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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.

Swerar, Sweirar, Swearar, n. Also: swerer, -air, sweirer, swearer, suerar, sueirer, suirer. [ME suerere (Wyclif), swerere (Chaucer), swerare (Prompt. Parv.), swearer (1509), swerer (16th c.); Swer(e v.]

1. One who swears profane oaths; a habitual user of bad language. Also const. of (oaths).(1) a1538 Abell 66b.
He ordanit at thir sweraris horroblie suld be birnt in thare lippis with ane het irn 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 6.
That … thair be tane wp of euere swerar … quhilk is potent to pay siluer, for euere falt ane hardheid 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 223.
The woman [is] to be … punist civile as ane common bard, flytar, banner, suerar and fylthy person 1575 Reg. Soltre 229.
Gif ony of the beidmen be drukinsum, tuilyheouris, bannaris or sueraris 1581 (c1650) Dundee B. Laws 40.
That all good nytbors … have a box … hung above his board with ane palm hung therat for correcting the banners and swearers in ther oun domestick house 1591 Elgin Rec. II 20.
Sweararis 1597 Misc. Maitl. C. I 89.
That sum ordour be tane with the sweiraris and banneris within the toune and citie of Glasgw 1603 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 194.
That thair salbe in ewerie houss … a palmar, and the maister of the houss sall punish the suerar or bannar with the palmar 1649 Kingarth Par. Rec. 14.
Sueirers 1650 Dumfries Kirk S. 6 Jun.
Johne Cunyghame appoynyed to observe swearers in the streets the next Wedinsday 1657 Lanark B. Rec. 161.
The acts of parliament maid anent suirer [sic in pr.] and banner to be publisched 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 255.
The maid Campbell (being … a great curser and swearer) did … thrice imprecate the curse of God upon the child(2) 1564 Reg. Privy C. I 298.
Anent the sweraris of abhominabill aithis 1581 Acts III 212/1.
That censouris be appoyntit in the merkat places of all burrowis … with power to put the swerairis of sic abhominabill aithis in ward 1582 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 565.
That he be … nocht … ane sweirer of execrable aithes, ane drunkard, dysser, cairter [etc.]

2. One who swears an oath of obedience, etc. 1605 Melvill 609.
This then being the discipline sworne and subscryvit, dar any of the sweireris and subscryveris cum in the contrair thairoff 1639 Answer to Declaration made by James Marques of Hammilton 21.
Albeit by the meaning of the preseryver of an oath, the swerer were tacitly bound to maintaine episcopacie

3. One who administers an oath to another. 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. ii xxiii 2 (1699) 246.
An act is to be extracted upon their said absence, and is to be delivered to the swearer, or his clerk