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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Sup(p)ar, -er, Soup(p)ar, -er, n. Also: sup(p)are, -ere, suppair, -eir(e, -ir, -or, soup(p)ar, soupere, sowpar, -er, suipar. [ME and e.m.E. supere (c1275), soper (c1290), super (Cursor M.), sopper (c1305), soupere (Manning), souper (Wycl.), sopeer (Chaucer), suppere (c1400), supper (1533), OF souper (1155 in Larousse).]

1. Supper, the last meal of the day. a. In generalised use. b. In particularised instances. Also transf.Also, freq., as a formal social gathering or banquet.Cf. Rer(e)-sup(p)er n.a. 1456 Hay II 125/4.
For the metis that are tane in the mornyng has nocht sa gude help of the naturale hete as the metis that ar tane at evyn at the souper ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 128.
Befor the supper, Think how Jesu, lord of all the warld, wes fed with virgin mylk a1538 Abell 50b.
Thai ga to thare pleuch … continuallie quhill the supir swerand and blasphemand Godb. c1420 Wynt. vi 2002.
As sone as hys supere [C. suppar, W. suppere] wes dycht c1420 Wynt. vii 2998.
This Schyre Willame … That nycht wes layte at the supare [: Forfare; C. supar] Wyth the Qwene 1491 Treas. Acc. I 172.
To the king before the super and efter, xx vnicornis, ix li. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxiii 6.
And thai luf the first sitting placis in superis [W. sopers, P. soperis] c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke xiv 16.
A man made a gret supere [W. souper, P. soper] and callit mony 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 3 Oct.
For a littil fresche sket to the servandis denners & supers(b) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1149.
Quhil the segis war set to the suppere a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 359.
Ane chyld come fra the hall, To warne Cresseid the supper was reddy a1500 Prestis of Peblis 852.
The kings stewart cummin is To haue the king to his supper 1511–12 Treas. Acc. IV 332.
To botismen … to bring candill and necessaris to the maister cuik for the kingis suppair in the gret schip 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 356.
For playing in the gret schip becaus the quein was thair at the suppair 1517 Treas. Acc. V 157.
To Schir Johne Hamyltounis futband at thair agane cumin in Soutray for thair supper thare 1535 Stewart 8069.
Scho gaif his supper of ane gudlie gyis 1535 Stewart 56057.
Suppeir 1551 Acts II 487/2.
The hostillaris to tak ane ressonabill price for ane manis dennar and suppar 15.. Clar. iv 2582.
Suppeire [: maneire] 1562–3 Treas. Acc. XI 251.
For expensis maid … in disionis, dennaris, supparis, and collationis a1578 Pitsc. I 324/21.
The king … gart wairne the cuikis and stewarttis to mak his supper redy be foure houris 1600-1610 Melvill 75.
I haiff sein him oft find fault with lang denners and suppers at Generall Assemblies 1601–2 Mill Mediæv. Plays 306.
For the stageplayaris suppouris that nicht thaye plaid to the towne c1610 Melville Mem. 399.
At ther first entre within the palice, I was sitting at the yssin of our supper with my Lord Duc of Lenox 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 35.
For thair suppors in Dumbartane 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 37.
To the maisones at the laying of the first cunyie of the tour for thair suppouris 1674 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 25 Feb.
Six shilling for thrie suppers(c) a1500 Henr. Orph. 523.
And he [sc. Tantalus] to the soupere [Asl. supar] Slewe his awin sone c1475 Wall. ix 1329.
Sowper 1506 Treas. Acc. III 208.
To the botemen that brocht … the maister cuke with the kingis souper fra the schip to Maij c1520-c1535 Nisbet John xxi 20.
The ilk discipile … quham Jesus luvit, quhilk alsa restit in the souper [P. soper] on his breest 1531 Bell. Boece I lv (see c (6) below). 1531 Bell. Boece I lx.
And nocht allanerly may surfet dennar and sowper suffice us … bot als to continew our schamefull and immoderit voracite with duble dennaris and sowparis(d) ?1552–3 Balcarres P. 312.
Madame, all the ordor that I had is tain fra me bot my denner and my soupper orderit with Barb and Hagal 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II 101.
For thar soupper on Satterday 1588 Cal. Sc. P. IX 648.
[I] shalbe verie laithe in grace of God to lippin ether my denner or soupper to that maiter in caice I should die for hungar(e) 1621 Maxwell Mem. I 325.
For Mr. Johne's suipar and my awintransf. c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 106.
The turcumis of hir taill … Mycht be ane supper till ane sow

