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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.

Reward, -waird, n. Also: ra- and -warde, -vard(e, -vaird(e; -wart, -vart. [ME and e.m.E. reward (Manning), ONF reward (rewart, roward, etc.), OF regart, -d (c980 and c1280 in Larousse); Regard n.]

I. 1. Recompense or return made or received, without prior obligation, for services done, merit displayed, hardship undergone, etc.; a favour or gift so granted.There is probably some overlapping with senses b-d below.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xi 212.
That he mycht gaynand revard mak To thame that suthfaste fundyn war 1398 Acts I 211/1.
That he hafe powere to mak rewarde of all eschetis … to thaim that makis swylk dissert c1420 Wynt. v 2836.
Syne to Cryst, thi werray lard, Thow sall mak sa gud rewarde, That [etc.] 1434–5 Reg. St. A. 424.
Hafand consideracioun to mak the said Waltyr reward therfor a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1354.
Heir mak I thé reward, as I haue resoune(2) a1400 Leg. S. ii 658.
And als this Senek forthirward For his trawell asskit reward 1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 20.
For vs thynk it is lytill rewarde till vs till have [etc.] ?1438 Alex. i 554.
Thow sall thank haif of the king, And grete reward for thy ganging c1420 Ratis R. 54.
Sua that fortone and infortowne Is reward or [MS of] punyscione c1460 Regim. Princ. 270 (Maitl.).
Law hes maid straitlie inhibitioun … To tak rewarde for doing of iustice a1500 Henr. Fab. 2668.
As pyne for sin, reward for werkis rycht a1500 Bernardus 224.
A mane to lach at ioculatouris fantasy … is rewarde to tham c1475 Wall. vi 396.
Gud reward he gart delyuer thaim [sc. heralds] thar a1500 Seven S. 2143.
Gret reward Thai haf hecht and gret renovne For to absolue the questioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 181/7.
For lang service rewarde is none 1533 Boece 68b.
Inducit be hope of lukir and rewarde 1533 Gau 17/3. 1535 Stewart 36795.
Thay that wil noth … len to thayme in thair mister without okker mony or seruice or raward Id. Maitl. F. 371/36.
Rewarde in court is delt so ewin Sum gettis that mycht suffice sevin 15.. Dunb. App. iv 32.
Gif lytil rewarde be in wryting, Bettir war leif mypaper quhyte 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 171/20.
Revarde a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 670.
Houpe of rewarde causes paine to seme pleasand(b) a1500 Rauf C. 960.
Than Schir Rauf gat rewaird to keip his knichtheid c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 206/2.
Off every asking followis nocht Rewaird, bot gif sum caus war wrocht 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 68.
I sall get princely rewaird, The quhilk, to me, sall be mair glore 1540 Id. Sat. 3488 (Ch.).
God askis na rewaird fra vs againe, Bot luife for luife 1560 Rolland Seven S. 327.
Of ȝour gude grace rewaird I seik no moir Bot ȝour ane sone to haue in gouerning a1568 Scott xxvi 62 (Bann.).
But gwerdoun genȝeild or rewaird [ed. regaird] ?1593 Reg. Morton I 186.
The king … at my earnist sute and desyre and revaird for my seruice hes becumit mair resonabill nor ȝour desert deseruis 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xix 3.
Must I wnpittied still remain, But regaird, or rewaird — ?a1450 Florimond 286.
And thai … Sall have the less revaird of me(c) 1518 Aberd. B. Rec. I 95.
That nane … haue … licens to saill … out of the port … for na maner of request nor revart(3) 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 395.
Hir majestie … wes willing to haif gevin to him sum memor of reward(4) c1420 Ratis R. 1017.
Thow sal nocht fail a gud revard 1456 Hay I 139/22.
Bot ȝit … be naturale kyndenes he is behaldin till him in ane als gude rewarde cummand of curtasy and kyndenes, suppos it may nocht be clamyt of dett a1500 Seven S. 703.
The king … till his medicinar gart bring Rewardis that full worthy ware 1513 Doug. xii ix 48.
Rewardis of rich folkis war to hym onknaw 1533 Boece 259.
His assistantis in grete nowmer corruptit be buddis and rewardis 1547 Cal. Sc. P. I 11.
With thaire litele ravard onto fryndis 1551 Hamilton Cat. 10.
For lufe of rewardis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3801.
Ȝe sall haue ane gude rewaird of vs 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Merces, ane rewaird(5) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1203 (C).
Vlixes The which for the reward soothly Wpone no maner was worthy 1488 Treas. Acc. I 103.
To George of Dowglas, for the kingis rawarde on Vphaly da, to his basing, vj demys 1490 Ib. 132.
To the harroldis for the kingis rawarde on Payce da c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 119/15.
The labour lost and liell service … And the lytill rewarde agane 1513 Doug. iv viii 43.
Beseik hym grant ontil his wrachyt lufe This lattir reward sen algatis he wil fle 1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. 49/14.
God … promises the kingdome of heavin for the revaird of gude workes 1580-92 James VI Lusus Reg. 16.
Reuairde 1607 Bk. Islay 122.
The present demandit rewaird is baith meane and ressonable(6) c1420 Ratis R. 42.
Na gud fortone can I nan see Bot his reward for gud buntee 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 2029.
This sall be thi rewarde a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1245.
Ilkane be werk and be will Is worth his rewarde c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 129/34.
Suppois that my rewarde be small 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8966.
Was neuer … menstrell sa blyith of his rewaird, As was Lodwik a1568 Maitland Bann. MS 13b/154.
A dissaver no cravar Off his reward sowld be 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 54.
Thair stude befoir him to be his rewaird being vanquischer, ane quene a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 129/117.
Our trew rewaird … Quhilk our Lord God prepairis for his awin

