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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sward, n. Also: swarde, suard(e, swaird, suaird, swerd, suerd, soard, swarf(f, swarfe. [ME and e.m.E. swerd (14th c.), sward(e (Prompt. Parv.), OE sweard, MLG swarde, ON svörðr.]

1. Skin (of the head). a1400 Leg. S. xlv 227.
That iuge … gert tak hyre in teyne, & schawe hir heid to the suerd

b. The rind of bacon. Urquhart Rabelais iii xvii.
Porridge or wrinkled green coleworts, with a swerd of yellow bacon

2. The surface of the ground, also, specif., of a bog; the top layer of plant growth and soil; turf. Also with defining term.(1) 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 171.
They sal neuer cast … bot onder a fourhed, leuand a pairt of the mos in the ground and filland behynd tham with the sward of the mos 1531 Bell. Boece I 170.
For thay knew nocht the ground, and fell sometimes in swardis of mossis, and sum time in well-eys [L. in paludosos etenim viarum ignorantia anfractus & abruptas crepidines inciderant] 1584 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 87.
That … na nychtbouris that layes middings on the lone and commounty brek the swaird or ground off the lone be hoiking upe thairoff 1619 Orkney Rentals App. 51.
That the kirk sward sall in no wayes be brokin quhill the burial silver be first payit 1665 Decis. Lords G. 103.
The said James has not only tilled the swaird of some parts which was never laboured before, but has over-limed it 1697 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 250.
By casting peits therein and breaking the sward(b) 1696 Donaldson Husbandry 115.
Digg up or delve your ground, at first about a foot deep: The soard of your ground throw the bottom of the furrow or trench, and if there be any weeds or stones in it, gather them out(2) 1513 Doug. vi iii 65.
A payr of dowis … on the grene sward thar place tuke law

b. Swaird (soard) of grass(e, a dense covering of grass, turf. 1664 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 352.
That there wes neir half ane aiker of ground tirrd in the foir mure quhilk would not come to swaird of grasse againe for many yeirs 1696 Donaldson Husbandry 118.
Now the manner of setting or planting them [sc. potatoes] is thus, the ground whereon they are set must be dry, and so much the better it is, if it have a good soard of grass

c. (Grassy) turf; meadow, meadowland; ? rough grassland.(a) 1500 (1511–12) Reg. Great S. 797/2.
Una cum acra de le suard vel medow pro pastura animalium c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 520.
The sueit savour of the sward, [M. swarde and] singing of foulis, Myght confort ony creatur of the kyn of Adam 1513 Doug. vi x 25.
Ontil a plesand grond cummyn ar thai With battil gyrs, fresch herbys and beyn swardis [Ruddim. grene swardis] 1513 Doug. vi xi 11.
He persavys … cumand throu gresy sward Hys derrest son 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 44.
With frostis hair ourfret the feldis standis Seir bittir bubbis, and the schowris snell, Semyt on the sward a symylitude of hell 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 178.
The dewy greyn, pulderit with daseis gay, Schew on the sward a cullour dapill gray 1533 Boece 55b.
Quhare sum tyme was ane porte … now it is stoppit be glar and rutis of wedis growin amang the slike. The watteris ar worne out and growin to swarde [Bell. Boece I 29, turnit in ane medo] and now sum parte thareof is erit land and beris corne, vthir parte … is fare medow and gers 1533 Boece 97.
Be … mos, slike and sward irksum to ane armye ȝoure regiouns aboundis 1569 Crail B. Ct. MS 17 April.
The said Maister Thomas gewis licence to the said Dauid to weynd thre rygis of his in the Sefeild vpoun the suarde of the Haly faldis 1569 Exch. R. XX 396.
Ad … terram subhumidam lie sward inter torrentem et viam curialem(b) 1598–9 Reg. Great S. 284/1.
Lie Elie-law et totum lie swarf ei adjacen[tem] 1603 Reg. Great S. 524/2.
Lie swarff, wrak et wair eisdem adjacen[tibus]

d. attrib. With Erd(e n. 2 (yird, etc.) and Ground n. 2: (An area of) turf, grassland, ? rough grazing. 1541 Reg. Great S. 565/1.
Marresiam de Farneis et lie swarde-yird ejusdem 1567 Reg. Privy S. V ii 361/2.
Lie suard erd et marresiis de Fairnyis 1614 Retours II Inq. Spec. Fife (1557).
Lie myir de Fernye et suairdȝird ejusdem 1634 Reg. Great S. 19/2.
Prata de Auchtermuchtie cum eorum terris tam arabilibus quam non arabilibus lie sward-eardis 1641 Acts V (1817) 604/1.
All and haill … landis alsweill arrable as vnarrable the swaird yeardis within the forsaid boundis 1654 Retours II Inq. Spec. Fife (1591).
The lands of Ballinblae … with loning and swaird eard 1670 Urie Baron Ct. 90.
No tennant … sall … cast wp any suard ground or meddow ground for midding feall 1685 Acts VIII 495/1.
To … delve up corn ground, meadow ground or suard ground

3. fig. Surface; outer layer, as contrasted with inner core. a1599 Rollock Wks. II 501.
A man without faith is as an empty vessel, … his joy is light, and proceeds only from the swarfe of the soul a1599 Rollock Wks. II 609.
We may not settle upon the swarf of the heart but the heart must … be lanced deeply