c. Without article, possessive or demonstrative.Usually, with prep. or prep. phrase. Also, in verb phrase, and without verb or prep.(1) a1500 Rauf C. 221.
The Coilȝear tald mony sindrie taillis efter suppair 1506 Treas. Acc. III 338.
To the king to play at the cartis eftir none and eftir soupir, iij li. xj s. vj d. 1562-3 Winȝet I 84/23.
Quhy mak ȝe ȝour communioun afoir dennar, sen our Saluiour institutit His haly sacrament efter suppare 1604 Perth Kirk S. in Spottiswoode Misc. II 282.
There was a number of young women and lasses after supper in the [Sunday] evening found … dancing 1612 Reg. Privy C. IX 313.
[They] being efter supper betuix nyne and ten of the clok going furth at the Nethir Bow poirt to thair beddis(2) c1475 Wall. viii 1180.
[They] to souppar went, and tymysly thai slepe c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 872.
This squyer and the ladie gent Did wesche, and then to supper went 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 543.
The lordis being callit to suppar be Boithuile at his house 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 133.
I departit to supper 1613 Conv. Burghs II 430.
The Maister of the Consergerie sall send his servand with candill and lanterne to fetch his merchants to supper … quhen the mone schynes nott(3) 1535 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 409.
Ane nychtis lugeing with supper and dynner to the bischop(4) 1598 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 15 May.
His majestie desgunit in Halyruidhous and dynit in Smettoun and com to Halyruidhous bak for supper 1663 Misc. Maitl. C. II 499.
For super at Leith with the Bishops of Aberdeine, Caithnes conforme to ane accompt of particulars [£5 18 s.](5) 1608 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 520.
At noone kaill and eggis herring and thrie course of fische … or the equivalent thairof in breid and milk fryouris … at supper sicklyke 1663 Misc. Maitl. C. II 503.
For aile bread and pippines at supper to thair lordships and thair servantis [19 s.](6) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke xiv 17.
He send his seruand in the hour of super [W. souper, P. soper] to say … that thai suld cum 1531 Bell. Boece I lv.
Our eldaris … disjunit airly in the morning with smal refectioun, and sustenit thair liffis thairwith quhil the time of sowper … At the sowper thay war mair large(7) 1559 Cal. Sc. P. I 278.
Then he said … ye wil tary soupar with me a1578 Pitsc. I 186/29.
Quhen supper was done(8) 1531 Bell. Boece I lx (see 1 b (c) above). 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 50b.
xii mene dener and super v s. the mane a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1047.
Licht supper, lang lyfe

d. To supper, intended to be eaten as supper, for supper. 1652–3 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIII 417.
To supper a dish of nipes cost 10 s. 1671 Sc. Hist. Rev. LXI 152.
To swpper a paire of rabits

e. attrib. 1680 Stitchill Baron Ct. 87.
6 sh. as the pryce of 27 herring for supper kitchen

2. specif. a. The Last Supper.(1) a1450 Fifteen Ois 19.
Quhan that the last supper wes maid(2) a1400 Leg. S. iii 362.
At His laste super sine sad He … ‘Ane of ȝou betrese me sall' a1500 Rois Garlandis 89.
[Christ] at His last supper maid the sacrament in forme off breid and wyne a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 113/23.
This sacrament … is bot ane syng and takin … of the body and bluid of our saluiour, Sayand in His last suppar [etc.](3) a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 115/21.
In the evangelis, quhair mencione is maid of the lettar suppar of the lord a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 117/10.
The sacrament … is ane figure of our lordis body, giffin be hyme in the lettar suppar 1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. 45/2.
Our Lord Jesus Christ … said in the latter supper, tak eat, this is my body(4) 1569 St. A. Kirk S. 320.
According to Christis institutioun in His lettir supper(5) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 1108.
That I be mad syne partenere With thame of that haly supare(6) 1567 G. Ball. 6.
Efter the same maner also, he tuke the coupe, quhen the supper was done

b. The Lordis super (the super of the Lord (Jesus), etc.), the sacrament of the Eucharist; the service of Communion. Also, (Christ's) haly supar.Also, in presbyterian use from the late 16th c., simply the super.(1) c1520-c1535 Nisbet 1 Cor. xi 20.
Tharfore quhen ye cum togiddire into aan, now it is nocht to ete the Lordis supere [W. sopere, P. soper] 1597 Stirling Kirk S. in Misc. Maitl. C. I 127.
The present assemblie thinkis meit that the Sacrament of the Lordis Supper be ministrat [etc.] 1599 Lett. Jas. VI to Bruce 286.
To ministrate the lords supper 1649 Brechin Presb. 15.
That cair be taken to debar from the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper not only such as are ignorant [etc.] 1658 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 177.
The Lord's Super, … ane necessarie and commandit duetie to be done in remembrance of the Lords passioun(2) 1560 Conf. Faith in Acts II 532/2.
The supper or table of the Lord Jesus callit the communion of his body and his blude a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 139/31.
Mencione is made [sc. in the Gospels] of the supper of the Lorde 1584 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. VI 114.
Upon the last Sabbathe of the ouk immediatlie following the exerceise of fasting, the Super of the Lord salbe ministrat, efter that just tryell and examination haid passed befor 1602 Colville Paraenese 56.
The form hou the supper of the lard suld be administrat(3) a1568 Dunb. Bann. MS I p. 9/43.
And of thy halye supper [OUP hie eucarist] for my sin recompence(4) 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 9.
There is never a ceremonie quhilk Christ instituted in this supper, but it is als essential as the bread and the wine are 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 32.
In the supper, gif a man be ladened with ony burthen of sinne, without ane purpose to repent, he aught not to receave it 1602 Three Reformers 163.
The passion of Christ whilk is exhibited by … bread and wine in the supper