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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Here, Heir, adv. Also: her, heire, heyr(e, heer(e, heare, hier, hire. [ME. heer(e, heir, here, her, OE. hér.]

1. Here, in this place.(a) 1375 Barb. vi. 60 (E).
Her may ȝe mak abaid a1400 Leg. S. ii. 337.
The quhilk we saw her with ȝou now c1475 Wall. i. 424.
Her in this fals regioun 1489 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 545 A.
With the witnes that ar her present 1513 Doug. i. i. 29.
Thar war hir armys, and here stude eik hir chair(b) c 1380 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 76.
Heyr lyis Ingram of Kethenys c1420 Wynt. vi. 1419.
In to this graffe heyr dede he lyis c1475 Wall. i. 305.
Thi modyr and thow rycht heir with me sall bide a1500 Rauf C. 66.
I wait na worthie herberie heir neir hand c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxv. 1.
We that ar heir in hevins glory a1540 Freiris Berw. 317 (M).
'Heir is aneuche forsuth of Goddis gude' 1545 Liber Coll. Glasg. 224.
The Blakfreris of Glasgw hes bene heir at ws 1612 Breadalbane Lett. (Reg. H.) 28th Nov.
All … duel weidis sall ceas at court and heir 1682 Brodie Diary 471.
The young man was heir last night(c) 1662 Carstairs Lett. 80.
Methaught to have had your daughter hear 1689 Melville Corr. 138.
I cannot find pen to wrett heare at present(d) 1666 Laing MSS. I. 350.
My lord, heer is my cosen Siforth, who is verie disayrous to ... kis the King's hand

b. With ellipsis of the verb. 1385 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS. 410/1.
Lo, here my witnez, Robyn Jonson … and Richard of Pentland [etc.] 1590 Crim. Trials I. ii. 239.
Ewerie ane ansuerit, 'Heir, Mr.'

2. With verbs of coming, bringing, or sending: To this place, hither.Sometimes not clearly distinct from sense 1. 1375 Barb. i. 416.
Schir, heyr to ȝow I bryng This child a1400 Leg. S. xv. 69.
Quarefor we cum her c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 218.
Heir cumis our awin queir clerk 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4390.
Cum heir, gude Glaiks; … Cum hidder, Stult 1569 Prot. Bk. G. Grote 81.
He come heer at that present tyme 1590 Reg. Morton I. 169.
Send ane of ȝour awin serwandis to me heir 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 205.
Till ye might send advertisement hier

3. In this world, on this earth, in this life. See also Here-doun adv. b. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 71.
As Hely did til [= while] he here was c1460 Wisd. Sol. 405.
That euery man hav in mynd … the schort tyme that he has hire to byd a1500 Bk. Chess 1587.
Efter his deid leiffand his gudis heire c1500 Rowll Cursing 237 (M).
[Tailors] to schaip thair grayth In hell for steiling heir of clayth c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 5.
Our plesance heir is all vane glory 1562-3 Winȝet I. 40/20.
That we … be not repellit fra our natiue possessionis heir, and efter fra our kingdome eternale a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxi. 10.
The tym sall come vhen ȝe sall be accusit, For mony hundreth ȝe haif herryit heir

4. a. At this point or juncture, in this case, now. 1375 Barb. iv. 125 (E).
Na mar may na man [fyr] sa cowyr Than … rek sall it discowyr. So fell it her ?1438 Alex. ii. 2267.
Ane vthir grant heir mak I thé c1475 Wall. iv. 593.
Her is no chos, bot owdir do or de a1508 Kennedy Flyting 41.
Heir I put sylence to thé in all partis 1513 Doug. ii. ix. 80.
Fortone heir endit his gloryus estait c1552 Lynd. Mon. 103.
Off rethorick heir I proclame thé quyte 1562-3 Winȝet I. 106/28.
Ȝowr anser heir schaw 1585 James VI Ess. 9.
O Phœbus, for thy help heir might I call

b. At this point in a narrative; in this passage of a writing. a1400 Leg. S. ii. 510.
Quhow he conuertit wes I sall tell her 14.. Acts I. 5/2.
Heyr begynnis the lawys of the Kyng David c1420 Wynt. II. 1064.
Othir fenyheid fabyllis sere I wyll forbere to wryt in here a1500 Bk. Chess 90.
Quha sa sayis … vther weye it is Than heir is said, forsuth he goith mys Ib. *2192.
Heir endis the buke of the ches 1533 Gau 4/12.
The quhilk ver lang to vrit heir 1567 G. Ball. 1.
We haue heir ane plane text

c. Heir a dayis, in these days, nowadays. 1572 Sempill Sat. P. xxx. 186.
Quhilk will be found na fault now heir a dayis

5. In contrast to hyne and thare, in literal or transf. senses.a. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 638.
Of mony merakilis sere, That thru hym ware wrocht hyne and here ?1438 Alex. ii. 3730.
The sing of lufe will I nocht tyne, For all is hirris, here and hyne 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 315.
So sall thow be [punished] … Baith heir and hyne … And want the euerlesting glore c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 442.
God ordanit lufe to be baith heir and hyne 1562-3 Winȝet I. 127/28.
Feir ȝe nocht siklyke punisment heir or hyne to cum on tha religious persones quha now gredelie embrassis the warld agane a1568 Bann. MS. 224 b/49.
Quhither scho be heir or hyne, I salbe fane to leif in luvis lyneb. 1375 Barb. ii. 307.
[They] skalyt to loge thaim her & thar Ib. iii. 699.
Wavys wyd … Weltryt as hillys her and thar a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 691.
He … traylyt hyme … Our al the floure here & thare ?1438 Alex. ii. 3583.
He thinkis here and answres thare 1513 Doug. i. iv. 11.
Baith heir and thair stant large craggis and brais Ib. xii. xi. 7.
The stampand stedis, … Now thrympand heir, now thar 1567 G. Ball. 208.
Say weill hes freindis baith heir and thair 1596 Dalr. I. 7/8.
Heir agane sall ȝe se … heir a dry knowe … , thair a thick wodd a 1620 Marischal Coll. Rec. I. 77.
All things ar confuisit and sparplit heir and thair

6. In comb. with adverbs or prepositions, as here-afoir, -after, -before, -fyrth, -into. See also Here-Anent, -Apon, -At, etc. a1578 Pitsc. II. 71/10.
As I have oftymes said heirafoir — 1567 Acts (1597) ii. 16.
Gif ony seising beis vtherwaies given heirafter 1600 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 135.
Gif the lyk [offence] be fund in hir heirafter — ?1438 Alex. i. 2249.
As heir befoir to ȝow said I c1420 Ratis R. 114.
The … tressour That God gaf mankynd herebefore 1573 Sat. P. xl. 314.
This propheit … Quhome heir befoir we breuit in this bill — ?1438 Alex. ii. 2015.
Now may ȝe se him … That iustit herefurth sa fare a1578 Pitsc. II. 34/18.
[They] past to Hadingtoun and heirfourth to Edinburgh — Ib. I. 284/18.
The lord Home … sett his intent to put remeid heir into Ib. II. 114/16.
Money of the lordis … consentit gladlie herinto