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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.

Repair(e, -par(e, v. Also: ra- and -payr(e; -pear, -paer; -per. [ME and e.m.E. repaire(n (c1320), -peire(n (14th c.), OF repeirer, -pairer, etc. (c1350 in Tobler-Lommatzsch, earlier repadrer, late L. repatriāre to return to one's country, f. patria fatherland.] intr.

1. To go habitually or frequently, also, in numbers. a. To (till) a person or place. Also with omission of preposition. b. About a person or place. c. In (within) amang persons or places or a place; in, throw the countryside, also, in, within (specified) bounds.Some examples may belong in 2.a. (1) 1375 Barb. x 561.
And for I … Mycht repayr till hyr preuely … a leddre to me mad I a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 383.
Angelis of[t] tyme sen haf I Repare til hyme c1420 Wynt. v 2948.
A dragowne fell … to the towne reparys offtsys 1471 Edinb. Chart. 133.
Strangearis and vtheris cummand and reparand to oure port and having of Leith c1475 Wall. i 350.
Bot thai raparyt our mekill to that place 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I 80.
For the … proffitt of the nichtbouris thairof and all vtheris reparand thairto 1531 Ib. II 52.
Reperant 1571 Reg. Privy S. VI 205/2.
And uthiris strangearis of quhatsumevir natioun resortand and reparand to the poirt, peir and having [of Leith] 1589–90 St. A. B. Ct. 6 Feb. 1598 Aberd. B. Rec. II 167.
That the wemen … sall repair to the kirk … everie ane of thame having a clock 1654 Moray Synod 119.
Superstitiouslie repairing to the cheaple at Speyside vulgarlie called the Ladies Cheaple 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II 462.
That all repair to the kirkis quhen the bell adverteisis them for that effect(2) 1494 Loutfut MS 21a.
Bot gif the huntaris send a gracieuse virgin quhar the wnicorn reparis 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 171.
Fair weill Menteith, quhair oft I did repair 1608 Peebles B. Rec. I 358.
The inhabitantis … ar desolat of prouisioun quhen strangeris reparis 1610 Dundonald Par. Rec. 206.
Commonlie baith in this parochin and vther placeis quhair he and scho repairis thai ly in naikit bed togidderb. 1541 Crim. Trials I i 230.
[He again found caution that] he sall vse and repare ane myle about the tovne of Dunbertane 1549 Lamb Resonyng 29/17.
Nothir Inglisman nor woman fra his birth to his deith reparit about him [sc. James V]c. 1479 Prestwick B. Rec. 28.
Hir seik soun, at is lipper, reparis daili in hir house 1500 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 85.
Nocht to repair amangs vtheris nor nane with thame vnder payne of banesing 1551 Acts II 482/2.
Notwithstanding sic tratouris swa banist … hantis and repairis amangis our souerane ladyis liegis 1563 Reg. Privy C. I 248.
The saidis malefactouris for the maist part hantis and reparis within the boundis following a1568 Scott iii 14.
Preis ȝow ay in presens to repair a1585 Maitl. Q. 134/43.
Gif in publict places ȝe repair 1587 Acts III 462/2.
In the boundis … throw the quhilkis limmaris and brokin men repairis 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V 44.
That na lipperfolk be fand repayrand within this toun 1597 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 337.
It salbe lesum to the toun and young men thairof … to repair and gang thairintill as they haif occasioun 1612 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. 19.
Beggeris … that repairis and sornis thruch the cuntrey 1615 Misc. Maitl. C. II 171.
That na outland nor inland beggeris … sall repair throw the contrey nor ourlay the samen begging steilling [etc.] 1635 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VI 1.
The persons foresaids … haunts and repaires in all parts of the countrie

d. To repaire with, to associate with. 1614 Stirling B. Rec. I 137.
Nevir to be heireftir fund … conversing, hanting, or reparing with ony of his scoleris

e. With inanimate subject: To occur or intervene habitually. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 14b.
As ane breif in respect of ane larg. Betuix the quhilkis ane only long dois repair

