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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.

Nuris(s)ing, vbl. n. Also: nurys-, nures(s)-, nwreis-, noris-, noress-, nourys-, nowris-, nowres-, neures-, and -inge, -ene. [Nuris v.: cf. ME. norrisinge (a 1297), Nuris(c)hing and Nurs(s)ing.]

1. The action of Nuris v. in various senses:Rearing, fostering, suckling; feeding; maintaining, supporting; promoting; rearing and tending of animals.(1) 1477 Exch. R. VIII. 403 n.
For the service of the said Agnes done in the nurysing of oure said derrest sone a1500 Bk. Chess 482.
A quene suld be … besy in hir barnis nurysing c1500-c1512 Dunb. xliv. 21.
Thay [women] ar the confort that we all haif heir … Thay ar our verry nest of nvrissing [M. nwreising] 1516 Reg. Privy S. I. 412/1. 1519 Lennox Mun. 215.
Quhilk son and air sal be deliuerit to the said Hew … in nuresene and kepen 1551 Banff Ann. II. 380.
For the educatioun and nowresing of the said Elezeabit indovring hir minoritie 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 306.(2) 1531 Bell. Boece II. 18.
Thaim that ar gevin onely to … surfet nurising of thair wambe(3) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 5/7.
Ȝour nurissing of pure studentis … all cuntreis and collegis dois deplore(4) 1490 Fam. Rose 152.
For the mair nuressing [ed. jnressing] of kyndnes 1517 (1542) Reg. Great S. 644/2.
Thair … is yeirlie confluence of our liegis … with merchandice … at … Clakmannane … for repare and noressing [ed. moressing] of the quhilkis [etc.] 1527 Doug. Corr. 121.
To the continuance and nurising of gud luff and amite betuix … my soverane and his derrest uncle 1590 Cal. Sc. P. 316.(5) 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 32.
In … nuresing of thair stoir and bestiall 1549 Compl. 45/6.
Neuresing

2. That which nourishes or sustains, nourishment, nutriment. (In material and non-material applications.)To give nurising to, = Nuris v. in various senses.(1) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 2.
That idilnes giffis novrysingis To vicis c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1663.
Of schouris that giffis … Encressing helpe and nurising To fludes 1456 Hay II. 138/5.
Water … gyfis na nurising till man na beste 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 9.
Rather … then to give caus or nowrising [M. nurishing] to ony divisione(2) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 45/34.
This is the fud and werray nurising of the saule Ib. 65/4.
For that tyme [sc. in the age of innocence] he [man] lufit of nurising as we do heire Ib. II. 93/2.
How thai [growing things] pur the erd and drawis fra it the nurisinge conuenient for thame Ib. I. 100/10; etc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 98.
And ewiry blome … Full low enclynyng to thair quene … Quham of thair nobill norising thay thonk