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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
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Winter, Wynter, n.¹ Also: wintir, -ar(e, vinter, -ir, wyntir, -yr(e, -ar, -re, vyntere, -ir, -yr, wontir, venter, wintter, -ar, vintter, winthir. [ME and e.m.E. wintre (c1200), winterr (Orm), winter (Ancr. R.), wynter (Wyclif), wintir (Trevisa), wyntir (c1450), OE winter, MLG, MDu. winter.]

1. Winter, the season of the year. Also personified.(a) 1312 Facs. Nat. MSS II xix.
Ad festum Sancti Martini in hyeme [gl. wyntir] c1400 Troy-bk. i 440.
Scho couth als gere the woddis grene That spoilyt had in wynter bene c1420 Wynt. i 1406.
Sex moneth off wyntyre [C. wyntyr, W. winter] ay Wytht-in that yle is ythand nycht 1456 Hay (Glenn) III 102/25.
In thai bathis suld be gude precious herbis and wele sauourand in thair sesoun—that is … in winter, with herbis that ar of hate nature 1465 Liber Dryburgh 278.
Vyntere 1491 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 327.
To be payit ȝerly … at … Vitsonday and Mertymes in vinter c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 174/16.
So nixt to summer winter bein 1513 Doug. ii viii 59.
The edder … Quham wynter lang hyd vnder the cald erd c1535 Reg. Soltre 214.
Candelmes the quhilk is callit the deid of vinter 15.. King Berdok 7.
In to winter quhen the frostis ar fell He dwelt for cauld in till a cokkill schell 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II 339.
For candill to the pann all the yeir in winter 1571 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. 3 Ser. I 390.
Vintter 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 1025.
When that gowne comes hame agane, Winter salbe butt wind and raine c1650 Spalding I 53.
Lying sore tormentit, and wiry oppressit with hunger, cold [etc.] … wanting fyre, candle [etc.] … in the deid of wynter(b) 15… Newbattle Chart. (Copy of Contract 2 Feb. 1329-30) (Reg. H.).
Venter(c) a1568 Bann. MS 249b/17.
In somer quhen thair growis na flour on fold In wontir quhen thair fallis na frost rymepersonified c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1648.
Quhen that herwist … was passed … And Wyntir his nixt nychtboure by … had the treis … dispulȝeit Of thare faire flouris a1500 Henr. Fab. 1706 (Bann.).
Syne cumis wer, quhen wintare is away, The secretare of somer with his seill 1528 Lynd. Dreme 91.
The small fowlis … said: blyssit be Somer, with his flouris, And waryit be thow, Wynter, with thy schouris

b. (Baith) somer and winter (winter and somer), all the year round. See Somer n. 1 c for further examples. a1400 Leg. S. xxii 3.
Wyntyre 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 82.
[They] sall keyp ther guydis of the grownd of Saba, beyth summyr and winthir

2. Denoting a particular winter. 1375 Barb. iv 338 (C).
In [Rauchryne] … [he] Lay till the vyntir [E. wynter] neir wes gane 1398–9 Liber Melros 489.
The feste of Sancte Martine in winter of the sam yhere c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1950.
Thai herd say the Grekes oft In that ilk wyntir ware purpost In thare cuntre to pas but dreid c1420 Wynt. viii 2686.
He … bade all wyntyr at Dwmfermlyne 1456 Hay (Glenn) III 85/42.
For and men wist be the constellaciouns … that it suld be a calde wynter this ȝere next tocum men wald [etc.] 1457 Reg. Dunferm. 344.
At the Martinmes in vyntyr next folowand the datis of this present vryt c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 118.
Thow lay full prydles in the peis this somer … Bot now in winter for purteth thow art traikit 1535 Stewart 11664.
In euerie port and raid Quhair all his schippis in that winter baid a1578 Pitsc. I 303/4.
He raissit ane great airme in the tyme of wintar and passit to the wast border 1602 Conv. Burghs II 148.
The comoun mylns … war … fallen doun be the gritt spaittis quhilk had bene this last wynter 1631 Innes Sketches 514.
To stay in this toun a good part of this vinter 1655 Glasgow B. Rec. II 319.
That the samein be done … dureing the inshewing winter