2. To go, betake oneself, make one's way (to (til) a person or place). Also const. towart, ontil, in, into, etc.(a) 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 1252.
Nane suld bett nor boist Na strubill man repairand to the ost Ib. 2312.
He gart … his fair armie Repair into thair sycht that thai mycht se a1500 Henr. Robene & M. 104.
Thairin Makyne … Vnsene we ma repair c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 223.
Than saw I Dangeretoward me repair c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 13.
I am so … auld … That I wait nocht quhare to repair 15.. Clar. i 774.
Quhile the sune wastwart did repaire [etc.] 1566 Reg. Privy S. V ii 157/1.
That nane of thair subjectis repairis and resoirtis within the realme of Ingland but speciall licence or paspoirt 1567 Acts (1597) ii 15.
Quhen ony thieues repairis in steiling or reifing within the incountrie that [etc.] a1570-86 J. Maitland Maitl. F. 435/34.
Gif Inglis forcis in this realme repair 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 649.
His missive writting, desyring the said Johnne to repair unto him Ib. 629. 1594 Aberd. Council Lett. I 58.
The said Robert being to repair toward yow for the sute of that sowme 1595 Edinb. B. Rec. V 137.
Understanding that [blank] … makar of corsletts hes repayret within this burgh for using his craft a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 190.
Repayre 1604 Breadalbane Lett. 24 June.
I culd not repair to ȝoure l. levand my cuntrey gardles at this present 1639 Huntly in Spalding I 145.
To repair whair and when he think fitting … with 15 dayis lone(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxx 119.
Til his in reparyt scho 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 146.
That thair was nane thairout durst repare 1513 Doug. vii viii 139.
Fyve bowis of ky ontil his hame reparit 1533 Boece 42.
Ony persoun be aventure reparing in the boundis of vtheris … dispitefully was slane 1558-66 Knox II 275.
The lordis … repared unto the town 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I 36.
Avowing that giff ony of us reparit to landward to execute his malice … aganis us(c) 1600-1610 Melvill 133.
Certean of the nobilitie and barrones of the realme repearit to the king at Ruthven(d) 1670 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 23 July.
That the proveist repaer to Edinburgh as commissioner to this parliament(e) 1650 Anal. Scot. I 364.
Upon the notis of this, I wret to Colonel Ærsking … that he wold reper to Aberdin

b. To repair (furthe) from (a place), to leave, depart from. c1590 Fowler I 118/1.
Furthe from his golden ins and tent, … The Sun evin belted in his beames did from his place repair

3. To return. Also to repair agayne, in the same sense. 1375 Barb. vi 112.
Or he mycht reparit be, Thai suld be passit the furde ilkane Ib. vii 82.
Schyr Aymer, that fra the chace … then repayryt was Ib. xx 2.
Sone eftre that the erle Thomas Fra Wardaill thus reparyt was [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xl 925.
The knycht reparit hame … with gud name c1400 Troy-bk. i 24.
So that thay mytht … Repare agayne and stroye the land c1420 Wynt. v 3261.
The alienis, that [war] chasyd are, Repayryd Ib. viii 6153.
Wyth thair honeste Thai mycht agayne repayre rycht welle, Syne thai off fors hade tane that pelle c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 134/11.
ȝe hecht sone without delay, Againe in Edinburgh till repair 1602 Lett. Jas. VI to Bruce 287.
To cum and repair again within our realme

4. To be present, temporarily or habitually; to dwell or reside (in a place).Some examples may, rather, belong in 1. 1375 Barb. iv 477.
[In]-till a stalwart place her-by Reparis all thar cumpany Ib. xv 428.
Quhar the lord Douglas In the forest repayrand was a1400 Leg. S. iv 101.
The fendis … A-beowe quhare James can repar, … cryand in the ayre c1420 Wynt. i 1171.
In wyldernes, Quhar na man dare repayre na duelle, For het off swn ?a1450 Florimond 403.
Thair is he maist repairand ay, Bot quhen he passis to get his pray 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 108.
Thow sall haue ane air, That efter thé sall regn heir and repair c1460 Consail Vys Man 155.
Gyff thow in court be reparand, … be fair-farand 1513 Doug. vii i 88. Ib. xiii Prol. 51.
A gret flight of beys … gan alycht and repar On the hie top of this forsaid lawreir c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 198.
Till he come to quhair the nine did repair Id. Seven S. 5847.
Inuy and cheritie … can not in ane place repair 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 109.
Quhair evir the said Helen is knawin, or hes reparit thir mony yeiris bigane, sche … is reportit … to be a … witch

b. To repayre at, ? to attend, be present at. 1428 Liber Aberbr. II 58.
The said abbot sal haf ostillary … for al the tym of the said abbotis lyffyng as he repayris at consalis and assembilleis

c. In weakened sense: To remain or continue (in a state). c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 232.
Gif ȝe pleis to repair In lufes seruice, thairof nathing I rocht