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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Towart, Towartis, prep. (adj.). Also: towarte, -ert, touart, touuart, touirt, toart, toward(e, touard, towartes, touertis, touartis, towardis, towardes, towards. [ME and e.m.E. to-ward (c1175), towarrd (Orm), towardes (Layamon), touward (Ancr. R.), towarde (Lydgate), towardis (c1495), OE tóweard, tóweardes (-es = adv. gen. infl.).]

A. prep. 1. Introducing the object of motion: In the direction of.In some instances with the implication of reaching. = To A prep. 1.(a) 1375 Barb. ii 147.
All him alane the way he tais Towart the towne of Louchmabane 1375 Barb. xiii 413.
[Fifty men were captured and] The lave went towart [C. toward] Ingland … Bot mony off thar cumpany Or thai till Ingland come war tane And mony … war slayne 1375 Barb. xvii 688.
With thar mychtis all Thai pressyt the sow towart the wall a1400 Leg. S. iii 727.
Egeas … come towart the place, Quhare the apostill hangand was. And quhen Androw saw hym nere He sad to hyme [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. iii 812.
Towarte ?1438 Alex. i 2756.
Touart Gaderis thair way thay hald, Bot, or thay all be cummin thare, The sydis of sum may sowe full sair a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 2.
The king turnit on ane tyde towart Tuskane c1475 Wall. i 98.
Towart Dunbar, without restyng thai raid … Agayne Eduuard in bataill thocht to stand a1500 Seven S. 477.
Towart the credill … can he speire And fand his ȝoung sone haile and feire 1513 Doug. xii viii 109.
Mesapus … in hys left neif haldis … Twa sowpill castyng speris … Of quham that ane … Towart Ene addressit leit he glyde a1540 Freiris Berw. 45 (B).
As thay wer cumand towart the tovne full neir Freir Allane said … It is to lait I dreid the ȝet be closit 1560 Corr. M. Lorraine 433.
I vrait onto your grace of bifoir conserning my deperting touirt our soverans in Frans 1562 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XV 49.
With all his speid ran towert the toun c1610 Melville Mem. (1683) 8.
We hoised sail toward Ireland, but the storm was yet so … violent that … we entered in at the mouth of Loghfeul in Ireland(b) 1545–6 Corr. M. Lorraine 158.
Monsieur de Lorges depeschit monsiour Douzy toart the kyng(c) 1375 Barb. xiii 506 (C).
The kyng and all his cumpany … Towards thar innys thair wayis tais 1513 Doug. x viii 38.
Turnus … bownys fast towartis his aduersar … And quhen that Pallas saw hym cum sa neir He [etc.] 1540 Crim. Trials I i 228.
James Hammiltoun … send his sone to the king, being in jornay towardis Fyff, quho com to him befoir he boited 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 255.
The said Adame Gordoun send Capitane Ker to the place of Toway, requyring the ladie … to rander the place of Carrigill … to him … quhilk sho wald nawayes doe; quhairof the said Adame … movit in iyre towartis hir 1586–7 Cal. Sc. P. IX 245.
It may be her favorable pleasser to send sum grave personnage … towartis the King … for openning of her majesteis mynd whatsoever onto him 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 141/251.
Then uingis of Aquilo thay uith a quhirr more suddain short Flee touartis man 1637 Monro Exped. ii 176.
The fourth day [we] marched towards the Eler, where the water being small, we made a bridge of our small cannon

b. With something non-material as the subject of the motion. 1375 Barb. i 83.
This ordynance thaim thocht the best … thai couth not persawe the skaith, That towart thaim wes apperand