3. Put for year, chiefly pl. without inflection.uninfl. pl. 1375 Barb. xiii 717.
That wes efter that the gud king Robert wes broucht till his ending [Sex] and fourty winter a1400 Leg. S. xvi 890.
I ame scho … That here the thretty vintir ay Til al men has vnkennyt bene c1420 Wynt. iv 1093.
Four hundyr vyntyr and fyfty And twa … Befor the … natyvyte c1420 Wynt. vi 594.
Constantyne … kyng wes … Fyftene wyntyr in Scotland 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 36.
Ony man beand within eld of xxi wynterpl. a1500 Colk. Sow ii 138.
Hir aige I hald of sevin scoir of winteris heild

4. attrib.Occurring in winter; characteristic or representative of winter; produced or made use of in winter. Also proverb.(1) 1375 Barb. v 1.
In ver, quhen wynter tid With his blastis hidwys to bid Was ourdrywyn 1375 Barb. ix 195.
Thai wald ly in-to the plane The wynter sesone a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 345.
Eftyre sown the blud fel Als clere of hyre as of a wel As dois watir one wyntir day c1400 Troy-bk. i 445.
In wyntre-tyd a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 39.
To cut the winter nicht and mak it schort I tuik ane quair 1513 Doug. i xi 103.
The son into the wyntir [Ruddim. wintir] tyde Hastis in the sey sa fast his hede to hyde 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 6.
Bryght Phebus … Kythyng no syng of heyt be hys vissage, So neir approchit he his wyntir stage 1533 Bell. Livy II 143/24.
Resson suld persuade that the knichtis and men of armes be fre during the wynter sessoun to returne to thare houssis 1568 Buch. Indict. 36.
Returnand to Jedburcht one ane schort wynter day 1579–80 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 141.
To by sax lampis for seruing in the kirk in the wynter tyde 1599 Aberd. B. Rec. II 181.
Dyvers … of the inhabitantis of this burght ar grytumlie intrest in the wynter day throw the … hoillis in the said calsey(2) 1375 Barb. iii 387.
He thocht he to Kyntyr wald ga … Till wynter wedder war away 1533 Bell. Livy II 143/5.
Snawis and wynter stormes 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I 71.
For the furnessing of the collis to the tolbuyth in the winter cessioun 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 333.
For the wintir marcattis fra viii houris on the morning to ellevin houris befoir none 1660 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 222.
Ane pairt thereof being winter warke, quhilk will not bind so fast as neid wer this winter 1683 Inv. in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS) 3 (9-10 May).
A winter landskep in a black gilded framefig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 353.
We may sing upon luck's-head beforehand, even in our winter-storm, in the expectation of a summer sun, at the turn of the year(3) 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 188.
Our parkis and pasture … reseruyt to the abbay, safe the wynter pastur 1533 Boece 117b.
In the nixt somer Vespasiane bringing his armye fra thare wynter schelis preparit ane expedicioun apoun Scottis and Pichtis 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 137.
Villiem Unis granttis hyme awnd to Cuthtbert Curror ane wynter scheip vith the profettis 1546 Treas. Acc. IX 24.
Tua elnis and ane half pyle gray to be him ane wyntar gonn 1555 Edinb. Old Acc. I 130.
To Thomas Hall, javallor, for guidling of the winter collis … xx s. a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlviii 33.
Off all thir thre hewis I haif left clewis, To be oure court-men wintter weid 1583 Reg. Privy C. III 602.
He is compellit … to hald ane winter hird to keip his cattell furth of the said wod 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 110.
Ane winter slape for corne 1617 Montgomery Mem. II 262.
The compter charges him with all the kane buttir payit in the said barony … And the winter buttir 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 364.
The winter-well will go dry again in summer 1649 Sc. Lore 275.
For 2 hundereth winttar peirisproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1356.
Sche is not sa pure as she peips, sche hes a mouse to her winter kitching

b. possess. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 64.
Efter that I the lang wynteris nycht Hade lyne walking

c. comb.With winter as an agent. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii 71.
A roofe to my winter-blasted lodging