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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Defendar(e, -er, n. Also: deffender. [ME. defender (c 1450). Cf. Defendour.]

1. A defendant at law.(a) 1429 Acts II. 17/2.
That … the kingis breifis … be nocht rasit … in the name or in the surname of the folowar or of the defendar 1545 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 116.
Gif the defendare be [nocht] reddy to ansuer at the call he sall be vnlawet 1622-6 Bisset I. 85/25.
In all actionis and pleyis, thrie persones ar necessare, … the judge, … the perseware, … the defendare 1642 Aberd. Sheriff C. III. 41.
The said defendar tuik ane coat hous and ane yeard … from the said persewar(b) 1574 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 434.
The saidis defenderis … callit and nocht compeirand, … [and] na exceptioun nor obiectioun maid in the contrar 1602 Crim. Trials III. i. 174.
Thairfoir the saidis Lordis assoilȝeis simpliciter the saidis defenderis 1622-6 Bisset II. 99.
The persewer will refer to the defenderis aytht a1646 Spotisw. Practicks 13.
As the said George could never have alledged this, no more can this defender 1674 Justiciary Ct. Rec. II. 281.
The defence is likeways relevant, the defender being the Earl's forrester

b. Appositive with party. 1558 Acts II 522/1.
The partie defendar … suld be warnit of the continewatioun 1561 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 24.
That certification sall procied agains all parties defendaris not comperand immediatly after the strikin of xi houres 1567 Acts III. 44/2.
Notwithstanding that thai attenit to the partie defendar … in als neir or nerrar degreis

2. A defender, protector, upholder. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 71/15.
That hæresie and the defendaris of the samin 1558-66 Knox II. 420.
Men … that makis thame selfis defendaris of the treuth a1568 Bann. MS. 242 a/233.
I sowld be … defendar of thair womanheid a1578 Pitsc. I. 276/20.
The principall defendaris of the realme 1622-6 Bisset I. 51/24.
We … haldis ws … nocht as favouraris of lymmeris, bot arare defendaris of oure realme