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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Er(r, v. Also: erre, ere, eir. [ME. erre (1303), OF. errer, L. errāre.]

1. intr. To go astray in judgement, opinion, or conduct.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 334.
I haf pite of ȝow That semys wele that erris now Ib. 536.
To ger folk er it is ful eth 1474 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 442.
That the persone that passit uppone the seruing of the said brefe has nocht errit nor wrangwisly recourit 1490 Irland Mir. I. 101/2.
The haly kyrk, that may nocht er in materis twichand God & the faithe c1515 Asl. MS. I. 198/14.
Ȝe haf twys errit sen ȝe come to the faith 1562-3 Winȝet II. 8/9.
We … war compellit to confess … our selfis to hef errit 1567 G. Ball. 183.
Thay said, thay did bot erre, That spak of the commandementis ten 1596 Dalr. I. 223/30.
Gif our countrey men throuch sum superstitioune of our forbearis haue nocht errit(b) c1420 Ratis R. 1639.
Bot gyf that kindly properte … Trespas and ere in that degre 1461 Liber Plusc. 387.
Sen … God [h]as gevyn ws wyt … To keip ws that we eir nocht opinly

b. tr. To lead astray. c1420 Wynt. v. 5728 (W).
That man … confessit his trespas, And quham throu at he errit was

2. To stray, to go wandering or astray. 1513 Doug. v. x. 81.
To wavyr and er thar onreturnabilly Ib. vii. viii. 39.
This hart, errand far from his resset, Ascanyus wod hundis ombeset c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 312.
A man fand him errand [Wycl. errynge] in the feeld