Reformers 117.
To heare, His tennants poore with drery cheare: … making their mone 1611-57 Mure Dido ii. 840.
Her in bed they lay with duilfull chear

3. Display of feeling towards others, esp. by friendliness or good entertainment. Freq. to mak … gude chere.(1) 1375 Barb. ii. 6.
He callit his marschall … And bad him luk … That he ma till his men gud cher Ib. ix. 728.
That nycht … Douglas Maid to schir Alexander … richt gladsum cheir c1420 Wynt. ii. 999.
Quhen tyll hys gestis he maid gud chere … And welcummyd thame on fare manere 1456 Hay I. 159/10.
Sen he … suld … mak him gude and free chere quhill he is with him c1475 Wall. i. 256.
This gud wiff held Wallace till the nycht; Maid him gud cher Ib. vi. 776.
Far bettir cher Wallas tharfor him maid a1500 Bk. Chess 906.
The king gaif his essent To mak this lord sic festing & sic chere 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7229.
Vp rais the King … Thankit the knicht of his kindnes and cheir 1596 Dalr. I. 265/23.
William returnes to France, quhair … with al cheir and blythnes he was accepted(2) c1420 Wynt. viii. 1670.
Set this Abbot wes messyngere, This Kyng made hym bot lowryd chere a1500 Henr. Fab. 88.
Thow to me may mak bot lytill cheir

4. Entertainment; condition or manner of living, esp. in respect of food and drink. a1500 Colk. Sow i. 52.
And ȝit scho callit to hir cheir On apostita freir 1513 Doug. iii. iv. 30.
To meit we sat with habundans of cheir c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 510.
Madame, how ar ȝe pleisit of this cheir 1550 Reg. Privy C. I. 94.
The gret and exhorbitant derth … becaus of superfluis chear usit commonlie in the realme 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2798.
His daylie cheir and expens did decres a1568 Scott i. 62.
Thay wald nocht … leif chaste, bot chop and change thair cheir a1578 Pitsc. I. 45/8.
Efter the great cheir was maid at the denner and coursses taine away 1596 Dalr. I. 90/6.
Kaipounis, pliueris and vtheris sik kynd of cheir vset thay Ib. 94/23.
Thay regairdet nocht mekle diligate cheir 1618 Chron. Perth 20.
The feist continewit ane gude space, with great cheir and all sorts of pastyme and merrenes

5. Quhat chere, as a phrase of inquiry. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 367.
Sa he did, and said, ‘douchter, quhat cheir?’