A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1560, 1662
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(Rede-refar,) Reid-reifar, Read-reiver. [Red(e adj. 9 and Refar n.] The name given to some evil spirit or devil. — 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 3995.
This bald bitter bitche, This reid reifar, and this rank warlo witche 1662 Criminal Trials III 606.
The … sevinth sprit is called the Read Reiver and he is … clothed in blak
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"Rede-refar n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/rede_refar>
