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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Portar, -er, n.¹ Also: poirt- and -are, -air; -our, -owr; -eir. [ME porter (c 1290), -ar (c 1400), -o(u)r (Piers Plowman C), -are, AF porter, OF portier (12th c. in Godef.), late L. portarius, f. porta door.] One who has charge of a door or gate, esp. of a walled city, a castle or an institutional building; a gate-keeper, door-keeper, janitor.For commentary on the office in early times, see Black Surnames s.v. Porter and Porterfield.sing. (1) 1262 Reg. Paisley 122.
Johanne Portar 1296 Rot. Sc. 27/1.
Johannes le Porter vic de Edenburgh 1341 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 69.
Johannem Portare 1463 Reg. Dunferm. 367.
Thoma portar 1474 Reg. Cupar A. I 214.
Wilȝame Clerk the kingis portar c1515 Asl. MS. I 225/11.
Be Allane Hog that tyme portar 1567–8 Treas. Acc. XII 99.
To Robert Kirkcaldie, porter of the castell of Edinburgh 1593 Chart. Coupar A. II 248.
Johnne Fairhar, portar of Couper(b) 1597 Fam. Rose 284.
Robert Ros poirtar(2) 1261 Lindores Chart. 146.
Andrea de Porteriston 1361 Reg. Paisley 67.
De Porterfelde juxta Reynfru 1427 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 225.
Andrea Stewart de Portartun(3) 1375 Barb. v 383.
He … the portar tuk Rycht at the ȝat a1400 Leg. S. iii 1009.
Thane come the portare in but hone … to the bischope 14.. Acts I 346/2.
For the fee of the portar [L. janitoris] a1500 Rauf C. 623.
Pas agane, porter, and lat him swyith in c1475 Wall. ix 505 (see Portculis n. sing. (a)). a1538 Abell 109 a.
Thai … entrit in the abbay the portar buddit be thame 1536 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 457.
Coke and baxtar with all uthir necessar servandis … that is to say coke, ledar, portar, gardnar, child of the hall [etc.] 1547 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 131.
That thair be at euery port ane luge quhair the porter may sitt watterticht 1554 Peebles B. Rec. I 411.
Portowr 1560 Bk. Disc. 216. 1561–2 Reg. Cupar A. I 362.
To the baillie fie portar and vthir ordinar seruandis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 11.
The portar sal … ryng dayly at v houris … ; at ten he sal knel [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II 83/14.
Thair [they] enterit in and dang out the portar frome the ȝett 1602 Misc. Maitl. C. III 50.
The portar and the pantrie man [of Glasgow College] to be baith bursaris 1619 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 276.
That no burser keipit the yett but ane porter hyrit and feit 1658 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 121.
That the thesaurer helpe the portars lodge with a chimley(4) 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 130.
To the portar of Pettinweme 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. II 168.
That the portar of Nether Bow … haif yeirlie vj li … .and the portar of the Kirk of Feild elikwys 1561 Rentale Dunkeld. (S.H.S.) 342.
To the portar of the place and brig, … In fee and boll 1561 Reg. Dunferm. 454.
To the porter of the yett of Dumfermling 1567–8 Mar & Kellie MSS. 19.
The kingis hous … Jok Slowan portar in the kiching c1575 Balfour Pract. 15.
The porter, for his fie, five pundis. Item, To the porter of the kitching, for his fie, five pundis. Item, To the porter of the hall, for his fie, five pundis. Item, To the ischear of the kingis chalmer, for his fie, five pundis 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 554.
Makis … Thomas Hislope thair porter of the kirk yaird 1586 Ib. 475.
The porter of the Nether Bow to licht and haif candill nichtlie … in the bowatt hung at the sam 1593 Crim. Trials I ii 299.
The maister of his hienes palice, and portair of the same, and all thair deputis 1616 Mylne Master Masons 96.
Necessitie crawis that ane honest man may be chosin to be portar of the port of the said Brig of Tay(5) 1503 Treas. Acc. II 337.
Thomas Hallye, grome portair of the quenis chamir 1505 Ib. III 119.
Grome portair to the quene(6) c1475 Wall. ix 724.
[They] entryt throu the ȝet … Gud Wallace than the mayster portar can ta Wpon the hed 1565 Reg. Privy S. V i 572/2.
Oure soverane ladyis maister porter 1589 Exch. R. XXII 33.
To James Boge, secund ayid to the maister portar — 1561 Reg. Privy S. V i 198/2.
Makand … the said Patrik the principall portar and the said Alexander ane portar … to hir grace 1590–1 Exch. R. XXII 120.
Johnne Bog, principal portar of the uter yetplur. c1420 Wynt. viii 5722.
The folk … fand stowt portaris thare-at [sc. at the gate of the castle] That thame recowntryd sturdely 1465 Lennox Mun. 78.
We haue gevin to … Johnne Lorde Dernle [power] … to mak and deput vndir him, connestablis, portaris, wachemen, garitouris 1507 Reg. Privy S. I 220/1. 1515 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 157.
And ilk port to haif twa porteris daylie … and at thir porteris suffer na maner of persoun … to enter … without the president or ane of the bailies … gif thame licence 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 399.
[The conspirators] corruppitt the portaris and ischearis in sik maner that thai gatt enteres in the kingis hall 1547 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 131.
That the said porters be weill airmit with … halbert or Jedburgh stafe 1547 Treas. Acc. IX 89 (see Port n.² 1 sing. (2)).
Portarres Ib.
Porterres Ib. 113.
To the portarres of the castell at the furth-cumming of the monitioun had to Pynke, x s. 1565 Ib. XI 359.
To Patrik … and Alexander … , portaris, for thair luweray claithis, … xx li. 1572 Reg. Privy C. II 131. a1578 Pitsc. I 325/23.
George Douglas … requyrit at the portaris quhat the king was doand Ib. 326/4.
Porteris 1578 Reg. Privy S. VII 246/2.
[Appointment as the king's] principall portouris [for life] 1600 Misc. Maitl. C. III 106.
That the capitane of his maiesties gaird and house, and his hienes maister porteris, gif diligent attendance c 1608 Crim. Trials III 47.
Porterris 1608 Ib. 49.
Lord Maxwell … eschaiping fourth of our castell of Edinburghe and … forceing and hurting of the keipares and poirtaris of the same 1622 Perth Kirk S. MS 15 July.
Compeirit William Stomes [etc.] … portaries of the castell gaweill port hiegait and south gait portis

