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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.

Scars(e, Scairs(e, adj. and adv. Also: scarce, skars(e, skarce, scarrs, scarsse, skarsh, scharce; skairs(e, skairce, scairis, skairis, scairch, skairch, (scairth), skairsche, schairs, schairce; skers(e, skeris, skerche; sciers. [ME and e.m.E. skars (1290), scarse (1340), OF eschars, escars (12–13th c. in Godefroy), late L. *scarsus, f. p.p. of *excarpere = L. excerpere to pick out.]

A. adj. 1. Ungenerous in giving or spending; parsimonious, stingy, mean. ?1438 Alex. ii 206.
Ȝon couetous, ȝon skarce lymmar Ib. 7149.
Bot couetous, scarce and quyed He was sa, that [etc.] Ib. 9592.
For men sould scarce men, hard and proud And couetous, alwayes despyse c1420 Ratis R. 318.
Scars wrechitnes, that neuir wan land a1500 Colk. Sow i 29.
Skars keping And auaritious wynnyng Ib. 486.
Scars spending, skathis gentris c1490 Porteous Noblenes 182/18 (A).
Ane fre liberale hert quharein noblenes inhabitis suld nocht be scars & haldand c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 38/5.
Be nocht a wreche nor skerche in ȝour spending a1568 Bann. MS I p. 25/41.
Be not ouir skers nor ȝit ouir lairge 1596 Dalr. II 261/11.
His table was nocht … dilitious as diligat personis requiret, nouther was he ouer skairs, narraw or gredie

2. a. Of an amount or quantity: Only just (the amount or quantity stated) and no more. b. Of a length of time: Short; restricted. c. Of a meal: Sparing; barely adequate.a. 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 533.
Of xxiiij unce skars weit 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV 191.
Ane skers elne of … taffitieb. 1533 Boece 223.
Providing sic defence as for the skars tyme thai mychtc. 1596 Dalr. I 90/10.
At evin only thay first prepaired the table, and that verie scharpe and skairs

3. Of food or money: In short supply; barely adequate to meet ordinary needs; sparse. b. Applied to a period of scarcity, (a time) of dearth. 1531 Bell. Boece I 51.
The pepill leiffit with sa skars and naturall fude that thay … war preservit fra all maner of maledyis Ib. 60.
Ewin, to stabil his realme in virtew, commandit the young children of his realme to be nurist with skars and hard fude Ib. II 182.
He levit … ane hevinly life of skars fude and sleip Ib. (M) I 153.
The Romanis be skars vittalis or sum vther displesouris wer constranit to pas oute of Brigance 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 123.
Quhilk victuallis ar sa skarce and evill to be had that [etc.] 1657 Nicoll Diary 194.
The cuntrey being exceiding pure, the moneyis skairsche and skant 1667 Argyll-Lauderdale Lett. 71.
If I could get him to louse his purse upone my land, when mony is so scarseb. 1682 in Turner Mem. App. 284.
Well provyded in hors meat, which is a great consideratione this scairs year

4. Scarse of (in) (something). a. Poorly or inadequately supplied with; short of. b. specif. Sparing in regard to something. a1538 Abell 65b.
He wes in purite of life maist clene … To keip the sam he wes wera sobir in meit and drink & skars in sleip 1558-66 Knox II 72.
Thame of Leith war verray skairce of victualls 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 297.
For the captane of that house had made it scairse of victuallis 1599 Acts IV 180/2.
Quhairby this contrey being sa plentifullie furneist of befoir is becum altogidder skairch of sic wairis [supra wyld foull] 1600 Ib. 236/2.
Scairth 1637 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 562.
The mercet is skars of meill 1647 Hope Diary (1919) 135.
Being skarce of elding, a boy … broght in some old turfes 1650 Brechin Presb. 37.
When they wer skairce of anything … shee consulted with that spirit c1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 577.
Many ar scars of cornis altho plentifull in pasture 16.. Alchem. MSS V
If ȝow be scarce of [mercury] [etc.]; 16..

