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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DAUR, Dar, Daar, v.¹, n. Sc. forms of Eng. dare, used with St.Eng. meanings. [dɑ:r, dǫ:r]

1. v.

(1) Present and Past Tenses. Pa.t. daured, etc., durst, the latter only in the sense of “ventured” as in Eng. The neg. is gen. formed by the addition of the particle -na. As in Eng., the pres. is sometimes carelessly used for the past. Conversely the pa.t. durst (neg. durs(t)na) is still sometimes used for the pres. (Bnff.², Abd.⁹, Ags.¹⁷, Fif.¹³, Slg.³, Edb.⁵, Kcb.¹ 1941). Gen.Sc., but Cai.⁷ (1940) gives as obsol.Sc. a.1714 in Earls of Crm. (ed. Fraser 1876) II. 486:
When non dard approach to it for the flames, he boldly entred it and caryed out Lovit's chartor cheist.Sc. 1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped (1887) xxiv.:
You dursn't say it to my face.Sh.(D) 1918 T. Manson Humours Peat Comm. I. 58:
Dey wir juist wan thing at Betty daared me ta du, an dat wis ta tak brooncaidies.Ork.(D) 1880 Dennison Sketch Bk. 13:
Ye auld impident slut, says Maudie, hoo dar' ye ca' him a honest man?Bnff.(D) 1918 J. Mitchell Bydand 19:
A body dursna ventir furth bit fat they're owre the queets.Abd. 1895 G. Williams Scarbraes 43:
I maybe wadna be the waur o' a new gown or a new hat, but I durstna for Willie's sake.Abd.⁴ 1928:
They're far ahin' 'at daurna folla.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 13:
Sair't o the hull of Bennygoak
An scunnert o the ferm,
Gin I bit daar't, gin I bit daar't,
I'd flit the comin term.m.Sc. 1991 Tom Scott in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 41:
Owre forfochen, daurs me to be uprisan. Fif. 1894 (2nd ed.) D. S. Meldrum Story of Margrédel xiii.:
“The hussey daured me,” she said, “and denied what my ain een saw.”wm.Sc. 1986 Robert McLellan in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 28:
Ye're ower late, then, Janet. I daurna bide noo. Ye wad tak ower long. Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) I. 173:
For if Seaforth himself were here, A hair of's head you durst not steer.Ayr. 1786 Burns Halloween xiv.:
Ye little Skelpie-limmer's-face! I daur you try sic sportin.Wgt. 1990s:
Ah've daared her tae lose it! w.Dmf. 1912 A. Anderson “Surfaceman's” Later Poems 40:
An' siccan a fear was on ane an' a' That nane o' them daur to speak.Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.:
He darred me to fight him.

(2) Imperative. Used with the force of a conditional to imply an unfinished threat; usu. with pron. expressed. Known to Bnff.², Abd.², Fif.¹⁰ 1940.Abd.(D) 1894 G. Greig Mains's Wooin' (1909) 7:
But daur ye to bring hame ony o' thae young senseless jauds to be mistress at oor toon!Fif. 1900 “S. Tytler” Jean Keir xv.:
“Daur to file my door-step” she shrieked hoarsely.

†2. n. Daring, boldness. Obs. in Eng. since 16th cent. (N.E.D.). Bnff. 1871 Lonach Highlanders in Bnffsh. Jnl. (29 Aug.) 6:
A' those days o' daur and fechtin' Live in histry and the Past.

Comb. ¶bauld-daur, used attrib. = bold and daring, audacious.Dmb. 1868 J. Salmon Gowodean 2:
O dinna speak him ill, the bauld-daur wean.