b. transf., fig., or in fig. context.(1) a1500 Henr. Orph. 251 (Asl.).
& thar he fand a portar fell With thre hedis was callit Cerberus 1513 Doug. vi vi 33.
Thocht in hys cave ȝour hydduus portar [sc. Cerberus] Ȝowland affray the ded gaistis evyrmar Ib. viii v 44.
The grisly portar of the hellys see(2) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4810.
Thocht Peter wes porter of Paradyse [etc.] 1681 Cloud of Witnesses 89.
That excommunicate traitor Thomas Dalȝiel which was porter that day that I was first before them(3) fig. c1420 Ratis R. 1485.
And malice portar at the ȝet Ib. 468. a1500 K. Hart 263.
Ire wes the portour that full sayr can weip Ib. 582.
Gif me the key, I sall be portar now c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii 18. Ib. 22.
Quo Strangnes vnto the porteir [etc.] 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 824.
And Peitie porter of hellis yeattis That day this doctour payis his debtis

c. proverb. — a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 692.
He is sa pure in purse he may not fie a porter

d. attrib. and comb.(1) a1500 Rauf C. 607.
He met ane porter swayne Cummand raith him agayne Fast fra the ȝet 1507 Lanark B. Rec. 16.
Porter fee and klerkis wyne silver iiij s. 15.. Edinb. Univ. MS. La. iv 6.
He seruis small portar fe 1608 Bentinck Dornoch 184 (cf. Gowpin n.).
Portergopiness(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii 76.
And Strangenes, quhair that he did ly, Wes brint in to the porter luge 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 188.
For … certane beting apon the gunhous of the castall and porter luge 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 132. 1576 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 178 b.
The portar luge dur 1589–90 Reg. Cupar A. II 296.
[The principal office of portership of the] utir ȝet, cell, and chalmer within the samin callit the portar luge 1612 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 327.
The euter porter hous quhilk is in seicht of everie ane that comes bey it to be new theikit