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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nechbour, Nechtbour, Neichbour, Neichtbour, n. Also: neth-, neyh-, neyc(h)t-, niecht-, neg(h)-, neght-, neig(h)-, neight, neygh-, niegh-, and -boure, -bur, -bor(e; and Nedbour. [North. and midl. ME. negh(e)bur (Rolle), neȝt- (Audelay), neghtboure (1481), ME. neiȝ(e)bore (13–14th c.), neyȝ-, neigh(e)bour, early ME. nehebore (12–13th c.), OE. néhhe-, néhhe-, néhᵹe-, néaheᵹbúr, f. néh, néah ‘nigh’, near: cf. Nichbour and Nebour.]

1. One's neighbour. = Nichbour n. 1 and 3. Also fig.(1) 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 115.
Tuecheyng the allegit of selleyng of xx sheip be hym of his nechbouris 1557 Inverness Rec. I. 6.
To bring with hyme hys nechbouris to testife(b) 14.. Acts I. 108/2.
At thai na thyng tak wythoutin sicht of the bailȝe or of thar nerrest nechtbouris be the place quhar thai pas 1576 Orkney Oppress. 83.
Corruptit the rest of thair nechtboris(c) 1641 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. viii. 27.
Farre short of many of your neyhbouris in performeing of all publict dewties(d) 1599 St. A. Kirk S. 890.
For hir evill tung and flytting with hir neychtbouris 1622 Grant Chart. 425.
[Lands] circuite and invironit about with euill neychtbouris quha continewallie cuttis [the crops](e) 1557 Balfour Pract. 663.
Four or five of the deid's narrest neighbouris 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 79.
And as mareit folkis ar haldyn and reput thar wyth thar neyghboris 1674 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 24 Oct.
Be Allexander Gordoun in Westport 35 s. and be his neighbour wyff a merk 1677 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 298.
The counsell being … willing to assist the releise of thair neghbours [a skipper of Montrose and his crew] from such slauerie and bondage 1680 Kingarth Par. Rec. 124.
His neigbor 1686 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1938) 32.
Marchers … betwixt neighbour and neighbour 1694 Boharm Kirk S. 9 Sept.
[They] heard her severall tymes say to her neighbours wife bitch and witchfig. 1637 Rothes' Affairs Kirk App. 200.
The bischope … got many a stone by the way, propter vicinum malum, foran ill neighbour(f) 1657 Rothesay B. Rec. 14.
His honest and guid behaviour … towards his neightbours 1662 Crim. Trials III. 608.
Giff we … go to any of our neightbouris howssis … we will say [etc.] 1674 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 202.
Be all the neightbours about(2) a1568 Bann. MS. 159 a/8.
So, lo, now eit and welcome nechtbour, quod hie

b. In the extended, esp. biblical, use: One's fellowcreature. c1520-c1535 Nisbet I. 10.
He … schewithe quha is ani manns nechboure Id. Matthew xxii. 39. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 27.
The vii workis of merci … quhilk we aucht to our neychtbour

c. In proverbs. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 354.
He should have a hail pow, that cals his neighbour nikkienow a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1424.
Tak exemple be thy neighbour and not be thyself Ib. No. 1492.
They sould have iron shone that bydes their neighbours death

d. Our (the) good neighbours, the fairies. 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 74.
That fourth kinde of spirites which … amongst vs was called the phairie … or our good neighboures 1647 Durh. Univ. J. XXXIV. 63.
She had [seen] one of the good neighbours … that was cloathed in greine cloathes … goe in to Johne Griffens house 1650 Maxwell Mem. I. 352.
For the elfes shee heard that they wer the good neighbouris

2. Passing into: A (fellow-) inhabitant of a burgh or other community; a member of a community; plur., the citizenry collectively, the community. = Nichbour n. 2.(a) c1420 Bute MS. 154.
His land … the qwhilk he has bocht lely be wytnes of his nechburis 1429 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXI. 146.
To the wagis given the nechboris past to the see 1432 Ayr B. Ct. 27 (12 May).
With thair commission to … Prestwik as he that is thair indwelland nechbur 1456 Peebles B. Rec. I. 118.
Than the balyeis chardit hym to tak a nechbur on ilk hand onsuspekit and swer the gret ath 1463 Newburgh B. Ct. 14 b.
Al the nechburis has statuit that [etc.] 1510 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) ii.
This inquest … ordanis ane wach of xviii men nechboris and houshaldaris 1514 Wigtown B. Ct. 32 b. 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 57.
Thought he procur … in the said actione for the nechboris of Dunfermling 1541 Elgin Rec. I. 63. 1554 Prot. Bk. Sir W. Corbet 19.
As wtheris nechburis dois(b) 1432 Soc. Ant. II. 388.
I passit furth with mony of the sayd consale and uthir nechtburs 1467 Newburgh B. Ct. 26 b.
Has vder nechtburis duys 1467–8 Ib.
The balȝe and the nechtburis rasavit John Esty has a burgis and nechtbur to thaym 1492 Acta Conc. I. 257/1. 1540 Elgin Rec. I. 54.
In contrar the towne or ony nechtbor of the samyn(c) 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 164 a.
That everie negbour byg thar hedȝardys(d) 1493 Maxwell Mem. I. 204.
With othir dewetis hais neichbur ande othir 1611 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIX. 109.
Till all neichboris war reconceillit(e) 1438 Ayr B. Ct. 61.
To keype to the neyctburis schalens 1462 Cart. St. Giles ciii.(f) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 69.
Keip ordour and poore niechtbouris beit(g) 1626 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 243.
Restis your loving freinds and neighbors the provest and baillies 1664 Dundee B. Laws 140. 1678 Inverness Rec. II. 279. 1684 Stirling B. Rec. II. 42. 1694 Musselburgh 118.
That the neighboures shall convoy the chancellor(h) 1606 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 17.
Concerning the policie and governament … of the neightbouris and inhabitantis of the said burgh 1666 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 146. 1669 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 256.
The samin sall be meassured … be uther two honest neightbors(i) 1636 Misc. Spald. C. V. 226.
That nain of them sall interrupt his nieghbour

3. a. To sit neighbour with or beside, to sit next to, hence fig., to be closely associated with. Cf. Nichbour n. 4. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 128.
My hope sitteth neighbour with meekle black hunger Ib. 134.
I be black and sun-burnt by sitting neighbour beside a body of sin

b. Applied to inanimate things. = Nichbour n. 4 b. 1573 Dysart Rec. 38.
Every vessel to lay her towis to windward, halding tham free of their neighbours

4. Attrib. and adj. a. Of one's neighbour; between neighbours. b. That is a neighbour or fellow-citizen. c. Neighbouring, nearby.= Nichbour n. 6.a. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 1528.
Ferme in pece & cheryte & nethbour lof, luk ay ȝe be 1686 Mackenzie Observ. 84.
Courts of guerra … seem to have been courts holden upon neighbour-feid and riots a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 93.
Neighbour fair is gude fairb. 1638 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XVIII. 122.
Which would be a spur to uther our neighbour tradis to … stir thame up to the syke guid warkc. 1640 Maister George Blacke His Masterlesse Men 5.
In my neighbour paroch c 1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 528.
Fisches also in the neighbour sea 1687 Gods Interest in the King 29.
And in our neighbour kingdom