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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Weltir, Walter, Woltir, v. Also: weltyr(e, -er, velter, ueltre, waltir, valtir, waulter, wolter. [ME and e.m.E. weltre (Cursor M.), waltre (c1350), walter (c1375), welter (?a1400), weltyr (c1425), MDu. welteren, MLG weltern; frequentative of Welt v.]

1. intr.Of the motion of water, esp. waves: To roll, surge, toss. Also fig.(a) 1375 Barb. iii 700.
Wawys … brekand war Weltryt [1571 Walterand] as hillys her and thar a1400 Leg. S. xlii 306.
A gret hyl … Brak owt in fyre & brynt don, Weltrand, as [it] a borne had bene c1400 Troy-bk. i 457.
The see To weltyre in wawis 1513 Doug. i ii 55 (Sm.).
The huge wallis welteris upoun hie Rowit at anis with stormis of wyndis thre(b) 1591-2 Rob Stene 17.
Surgis of the see, Walterand as montanis hudge & hie(c) 1587-99 Hume 28/83.
Calme is the deepe … se … The wals that woltring wont to be, Are stablefig. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2955.
The watter is the warld, ay welterand [Bann. walterand] With mony wall of trubulatioun 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1989.
This warld walteris as dois the wallie sey a1570-86 Maitl. F. 422/101.
Ȝour foirbearis … bittar blastis ay buir with breistis bald Luit wanweirdis wirk and walter as thai wald Thair hardie hartis … wald newir fald 1594 Charteris Wall. Pref. 170.
All fantasies and perrilles welterand thus in his mynde 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 86/180.
Diuers passions … That walters in her thought

b. Of a person or ship: To be rolling or tossing, to toss on the sea. c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 24.
We pullit vp saile, and furth oure wayis went. Vpon the wawis weltering to and fro c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1460.
The ark … lay fleittand on the flude; Welterand amang the stremes wode 1560 Rolland Seven S. 566.
Vpon the sey thay sufferit greit perrell, … Walterand with wind out throw the mudy wawis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1435.
This empreour … signifyis a mannis persoun That walteris betuix wynde and waw Into this warld ay vp and doun

2. Of a person, etc.: To roll about (on the ground), to writhe, toss, move involuntarily in pain, anguish or sleeplessness; also to wallow in one's blood or (fig.) in sin, etc.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 954 (A).
This howlat … degradit fra grace for his gret pryde … He welterit, he wrythit, he waryit the tyde, That he was wrocht in this warld 1460 Hay Alex. 3944.
Sa gret ane multitud … Off wourthy men ly walterand on the grene Sum dede, sum woundit in thare dedly thraw a1500 Henr. Fab. 1524.
The lyoun … For all his strenth he couth mak na remeid Welterand [Bann. Voluand] about with hiddeous rummissing a1500 Sir Eger 1612.
Gray-steel unto his death thus thrawes, He walters and the grass updrawes c1500 Crying of Play 80.
Fyve quhailis … croppin war in hir geig … Walterand amang the wair c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 213.
Than ly I walkand for wa and walteris about c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark ix 19.
He was thrawn doun to ground, and weltrit [W. walewid; L. volutabatur] and fomet 1535 Stewart 33158.
Mony knycht wes killit … La deid that da walterand wnder his hors 1535 Stewart 37462.
So greit terrour in his mynd he tuke, That all that nycht he wolterit and he woik c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 770.
Upon his heid till he fell doun, Welterand intill ane deidlie swoun c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1540.
Quhalis … Stickit on stobbis amang the treis And quhen the flude was decressand, Thay wer left welteryng on the land c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxv 14.
I, waltering lyk ane wofull wicht, Still walking in my bed I lay(2) 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. 345.
The compleaner … wes lying waultering and fainting in his bloodfig. 1584 Melvill 175.
Filthie swyne waltring in the foull pudle of thair abominable vyces a1599 Rollock Wks. I 444.
We wer … then worbling and waltering in our awin sinne and filthines

b. Of an animal: To roll (oure, on his bak). 1460 Hay Alex. 14281, 14282.
Ane serpend … walterit on his bak And oft-tymes walterit oure and changit hew a1570-86 Scott in Maitl. F. 296/80.
Quhone ȝe claw thair wame Thai woltir [STS tummyll] oure lyk swyne 1662 Sc. Ant. XXII 232.
Janet Paton … having … lintseed sawn … Two of the said horses went in and weltered on the said lint

3. a. Of a serpent: To move on by rolling. b. Of a leaf, tears: To tumble, roll, fall doun. c. Of a person: To roll, tumble over (an obstacle).a. 1460 Hay Alex. 14286.
The serpend welterit on but mare abaid And till ane postrum … him ledb. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 290.
Yit sall be licht as leif of the lynd lest, That welteris doun with the wynd c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 439.
With that watteris myn ene and welteris doune terisc. 1604 Dundonald Par. Rec. 56.
Scho sav Pet Lovrie veltering over John Forgushillis yaird dyk to vin to his bak dur

4. tr.a. To overturn (a cart, etc.). Also absol.b. fig.or transf.To damage (gear). c. fig.To overturn, upset (a state of affairs, person); to toss to and fra, dislocate (a society). d. Of the sea: To overwhelm (a town).a. 1375 Barb. xi 25.
A litill stane … May ger weltyr [C. weltir] a mekill wayn 1513 Doug. vii x 50.
This cruell douchter of the ald Saturn The marbill hirst can weltir and ourturnabsol. 1583 Sempill Warning 5.
Ga rownd & sownd togidder vith the draucht And broid him baldlie that bydis nocht vith his marrows … Be trew to vthir and out vith him that tarrows Bot an ȝe valtir anis and cast the harrows Thai vill ovirsett ȝowb. 1463 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 21.
Johne Mawar wricht and seruand to the mylne … salbe leill … to the said fermorar … in the governance of the myle … and the said Johne … vesy thame daylie at thai walter nocht na behuifull thing to thame that he aucht to find and gif at thai walter acht in his default sa that thairthrow the myle be ydill and may nocht gang the said Johne sall amend that to the fermararis and skaith on his awin cost vtherwayes than effeiris thame to ly for mending af thame selff and … sall tell the fermararis gif the myln wantes anything … sa that thai may mak thame be menditc. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 436.
All is decayit, thy weird is welterit so 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 117.
Thar is na stait of thar stile that standis content … All wald haue vp that is dovn, Weltrit the went 1571 J. Maitland in Sat. P. xxvii 71.
Bewar we may be walteritt or we witt And … los our land and libertie a1578 Pitsc. I 23/22.
Quhill the cuntrie was walterit to and fra in this maner a1578 Pitsc. I 136/2 (I) (see Weltir n. (c)).
Waltir 1583 Cal. Sc. P. VI 477.
[Purposing thereon to persuade the King to] welter [this course and state]d. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 129/132.
The sea … Doth suallou up his flokkis & ueltre his tounes & makke thaime fall

5. a. To raise (water, the sea) into waves, to cause (the sea) to toss; to splash (water) vp. 1513 Doug. iii iii 90.
The wyndis weltris the sey … That huge wallis boldynnys apon loft 1513 Doug. iii x 25.
Kempand with aris in al our mane, Vp weltris watir of the salt sey flude

b. To roll (a stone). 1513 Doug. vi ix 183.
Sum weltris a gret stane vp the bra c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxvii 60.
He weltirit [W. walowid] … a gret staan to the dure of the beriele

c. To cause (trees) to fall doune. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 469.
Wrightis welterand doune treis