b. Remuneration; a source of gain.(1) 1456 Hay I 8/18.
The Apostolis … thai tuke na rentis na rewardis that men wald geve thame, bot anerly almous dede a1500 Seven S. 2341.
He discoverit him till a masoun, And till him hecht gret reward And na expenses suld be spard … gif he [etc.] 1622-6 Bisset II 231/20.
Admirallis in tyme of wear may rig to schipis for to convoy … merchandis …, and to tak rewarde used and wount(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 19.
Flyting … is nowthir wynnyng nor rewaird Bot tinsale baith of honour and of fame

c. Something given as a token of good-will; something bestowed without being earned by the receiver. 1481–2 Misc. Spald. C. II 324.
Tyll say … meis tyll and for … Erylle Wylyam … for the rawarde gewyn till ws intyll gret myster c1515 Asl. MS I 221/8.
James [Douglas] … maid thaim all richt gret rewardis of wyne clathis [etc.] … and thai gaf thaim mantillis agane 1513 Doug. iii vi 222.
To my fader … Rych rewardis he gaif of hie parage Ib. vii iii h. of ch.
Quhou Eneas ambassatouris dyd send To Kyng Latyn with rewardis and commend a1568 Bann. MS 261b/5.
The silly lairdis … sendis thair wyvis … Weill stuffit with mony and rewairdis 1596 Dalr. I 267/34.
And the sam kirk he amplifiet with mony giftes and riche rewardes liberallie

d. Something offered by way of an inducement to virtue or co-operation with authority. 1491 Acts II 230/1.
And quhat persone That makis … knawlege [etc.] … to haf sufficient reward and remuneracioune of the kingis hienes 1527 St. P. Henry VIII IV 483.
Proclamationis … for the taking or slaying of the saidis misdoaris, and hes promisit gret guerdoun and reward tharefore 1551 Hamilton Cat. 9.
Comminatiouns of paynis aganis the brekaris of the haly dayis, with promis of rewardis to the keparis of the samyn

e. In the prep. phr. for (one's) reward, to (till) (one's) reward and in reward (of something performed), in various of the above senses.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii 689.
I ask for reward and med That … I the ded ma softly ta c1475 Wall. xi 389.
Scho wald nocht tell for bost nor ȝeit reward a1500 Colk. Sow iii 81. 1535 Stewart 26567.
To his gud sone for godfadirly reward — a1500 K. Hart 19.
Nature had lymmit folk, for thair rewarde, This godlie king to … gy 1527 Treas. Acc. V 321.
To Gilȝem, Francheman, … for his rewart at his away passing, xl li. 1535 Stewart 26635.
Colgernus, for his reward and hyre, Of tha landis tha maid him lord 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1545.
Lo heir the box … Thus may suffyice for our rewardis 1546–7 Ayr B. Acc. 100.
[To Leonard Clerk,] for his reward in the last pest, £10(2) 1394–5 Liber Aberbr. II 43.
He [sc. the mason] sal be payt of v marcis and a gown with a hude till his rauarde 1473 Treas. Acc. I 67.
To Irelande king of armis of Inglande … to his reward except his costis ordinare, xij li. c1475 Wall. ix 378.
To my reward I wald haiff gret gardoun 1490 Treas. Acc. I 132.
To the kwkis to thare rawardis … vj li. 1491 Acts II 230/2.
The scheware and reuelare tharof sall haf to his reward j^c markis worth of land a1578 Pitsc. I 71/3.
And his taker gat ane thowsand pund starling to his revaird Ib. II 32/28.
Your grace sould gif thame to revaird the same landis quhilk [etc.](3) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 965 (C).
In reward of hys laboure Cassandra … To hym they graunted haue frely — 1545 Douglas Corr. 156.
My copebairde off plate, quiche his hienes geif me in ravard, quhone I was imbassador laste in Loundon

f. Used ironically, when the ‘reward’ for service, etc., is non-recognition, or some form of deprivation or chastisement. a1578 Pitsc. I 6/24.
And quhat at last was thair [sc. the Stewarts] revarde 1611 Fugitive Poetry II ii 6/2.
O, vertues hard rewaird! — 1533 Bell. Livy 168/7.
Thai suld nocht haue ressauit sic meritis in rewarde of thare chevelrie — 1581 Sempill Sat. P. xliii 109.
To his rewarde he gat nane vther grace, Ingraitly baneist

2. Requital or repayment for wrongdoing; chastisement, punishment, retribution. c1400 Troy-bk. i 160.
And we sall help ane vthir day To mak reward a1500 Henr. Fab. 653.
Deid is reward off sin and schamefull end 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 286.
The kyngis fule, … For his rewarde, gat the grand gore 1535 Stewart 60388.
This Makdonald than sic reward [sc. the gallows] he gat 1567 G. Ball. 17.
Feill thow than sin … Or thy rewaird salbe in hell 1622-6 Bisset II 389/5.
Ȝit the … devysare thairof he gat his awin deserved rewaird uthirwyse unluiked for a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 607.
God mak yow reward as freir Flek said when he was cairted through the toun

II. 3. Heed, regard. Once only, in the phr. to give rewaird to (something).Cf. ME and late ME in this sense (1338–1470). Cf. also Regard n. 2. a1500 Rauf C. 650.
Bot to his raifand word he gaue na rewaird