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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quair, Quar(e, n. Also: quaire, quayr, quhair, quhar, queare, quer, quire. Pl. also quarris, -es. [ME cwaer, quaer (Ancr. R.), late ME and e.m.E. (latterly north.) quayr (Lydgate), quayer(e (c 1430), quair(e (1469), e.m.E. also queare (1530), quere (1549), quire (1451–2), Raine N. Durham), OF quaer, quaier (later caier , mod. cahier, a quire of six sheets, a notebook, etc.).]In pl. also without inflection after cardinal numbers etc.

1. A quire, as a measure of number of sheets of paper, one twentieth of a ream. b. A bundle or sheaf of paper of about this size.Positive indications as to the (perh. varying) number of sheets (? 8, ? 20, ? 24, ? 25) which comprised a quite are absent.For further examples, see Lumbard Paper, Lumbard n. and adj. 4 b.sing. (a) 1478 Acta Aud. 83/1.
A quaire of paper a pare of clokis 1536–7 Ayr B. Acc. 26. 1603 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 219 (5 Oct.).
For giff I vald wryt thankis, ane quair of papir wald nocht hald tham 1607 Sc. Ant. IV 36.
Ane quair of papper or twa 1619 Thanes of Cawdor 248.
A quair of gilt paper 1646 Ayr. Presb. in Scott Fasti (1868) III 128.
Did bring a great kirk-bible … and in the samin had an quair of paper … wherein his preachings were wreatten 1659–61 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 606. 1687 Sc. Ant. IV 36. 1690 Foulis Acc. Bk. 128.
For a quair gilded paper in halfe sheets [7s.] 1700 Anal. Scot. II 137. 1701 Moncrieffs 351. 1705 Misc. Maitl. C. II 252.
Gave his paper to the balland cryers 4 s. a quair below the common price(b) 1507 Lanark B. Rec. 18.
Ane quar of paper to bill the pla withaw viij d. 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI 17 Feb.
Ane quar pepar 1600-1610 Melvill 418.
A quare of peiper of calumnies, in fear wraitt 1621 Maxwell Mem. I 334.
For ane quare of peper … iiij d. 1662–3 Peebles B. Rec. II 204.
A quare and ane half of paper … 7 s. 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II 514.
For a quare of cutt paper 6 s. 1677 Cunningham Diary 103.
For a quare of paper [5 s.] 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 41.
For a quar of paper [6 s. 8 d.] 1701 Fam. Rose 390.pl. 1502 Treas. Acc. II 288.
For iij quaris papir to the said broudstar ij s. 1512 Ib. IV 369.
Twa quaris paper and pak threid to the samyn [standards] xx d. 1575 Edinb. Test. III 319b.
Sex quaris of sinkand paper price of the quair x d. 1600-1610 Melvill 385.
Of whase dispositionnes ther was wryttin monie quarres of paper 1670 Lauder Jrnl. 240.
Quairescoll. 1505 Treas. Acc. III 172.
For ij quair papir, xvj d. ?1537 Ayr Common Good Acc. MS.
For iij quayr of lumbardy paper to the townis compt bwke xij s. 1543–4 Treas. Acc. VIII 251. 1562 Ib. XI 191.
Foure quhair of paper iiij s. 1579 Misc. Bann. C. II 197.
Fyue rym nyne quair of paintit paperis, the quair xviii d., summa [£8.3 s.6 d.] 1586 Edinb. Test. XV 122.
Fourtie quair of paper of the hand price of the quair xij d. 1608–9 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 557.
Thrie quair of paper to writ the college missives and lettres upone xij s. 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 253b.
Nyntene quair of paper at ij s. ij d. the quair 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 2b.
For 2 quhar of gune peper c 1666 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 686/1.
Nyne queare of paper at aucht shilling per queare 1674 Cunningham Diary 33, 41. 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 51.
For 2 quar paper to the bairns 11^s. 1697 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 260.
2 quer paper 14 s.