B. adv. 1. Barely, hardly; only just.See the notes to Scarsly adv., which also apply here.Scars … quhen, no sooner … than (see the note to Scarsly adv. 1 b and to Scantly adv. 1).(1) 1533 Bell. Livy I 266/27.
Is he sa ganand to corrupt ȝow, that has skars [v.r. skers] power to corrupt the servandis? 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7440.
And ȝit ȝe giue skarse credence in that cace 1561 Knox VI 128.
Ther are yet but two byshopes arrived … but scharce dare put their noses owte of their doores 1587-99 Hume 30/154.
The corbeis … May scarce the heate abide 1600-1610 Melvill 123.
Thir fascheries war skarse weill sattelit, when out braks a graitter contradiction Ib. 246.
Sa dashit … with terror … that he could skarse sitt 1611 Id. in McCrie Melville 446.
Sanders, and the laif … Who scarrs amongs our pastours trew war kend c1650 Spalding II 241.
Fishes, fleschis, fowllis, … scarce gettabill in Abirdene a1651 Calderwood VII 514.
Scarse were the cornes inned … at Hallowmas 1657 Balfour Ann. I 120.
Scarsse 1681 Lauder Observes 42.
Scarce there was any rain from March to neir the end of June(b) 1533 Bell. Livy I 266/27 (see (1) above).
Skers a1568 Scott xxi 6.
That skers hes left bot skin and bon 1619 Perth Kirk S. MS 18 May.
[She] anserit that scho serueit in this town ane ȝeir imediatlie befoir scho enterit his seruice quhilk he skers culd qualifie(c) 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 402.
Skairis aneuch to sustene this thair realme c1590 J. Stewart 19/160.
Schairs durst scho sob Ib. 65/12.
Thocht skairse it vey the valeur of ane fas 1596 Dalr. I 159/20.
That skairs war thay able to reteine thair awne ony langre Ib. 195/16.
Our folkes … skairse mycht … byd the firste brasche Ib. II 299/12.
That skairs culde thay draw thair ende 1608 Crim. Trials III 49.
Quhiche insolence is … skairse excussabill 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. i 111.
A basse-borne passioune schairce rype till rottin 1613 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 213.
I do skairse think that it can be … altered to the bettir 1629 Justiciary Cases I 97.
Quhan the mylne hors war skairs able to cors the watter 1643 Acts VI i 15/2.
As thair pay … would scairch intertein them(d) c1666 Laing MSS 351.
I fear you shall [s]ciers fynd tym to ried this so I will say no mor(2) 1513 Doug. iii iii 90.
Scars this wes said quhen … The sessonabil ayr pipis vp a1585 Maitl. Q. 206/153.
With painfull paine thir wordes skairs birst out Quhen I wes forcit to turne my face away c1590 J. Stewart 215 § 63.
Skairs vas vpsprung as ȝit the chirming lark, Quhan … I did mark [etc.] 1596 Dalr. II 216/28.
Lyon harat skairs til Edinburgh was cum quhen the king selfe was vpon the way 1625 Garden Kings 68.
And skarsh wes stopt the torrent of that tide, When it [etc.]

b. Qualifying a numeral, measurement or (period of) time. 1513 Doug. iii viii 14.
That it was scars mydnycht 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4570.
It is scarce ȝit nyne houris gane of the clock 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 542.
A counterfuted dule quhilk … lastit scars aucht dayis 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 263.
Thair is skarse twentie … Sufficient men that I can call a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. 43/34.
The tormentaris wer then so scant … scairis found wer sax 1591 Crim. Trials I ii 245.
Skairse the lenth of ane buird 1596 Dalr. I 56/19.
Skairce 1598 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 36b.
Ane fyne bed … viii fet skeris of lenthe 1600 Misc. Bann. C. I 144.
Ane rounde, skairs sax feit breid, and sax feit weyd Ib. 145.
Their was skers twa vnce betwix his deid and his lyf 1627 Haddington Corr. 154.
Ther was skerse 4 agreid together c1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 516.
A small iland scarce of a myl of lenth 1656 Lanark Presb. 100.
He and his ladie cometh scarce to the kirk once in a year 1689 Siege Castle Edinb. 70.
There were … scarse fourty healthfull to doe duty

2. a. In Doug.: Rendering L. vix, sometime appar. without semantic force: Just. b. With difficulty.a. 1513 Doug. ii ii 126.
Calcas held his tong ten days … Skars at the last … the laith word furth braid Ib. iii v 63.
A few wordis skars as I mycht furth bryng For to comfort that maist lamentabill wight Ib. vi v 125.
Skars on the ferd day at morn dyd I spy, Heich from the wallys croppis, Italyb. 1558-66 Knox II 269.
The myst was so thick … that skairse mycht any man espy ane other 1596 Dalr. II 7/12.
Skairse could he conteine him selfe … bot behouet to dissimule the mater

3. Sparsely, meagrely. c1590 Fowler I 394/15.
The onlie medcin for to … presarue alyue Is skers by dyet wsd on homlie cheir to fead

4. Rarely; hardly ever. 1596 Dalr. I 40/13.
The turtle dwe, the feldifare, the nichtingale, with vthiris natiounis ar frequent, bot skairs with us ar fund 1637 Breadalbane Doc. No. 700.
I haive sent ȝow … thrie hunder wanettes, which are ȝit scairs to be gottine