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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Savo(u)r, n. Also: savoure, savoir, sawo(u)r(e, sawowre, saweoure, sawure; sauer, -ir, sawer; sauuour; saur, sawr; sair. [ME and e.m.E. sauur (Ancr. R.), sauueur (Cursor M.), sauer (Manning), safour, sauour (both c1315), sauor (14th c.), saueure, saueoure (both 1422), sauoure (Caxton), OF savor, saveur (c1130 and 1256 in Larousse), L. sapor.]

1. Flavour, taste. 1456 Hay II 140/33.
Claret wyne … chosin be the odour colour and savour 1490 Irland Mir. III 16/20.
Ole of the olive causis the watter to haue bettir sauour and gust

2. (A) smell, perfume, aroma.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii 275.
Of the cors com swet sawoure Ib. l 673.
With that thai feld a sweet sawor Ib. iii 850.
Saweoure Ib. xvi 130.
Sawure 1456 Hay II 138/25.
Sum [waters] may be knawin be thair weicht and hewe and be thair savoure as bryntstane 1490 Irland Mir. I 58/22.
Rosis, lilleis … and all manere of colouris, sauouris and precius odouris Ib. 145/26.
As the balme … als lang as it is includit in the boist makis na gret sauour 1513 Doug. v xi 95.
Quhat sweit savour and smel from hir spryngis a1586 Lindsay MS 39.
Pommes de pin … quhen thai ar new rype thai haue guid sauour 1587 Carmichael Etym. 7.
Nidor, a brint sauour 1596 Dalr. I 48/1.
Ambre … is … of a goldne colour and of a sueit sauor a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 772.
He let a fart farneyeir and is gon to sie quhat savour it hes the yeir 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 178.
With a strong senting savor [sc. of sulphur dioxide](b) 1494 Loutfut MS 22b.
And [in] the end [the Phoenix] passis til a gud tre and of gud sauuour [F. ondeur](c) a1497, 15.. Gray MS iv 38.
My wyne ȝard … Full of gude sawr and suetenes(d) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 156/177.
For sair [v.rr. savour, sawour; Asl. stynk] syne he did spitt 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 334.
Within few dayes na man durst com neir [the corpse] for evill sair(2) a1400 Leg. S. vii 705.
Persawand prowd sawoure thare Of sottyne flesche c1420 Wynt. i Prol. 126.
I seke the sawowre of that ros c1515 Asl. MS I 167/18, 19.
Men that liffis with the sawoure of quhyte apillis and deis quhen thai want that sawour a1500 Rois Garlandis 361.
And blist be thi haly neis that wes worthy to feill the hevinly sauour of thi barne Jesus 1505 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 107.
For till eschew the dishonesty and euil disposit savour thairof [sc. of tallow] a1570-86 Dunb. Maitl. F. 156/43.
Or beir my bodie ad tabernam Quhair I may feill the savour of drink 1551 Hamilton Cat. 206.
We smel with our neyse the savoir of breid and wyne 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5668.
Sawer 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 6.
Sic as caill and growand treis, moist heuie sauer of lynt, hemp [etc.] 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 63.
Be the sauir of ȝour end [= breath] 1599 Edinb. B. Rec. V 258.
That thai rynd nor melt na talloun or craklingis quhair the savour thairof may cum to the hie streitis(b) a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1719.
Ye are like the pipers dog the [sic] smels the saur of a feast a far of

b. In fig. context. 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 400.
Our prelates … apprehendit … Paull Craw … & maid ane sacrifice of him … And findand the sawour of this sacrifice fragrant and smelland, thay tuke … mony ma quha … war cuttit of be the fyre a1634 Forbes Rec. 522.
The book … intituled, ‘A Declaration of the Just Causses of his Majestie's Proceedings against these Ministers … ’, a birth … fitlie … representing the father, and a fruit carryeing the kyndlie savour of the trie

3. fig. In various uses deriving from 1 or 2 above. a. A positive or sustaining feeling. b. A characteristic or indicator of a quality, state, etc.a. 1490 Irland Mir. I 45/30.
Thinkand one his dolorus passioune … thar is causit in thi hert ane merwalus sueitnes and sauour that liftis thé aboue all waurldly thingis to comfort and strenthe the curageb. 1490 Irland Mir. III 16/2.
Of the balme that … betakynnis the odour and sueit sauour and smelling of gud fame … of the persoune a1599 Rollock Wks. I 395.
The gospell … sall … be unto thee ane savour of life unto life, or ane savour of deith unto deith