A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Sparing, Spairing, vbl. n. Also: sparyng(e. [ME and e.m.E. sparynge (1377); Spar(e v.] The action of sparing, in various senses of Spar(e v. Also attrib.(1) 1375 Barb. viii 483.
Thar fayis … strak on thaim forowtyn sparing 1600-1610 Melvill 544.
Great unthankfullnes, committed … in the … governement, namelie, in spairing of Papistis, and giveing remissioune for murther(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 2571.
Thay had plente forout sparing … Of sik thing had thay na wanting — c1420 Wynt. v 5089.
Spend but sparyng [C. sparynge] a1500 Seven S. 837. 1685 Hay Fleming Six Saints I 111.
Sparing will not enrich him, and spending will not impoverish himattrib. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3171.
Sum tyme may chance a man spend mair Upon ane day, nor he may spair To spend in vther nyne … Put spairing dayis and thame togidder [etc.](3) 1635 Justiciary Cases I 235.
Without spairing of coist and charges for our jorney [etc.](4) 1612–13 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 564.
To John Crawfurd … for spairing ane peice grund … to the scolleris to play on
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Sparing vbl. n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/sparing>