2. One of the sets or gatherings of sheets which, when attached to one another and bound, make up a complete book.In lous quairis, in quairis, = in unbound gatherings, unbound, in sheets. 1533 Boece 225.
We resauit of ald bukis certane rewyne quaris … writtin in hard inflexibill parchement mervellus craftelie 1535 Stewart 103.
And in that place thair wes thir storeis fund, Sum in lows quarris and vther sum weill bund Ib. 87. 1561 Knox VI 130.
I sent to you … the Confession of our Faith, in quairs, unbound 1579 Misc. Bann. C. II 197.
Thrie fyue quair papir bukes, the pece xii s. 1617 Acts IV 549/1.
And siclyik by inserting of scheittis and quairis of new peper [sc. in protocol books of deceased notaries] quharevpoun instrumentis ar falsiefied [etc.] 1694 Misc. Hist. Soc. V 261.
I will send a Bible for your lady … in quairs of the Cambridge edition in to

3. A bundle or gathering of sheets of notepaper comprising a book of record or of notes or part of one. 1505–6 Treas. Acc. III 55.
Quhilk wes bocht, and is enterit in the kingis quare of this compt 1548–9 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 581.
[Produced a decreet against him and alleged] that the quair quharin the samin wes contenit wes brynt

4. a. A poem.Freq. with modestly depreciatory adjs., as breif, litill.

b. A writing of any kind; a document, treatise, work.(a) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 40.
I tuik ane quair … Written be worthie Chaucer glorious Of fair Creisseid and worthie Troylus Ib. 61. c 1500 MS Selden B. 24 fol. 191.
Heirefter followis the quair maid be King James of Scotland the first, callit the Kingis quair 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2161.
Breif buriall quair of eloquence all quite c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 271.
Thou lytill quair, be ewir obedient 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1177. c1550 Id. Meldrum 1516.
Wald I at lenth his lyfe declair, I micht weill writ ane vther quair c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 882.
I wald require the copy of that quair c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3628.
Vpon a time I red intill ane quair, In this citie sum time seuin maisters wair Ib. Schort Schawing 10.
Sa in seuin oulkis this quair was clene compleit Out of plane prois now keipand meteris feit Ib. Prol. 66. 1562-3 Winȝet II 64/15.
Reid the tractatis of … Iouiniane and of the rest of thai pestilences; thow may se an infinit of exemplis, na quair almaist omittit, quhilk is nocht [etc.] 1580 Hume Promine Epistill 32. c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiv 81.
Sant Peter wrett ane vthair quhair, And I beleif it trew 1607 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 72.
My chroniclised quair 1622-6 Bisset I 21/3.
Of princes in the stait, And thair erectionis, be this quair delait(b) a1500 Quare Jel. Title.
Here beginnithe the quare of jelusy 15.. Lord Fergus Gaist 11.
And I haif red mony quars Bath the donet [etc.] 1563 Davidson Answer 187.
Amangis uther quaris of uther learnit mennis writingis

5. A gathering consisting of a certain number of leaves of gold or silver leaf, of which gatherings 12 (? also, on occasion, 13) appar. went to make up a standard ‘book’ (Buke n. 4). 1496 Treas. Acc. I 294.
iij quaris of a siluir buke to the samyn banar, vj s. 1501 Ib. II 63.
Bocht to David Prat, payntour … ix quare of ane buke of gold; ilk quare v s. Ib. 64. 1506 Ib. III 302.
For ane buke gold and iij quaris to it iij li. xv s. 1506–7 Ib. 365. 1507 Ib. 404.
To Pieris, payntour, for … iiij quaris parti gold Ib. IV 87.
To the said Pieris for ane buke and tua quaris gold iij li. x s. 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 215.
Ane buik and vii quairris fyne gold, price of the buik iii lib. v s., viz. for the quare v s., iiii dozane gold fuilyeis, ilk dozane ii s.

6. Appar., A small bundle or gathering consisting of a certain number of ribbons. 1595 Argyll Acc. 2 Jan.
vj quire of ribbanis of silk veyand ane half unce