Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

(Sarenes,) Sarnes, Sorenes, n. Also: sair(e)-, searnes. [Early ME særnesse (Layamon), north. ME sarnes (Cursor M.), sarenes (14th c.), e.m.E. sorenes (1495), OE sárnys.] a. Pain, painfulness, as a condition. b. An instance of this, a pain, an ache. c. (A sort of) injury or hurt, more generally.a. ?1438 Alex. ii 10856.
Weill neir I may na sairnes feill 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 64.
The strenth of his ȝouth had wrassilit with the sairnes of the pane(b) 1601 Melvill 496.
Be grait incressing searnes in my syde(c) a1500 Sir Eger 425.
Nor sorenes found I never a pyle, While I came here within a myleb. 1534 St. P. Henry VIII V 14 (see Sar(e adv. 1 b).
Sairnes 1571–2 Inverness Rec. I 211.
The said horse … crepit on his wambe … trocht the sairnes was in his guttis 1584 Waus Corr. 283. c1590 Fowler I 88/64.
The sorenes in the lims and nervis that so dois men molest 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 7.
Scho … seithit kaill rwntis in watter for ane ill or sairnes scho had in hir head 1615 Crim. Trials III 318.
Ane grit dollour and sairnes in his richt legc. c1420 Ratis R. 179.
The fewir, agow, the sarnes of e, The fellone byll a1500 Henr. Practysis 19.
Is nowdir fevir nor fell … Seiknes nor sairnes … Bot I can lib thame and leiche thame a1500 Prestis of Peblis 155 (A).
To seike folkis or in to sairenes syne