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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡SAIRIE, adj. Also sairy, serie, sar(r)y, sarrie, sorry. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. sorry. [′sere]

1. Sad, doleful, sorrowful.Rnf. 1838 Whistle-Binkie 58:
And for a “serie something,” Had he wauchled wast to see me.Sc. 1851 Tait's Mag. (Aug.) 460:
I grew serie, and couldna enjoy mysel' through the day or sleep at nicht.Sc. 1929 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 400:
Mony a sairy sicht it saw.Sc. 1991 T. S. Law in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 31:
In siccan a dreech ootlin orrie airt
ane wurld an groo but growthieness
that skyles in aa its sairie stanes
or the groo gangs lirt i the luft
sae nane may lippen ont. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 9:
Syne will each stoundit sairie sowel
Tae its ain gash corp mak mane an say:
"Hech me! Whit for hae ye revived
Tae bring on baith o us sic wae? .. " Edb. 1999:
She's been a sorry wumman since her man died.

2. Serious, solemn.Lnk. 1808 W. Watson Poems 68:
At tents, e'en on a preachin' day, When fo'k soud a' be sairy.Lnk. 1827 J. Watt Poems 51:
They turn obscene wha war fu' sarrie, Afore they bowz'd.Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms Intro. 1.:
The Psalms, Lilts, or Kirk-Sangs, hae maist o' them a gran', heigh, sary sugh.Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 17:
A sairie lokkin' face had he.

3. In a poor or sorry state, pitiable, woeful, incompetent, paltry.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 138:
He's a sarry cook that may not lick his own fingers.Ayr. 1793 Burns O, Ay my Wife ii.:
Some sairie comfort at the last.wm.Sc. 1837 Laird of Logan (1868) 546:
A whistle to make o' the castle lum To sowf his music sae sairie, O!Sc. 1862 A. Hislop Proverbs 255:
Sairy be your meal-pock, and aye your nieve i' the neuk o't.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr. Duguid 283:
I was juist thinkin' to mysel' t'ou wad mak a sary Solomon!Sc. 1896 A. Cheviot Proverbs 209:
It's a sairy collop that's ta'en aff a chicken.

4. Used as an epithet of compassion or affection, = “poor old — ”. Freq. in addressing pet animals (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Sc. a.1706 J. Watson Choice Coll. i. 69:
Now, what could sery Heck do mair, syne kill her dead?Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 291:
Sary Man, and then he grat.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 19:
His Dog its lane sat yowling on a Brae; I cry'd, Isk-isk, — poor Ringwood, — sairy Man.Sc. a.1813 A. Murray Hist. Eur. Langs. (1823) I. 439:
In Scotch, a sairy man, or sairy body, is a poor innocent almost silly creature, to be pitied but not despised.