Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Ers, n. Also: erse, ersse, hers. [ME. erse, ers (14th c.), var. of ars(e Ars n.]

1. The fundament or buttocks. c1420 Wynt. vi. 176.
‘Quhen he doys myrakylis, or swylk thyng, Than oysys myn ers [C. ersse],’ scho sayd, ‘to syng’ a1500 Henr. III. 153/89.
It is ane mirk mirrour, Ane vthir manis ers c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 56.
Ane lawland ers wald mak a bettir noyis Ib. 131; etc. 1510 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 345.
I sett nocht by ȝou a fert of ȝour ers 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6410.
Thy ers brint in ane gleid I think to se sum day (a1568 Wedderburn) Bann. MS. 260 a /17.
The skorne of Absolone Quhen the hett culter wes schott in his hers a1578 Pitsc. I. 388/1.
He sould make thame hott ersis ffor his pleasour and the kirkis 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX. 209.
He … hoipit to sie his airmes riven at the Croce, that he micht dicht his ers thairwith 1670 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 259.
Boasting that he would cause his footman … kik him in the erse with his foottComb. a1585 Polwart Flyt. 737 (H).
Erse slaiker, gled glaiker, Roome raiker

2. The tail of a cart; the bottom of a sack; the utmost or hinder part. 1538 Soc. Ant. II. 391.
The assys ordains Howm to be bundyn at the ers of ane cart and to gang trow all the streittis of the town 1555 Peebles B. Rec. 225.
Gif ewill meill and gud meill be found in ane sek, better in the mouth thairof nor the ers 1570 Ib. 323.
That ilk meill … be als gud in the ers of the seke as in the mouth a1578 Pitsc. I. 338/1.
Considerand that it [sc. Scotland] was bot the erse of the warld be wther contries