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.
Pour(e, Powr(e, adj. and n.2 Also: peoure. [ME and e.m.E. poure (c 1200), pour (14th c.), powre (Caxton), OF poure var. of povre Pover adj. Cf. also Pur(e adj.2 and n.In Sc. possibly partly or wholly by a native development, as a contraction of Pover, like Our adv. beside Over.]
Poor, in applications of Pur(e adj.2 and n.
A. adj.(1) 1375 Barb. ix 442 (E).
Thai, that er war pour [C. pouer] & bar Off that gud rych and mychty war c1420 Wynt. viii 6486.(2) a1400 Leg. S. xx 116.
A powre womane Ib. xxiv 294.
Me poure pylgriame 1529 Rec. Earld. Orkney 58.
Thai tuk 22 pour cariage men in ane boit … and … crewellie slew thame 15.. Clar. iii 800.
Ane poure woman is myself doubtles, I may ȝow not susteine [long] heir with me 1633 Orkney Witch Trial in Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. V 545.
Powr(3) a1400 Leg. S. x 454.
To poure folke thame to relefe Ib. xliii 306, etc. 1538 Soc. Ant. II 394.
At na pour folk that pass furth of this toune sal be lattyne in again 1572–3 Bann. Memor. 303.
All the poure folkis of the toun(4) a1400 Leg. S. xxii 149.
Sancte Laurens … Poure men to get presyt ay & [etc.] Ib. 308.
Al the poure men that hyd he had Ib. v 115, xxxiv 275, etc.(5) a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. xvi 14.
[Herod] hes ane thowsand feiris … The poure peopill oppressand clein ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1884) 41.(6) 1549 Compl. 133/6.
Ve that ar poure comontis can nothir hef oportunite nor comodite to virk trason(7) 1536 Wemyss Corr. 4.
And for dunputting of sic thyngis as our pour legis ar hurt by 1563–4 Reg. Privy C. I 269.(8) a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxxi 17.
Give me thairfoir ane pour and humble spreit(9) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 108.
These … thingis, made powre Johne Knox to be the more quiet fra all sic accusatiounes a1578 Pitsc. II 82/4.
And in spetiall the cardinall … was great that day at that poure mans bloode scheding c1590 Fowler I 196/1.
That poure foolisch fliee, quhase custome is By flams to fyre her wings 1666 Laing MSS. I 350.
Had I not 5 pour children that I would fen tried to be worthie of such a father Ib. 351.
If hee that disclamed the king … be prefered to my pour comer(10) a1400 Leg. S. xvii 191.
& thi powre madyne nov kepe me a1585 Maitl. Q. xxxix 82.
This poure propyne refuis not I ȝow pray a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxxi 8.
That thow with merceis monyfauld A wretche and sinner pour thow doe vphauld 1608 Hist. Fam. Seton 909.
This thretteine ȝeires my residens hes bein in this poure brouche
b. Of little worth, wretched, ‘sorry’, worthless. ?1438 Alex. ii 7246.
Pour men [F. Povre gent] ar the folk of Inde, … Lytill ar thay worth 1461 Liber Plusc. 383.
Thow man that is of poure and smal valoure
B. noun. a. The poor collectively.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xvi 313.
Thu … na thocht hase Of powre thu seis dyssolate Of … herbry Ib. 309. c1420 Wynt. v 3919.
Bathe to powre, seke and sare c1475 Wall. iv 202.
Wallace … gaiff of his fell sys To pour and rych vpon a gudlye wis(2) a1400 Leg. S. xv 104.
To the powre that mister had 1541 Treas. Acc. VII 479.
To the advocat for the pour xx li. 1674 Sc. N. & Q. 3 Ser. III 184.
God forgive that does not consider the peoure beter 1682 Murray Lyon Hist. Lodge Edinb. 29.
Having tackin it to ther sereas considarashon the great nesetay of thar pour
b. plur.Here = the stock of money collected for the poor, the poor-box, poor-money. 1566 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 54.
In cace of ony abstrakis fre the pouris or ony uder casualittis
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"Pour adj., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 30 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/poure_adj_n>
