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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FOTHER, n., v. Also fothir (Sc.(E) 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms lxxii. 16), faather (Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 161), futher (Knr. 1891 “H. Haliburton” Ochil Idylls 63). Sc. forms of Eng. fodder, also found in n.Eng. dial. See D, 4.

I. n. Food for cattle and horses, specif. hay or straw (Ork., ne.Sc., Peb., Arg., Ayr., Dmf., Gall., Rxb., Uls. 1953); food in gen. Also attrib. and fig.Sc. 1724 Ramsay T.T.Misc. (1876) I. 27:
Crummie will want her fother.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 57:
His barns weel-stock't wi' best o' grain An' been stegh't fother lafts.Mry. 1806 J. Cock Simple Strains 120:
In came her Dad, in quest o' fother, To sup his naigies!Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. xxxi.:
The preaching I had fallen in with at the linn . . . was the first taste of gospel-fother that the scattered sheep of those parts had tasted for more than eight months.Uls. 1898 A. M'Ilroy Auld Meetin'-Hoose Green 77:
Can't ye gang tae the barn, whor ye'll no' dae ony great herm — barrin' ye scaur the kye frae their fother?Lnk. 1910 C. Fraser Glengonnar 50:
If it cam' a high win' some o' the halesame fother was blawn away.Ork. 1931 J. Leask Peculiar People 22:
“Na, boys, deus dee feet fill a' dat buits?” “Oh, na,” was the reply, “dere far ower big, bit I hae a air o' fother i' da taes.”

Hence fotherless, without food.Gsw. 1827 A. Rodger Peter Cornclips 182:
Your bairns a' in tatters, an' fotherless too.

II. v. 1. To feed cattle and horses with hay, straw, etc. (ne.Sc., Peb., Arg., Ayr., Gall., Rxb., Uls. 1953); to feed, in gen. Also fig. Hence vbl.n. fotherin, a feed(ing), phr. fotherin-time, feeding time; ppl.adj. futherin, fig., good at providing (Mry. 1910 Northern Scot (26 June)).Bte. 1707 Session Bk. Rothesay (1931) 247:
Interrogate whether he had upon this day fourteen days made any bargain with John M'Gown about the fothering a cow.Rnf. 1791 A. Wilson Poems 235:
An' whan the nights were dreary, lang, an' dark, The beasts a' fothert, an' the lads frae wark.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. xxii.:
[A] black ram . . . they had laid in Mysie's bed and keepit frae baaing with a gude fothering of kail-blades.Sc. 1835 Wilson's Tales of the Borders I. 289:
I'll gang yont, after fothering-time the nicht, and speak to yer faither.Bwk. 1862 J. G. Smith Old Churchyard 138:
The horse he'd to fother, the grumphies to feed.Kcb. 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 454:
Tak a step ower the morn efter fotherin time, an A'll tell ye a' he said aboot ye.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 10:
A richt toon an big eneuch ti fother an fend for fremd folk an gangerels.Tyr. 1929 “M. Mulcaghey” Ballymulcaghey 203:
He's jist gone out to fother the cows for the night.Kcb.¹⁰ 1943:
“If he fothered at hame, he wad hae nae strae tae sell,” said of an unfaithful husband.

†2. By extension: to supply fuel to a fire. Vbl.n. pl. futherins, wood shavings or the like as fuel.Abd. 1916 T.S.D.C. II.:
Some futherins to licht ma fire.

3. In ppl.adj. foddered, of corn; ? having a good growth of straw. Per. 1831 Perthshire Adv. (14 July): 
The above Corns are well foddered, early, and of the best quality for seed.