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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.

Prepare, -pair, v. Also: præ-, pro-, pra- and -par, -paire, -payre; -pear. [e.m.E. (1526) and late ME (Caxton) prepare, preparing (gerund, 1466), F. préparer (14–15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), L. præparāre make ready beforehand.]

1. tr. To prepare, in the usual senses.Const. for, (un)to (a person or purpose) or with infin., also without const.

a. To put (something) beforehand into a state of readiness; to make it ready for future use.Spec., to make (food or a meal) ready for eating.(1) c1520-c1535 Nisbet II 58 marg.
The place in itself is preparit fra the begynnyng of the warld 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 108.
Rycht costlie scaffalding … Reddie preparit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4982.
The ane [bath] was cauld, preparit for simmer sessoun 1566 Treas. Acc. XII 41.
For colis, tubbis, hardis … preparit for bowalling of the king grace 1596 Dalr. I 123/34.
Lat the burial of a deid persone be preparet 1596 Dalr. II 289/12.
The King of Ingland … prepares twa schipis and ladines thame 1597 Crail B. Ct. MS 18 July.
Ane sufficient ganging knok sufficientlie perfytit and preparit 1609 Mining Rec. 153.
Tuenty lastis of barrellis preparit for transporting of … oore(b) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4217.
I sall prepair ȝour lugis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1063. 1561 Treas. Acc. XI 114.
Chesellis to prepair the grit pecis of found 1563 Cart. S. Giles cxii.
[To] caus prepair the said reuestrye 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 17.
First to prepair the bodie apte to purgatioun a1578 Pitsc. I 80/10.
All necessaris thingis being prepairit 1614 Crim. Trials III 324.(c) 1600-1610 Melvill 20.
Acquent me also with housbandrie and prepear for me a roum(2) c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 130 marg.
Thou preparis or hes prepared a tabill befor me 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4509.
Within few dayis the feist was preparit Aboundantlie a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 146/25.
The celestial fude of our saull preparit for saluacione of man 1568 Buch. Indict. 36.
Gif other meit, drink or ludgeine wes preparit or appoyntet for hym 1581 Burne Disput. 21.
The coup of immortalitie is preparit to al men 1596 Dalr. I 94/24.
Thay regairdet nocht … daintie dishis sik as kitchines prepares(b) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9450.
Prepairit 1572 Sat. P. xxxv 17.
Dunfermling that the py prepaird 1585–6 Reg. Privy C. IV 49.
To … prepair or mak reddy for eating ony kind of fleshe 1596 Dalr. I 90/9.
At evin only thay first prepaired the table

b. To make (a person or persons) physically or spiritually ready for some activity, change of state, etc.; to equip.Also refl., and intr. for refl. c1520-c1535 Nisbet II 59 marg.
Christ be his death had preparit ws 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10302.
The empreour did prepair Ane greit armie 1570 Leslie 211.
The Protectour caused prepair tua thousand … horsmen a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx 123.
Bot sic tryale is lyk ane clengeing fyre Thame to prepair to thair saluatioun a1578 Pitsc. II 10/24.
The King of Ingland had ane armie reddie prepaired 1611 Crim. Trials III 161.
If God had not prepaired the hairt of Solomon … to [etc.] 1616 Coll. Rebus Alban. 121.
Thay wald have bene the better preparit to reforme thair countreys 1639 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 215.
Bot that yow lykewayes prepair the hairts of the commonsrefl. c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 320/1.
How can thai prepayre them selfis vnto the grace of Gode 1542–3 St. P. Henry VIII IV ii 263.
We agane preparit oureselvis with all the gentill men … that langit unto ws a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 114/28. 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 158.
Warning be thai presentis the rest of the murthereris to prepair thamselfis 1588 King Cat. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 211 title.
How we maye vordily præpare vs to confession 1596 Dalr. I 195/5.
He intendis and prepairis him selfe as to ane certane and sure victorie 1610 Laing MSS. I 115.
That the pairty may prepair him self to answer(b) a1561 Norvell Meroure 14 a.
This holie Sauiour … Propaird him by his vertue deuine For till ascendintr. 1549 Compl. 62/14.
Ther for ve suld prepair and prouid to resist ther euyl constellations c1590 J. Stewart 24/354.
Kyng Sacripant, preparing to defend, Did leice his armet [etc.] a1605 Montg. Misc. P. v 54.
Prepair again the lyk to gett 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 18.
My clubs, you must no more prepare, To make your balls flee whistling in the air

c. tr. With immaterial object: To do what is necessary to bring about (a state, condition, etc.); to provide, or prearrange, (a means).(1) 1533 Boece 80 b.
Britons … had never enrageit apon oure landis be depopulacioun and hereschip gif thareto … we had nocht preparit the way 1562-3 Winȝet I 139/25.
Our Saluiour … had præparit thairto this way to man 1638 Johnston Diary I 390.
And the Lord was … pairing and prapairing the way quhairin his saints may goe to thair desyred Canaan(2) 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 167/11.
Christ has preparit ane … sacrifice a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx 119.
Our trew reward … Quhilk our gude lord preparis for his awin c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 35.
And ȝe sall heir the crewell pane … That is prepaird for wekit creaturs a1578 Pitsc. I 50/31.
The danger and iniurie that the Earle of Douglas was prepairand for him 1596 Dalr. II 399/28.
Prepareng … the destructione of the Catholik and Romane kirk 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. i 102.
Ane labyrinth of woe, For ye … prepair'd 1616–17 Misc. Hist. Soc. X 102.
O Lord praepair mercie and faithfulness that they may still praeserve him

d. Of a text or utterance: To draw up in proper or set form; to put down in writing. 1562-3 Winȝet II 17/33.
Bot it sal suffice me for the support of my memorie … to hef præparit to me self this memorial 1600 Crim. Trials II 250.
That same word quhilk thei had prepairit to be ane word for the keiping clos of thair knavrie [etc.] 1630 Haddington Corr. 169.
To prepar my compts of the conceled munneis 1680 Edinb. B. Rec. X 414.
[A committee] to … hear the … complaints of the merchants and to prepair the same to the councell

e. To make or prepare (something) in a special way; to form; to process. 1567 G. Ball. 51.
Ȝung Jesus sweit, Prepair thy creddill in my spreit 1571 Leslie in Misc. Bann. C. III 125.
I tuik the baithe … preparit with heit watter and sindrie herbes 1596 Dalr. I 296/23.
This goldne aple sett with pretious margarites … I preparit and decoret vnto ȝow my souerane 1634 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 103.
Libertie … to bring his copper from Ingland alreadie prepaired and hulten 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 359.
[That] the graver of the mint … might prepare dyes and matrices

f. Preparit to the dethe, ? made ready, or ? disposed, to cause spiritual death. — 1562-3 Winȝet II 31/26.
Contrare cryis certane padokis, filthy verming, and fleis præparit to the dethe, of the quhilk sort are the Pelagianis

2. intr. To make preparations (for a coming event). 1596 Dalr. I 165/24.
Thay prepare couragiouslie, nathing abaket 1613 Southesk MSS. 14.
If yow could … prepaire that the mairiage of oure childrine might … be compleit vpon Tysday

3. To repair or go. 1596 Dalr. I 99/7.
To hich mountanis thay præpair Ib. II 3/7.
To Scotland he [sc. Edward II] prepares in haist, entiris in … Dunfreis [etc.]