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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CONTRAIR, CONTRAR, Contrare, adj., adv., prep., n., v. [kən′tre:r, ′kɔntrər]

1. adj. Opposite, contrary, opposed, perverse (Bnff.², Abd.¹⁹, Fif.¹, Lnk.³ 1937).Knr. 1895 “H. Haliburton” Dunbar in Mod. Sc. 52:
Critics are a contrar' kind.Lnk. 1869 A. Wallace Sk. Life and Char. (1872) 104:
I'll no say that dreams are ay contrair, an' I only wish yours may come true.Slk. 1818 Hogg Brownie of Bodsbeck, etc. II. 254:
Weel, this scene, sae contrair to a' nature, didna end here.

2. adv. In a contrary way; in the wrong way (Bnff.², Abd.¹⁹, Fif.¹⁰, Lnk.³ 1937).Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 80:
Ane his ain Gate explain'd a Text, Quite contrair to his Neighbour next.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. x.:
If the king on the throne were at the gate . . . his ten fingers should never open it contrair to the established use and wont of the family of Ravenswood.Lnl. 1880 T. Orrock Fortha's Lyrics, etc. 261:
'Tis only we oorsel's, guidwife, Oor pairt oft contrar play.

†3. prep. Against.Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace i. 4–5:
The Baliol . . . did consent . . . To hold the Crown of Edward, contrair Right.Sc. 1802–3 Outlaw Murray in Minstr. Sc. Border (ed. Scott) I. 19:
Like as I wan them, sae will I keep them, Contrair a' Kings in Christentie.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 1:
How folk begoud to gowl and bark Contrair the Roman city.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) I. 238:
This man's contrair Scripture, I see.

4. n. The contrary, the opposite. Often in phrs. to the contrair, in the —. Known to Bnff.², Abd.⁹, Fif.¹⁰, Lnk.³, Kcb.⁹ 1937.Sc. 1727 P. Walker Remarkable Passages 132: 
[They] say the Contrair in their last joint dying Words.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xviii.:
I hae naething to say in the contrair.Abd. 1879 G. Macdonald Sir Gibbie II. viii.:
An' that's jist the contrar' . . . to what fowk maistly dis dee.Fif. 1894 J. Menzies Our Town 240:
I said nae sic thing, Mr Dron, seein' I kent to the contrair.Slk. 1824 Hogg Confessions Justified Sinner 296:
It is a great pity aye to do a thing an' profess the clean contrair.

5. v. To go contrary to, to oppose, to contradict (Fif.¹⁰, Lth. (per Lnk.³) 1937). Gen. spelt contrar when used as a verb.em.Sc. 1920 J. Black Airtin' Hame 155:
John . . . when “contrared,” to use an old-time expressive word, could uphold his own views with good effect.Edb. 1917 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's o' Solomon xxvii. 147:
Syne I'll be nane sweirt to contrar onybody, Wha wad daur to cast-up onything.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales II. 235:
Ye ken laith wad your mother be to contrair you i' ought, if she wist it war for your good.