2. Introducing the object of an attitude, feeling, action, etc.: To, for; against.(a) 1460 Hay Alex. 2593 heading.
Off the obedience [to] [MS of] Alexander [of] [MS towart] the partis of Rome 1513 Doug. iv vi 71.
Gif euer ony thank I deservit towart thé, Or ocht of myne to thé wes leif 1525 Douglas Corr. 98.
Towert 1533 Boece 85.
The king … prayit thai suld be of gude mynde towart him 1549 Compl. 3/17.
The feruent loue that ȝour grace baris touart that tendir pupil ȝour only dochtir 1549 Compl. 134/10.
He … inquirit hyr of the cause of the gude mynde that sche bure touuart hym, considerand that he neuyr merit nor derseruit sic kyndnes touuart hyr 1562 Reg. Privy S. V i 294/2.
That the said James behave him towart us … as ane gude trew and faithfull subject 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 3.
The iuste wrathe of God touart vs 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 22.
I have meikle offendit toward Sebastiane this day a1578 Pitsc. II 57/3.
Thair great ire and malice towart this innocent man 1596 Dalr. I 197/8.
The crueltie of the legat was assuaget & kuilet towarde Queine Cartamund 1666 Old Ross-shire II 19.
I am not unsensible of your love respects & kaindnes touard me(b) 1543 Douglas Corr. 152.
And now seing ws alterit touertis him, ȝe desyre ane charge, subscrivit be all the Lordis 1559 Statut. Sc. Ch. 189.
[Holy Communion will] mak yow starke in your faith towartes your God 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS III lvi.
I have caused M^r Maluile addres him towardis hir maiestie that be him I may yit knaw farder of hir hienes pleasour towartes me 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xl Ded. 277.
This small frute of my sober trauellis, I have thocht gude to … present to ȝow … that I wald let my gude will and grate mynd be the same appeir towardis ȝow a1578 Pitsc. I 83/33.
He send Mr. James … to the kingis maiestie to knaw the kingis mynd towardis him 1582 Elgin Rec. I 167.
The … vitious blasphematioun vsit be hir towartis the said Thomas 1586 Gray Lett. & P. 104.
I cannot goe back without declaracion of some misliking towardes my soveraigne 1607 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 111.
Anent the misbehaviour of the Maister of Gray towardis his fader 1644 Cuningham Journal 86.
That they may … kythe their brotherly affection towards this kingdome 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 127 (26 March).
Margaret Broune with hir complices hes comittit gross injuries towards Alexander Cunnyngham

3. Of position: In the direction of, directed to; facing; next to.(a) 1375 Barb. xix 316 (C).
The Scottis men war than liand On north half [Wer], toward Scotland 1410–11 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 30.
Our schreff court to be haldine … at the … moirsyd towart Fernwell c1515 Asl. MS I 159/10.
The myrk land that na man may se day nor nycht … and that is toward the est 1508 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 113.
[They] sall … tak furth of the havin of Leith all the lows stanis extending fra the bulwark inwart towart the west 1513 Doug. vi xi 93.
Anchises baith hys eyn twa Gan lyftyng vp and towart hewyn behald 1513 Doug. xi iii 47.
Athir towartis otheris turnys … And can behald his fallow in a stair 1533 Boece 339b.
The commouns … heving thare handis towart hevin … deplorit thare myserie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1805.
[The child] sleipit still with visage toward the ground 1587 Acts III 522/1.
That the bottom thairof [sc. the firlot] be corssit with irne naillit to the same … and the edge of the bottom … be pairit outwith toward the nethir syde(b) c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 104.
Benignely sche turnyt has hir face Towardis me 1653 Stirling B. Rec. I 207.
The lang calsay that leadis towardis the park newk 1718 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 17.
Their buy ropes nocht to be above twelve or fourtein [foot] long on anchors that lyes toward [the] bay

4. With respect to, concerning; for the benefit of.The Wynt. quot. may belong elsewhere.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii 30.
Off Ingland the kyng wes than thynkand … The kynryk off Scotland how toward He mycht apply nere til his crown [W. How he mycht euir with strenth or art Apply our kinrik till his crovne] c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 46.
Off hir array the form gif I sall write, Toward hir goldin haire and rich atyre 1525 Douglas Corr. 107.
For emanent besynes I had ado towart the kingis grace 1544–5 Treas. Acc. VIII 342.
To Maister Jhonne Hay to be his expens towart the King of France iiij^c li. 15… Crawford Mun. Invent. II 62.
[They] fell in heycht wordis towart the verite of the said instrument 1557 Crim. Trials I i 399.
The justice depute … modefeand … the rigour of the law towarte the pvnisment of the said Nicholl 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 127.
Towart the commandimentis, thai ar expreslie contenit in scripture 1560–1 Inverness Rec. I 52.
Towert the act made of before wpon payment mackyn to the minister of his fee 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 159/34.
Ȝe will do na thing bot as Christ did towart the vse of the sacramentis 1564 Reg. Privy C. I 285.
Na complaint salbe heireftir maid to the Quenis majestie towart the saidis contraversiis and debattis 1569 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 151.
Toward the thrids we exped in our travell, and inlaikit only a consent to the dissolution of the prelacies 1572 Acts III 81/2.
[The king] sall remane … vnder the nutriture of … the Countesse of Mar his governant as towart his mowth and ordering of his persoun 1656 Acts VI ii 849/1.
Toward the maintenance of the war against Spain, and other the affairs of the Commonwealth, the sum of [£5000] … shall be … collected [etc.](b) 1585 Waus Corr. 339.
He … fand your lordschip weill villing to blok with me towartis the rest of the landis of Quythorne 1597 Misc. 3 Spald. C. II 40.
The said ship … being auld weak and insufficient towartes hir ain leck … war constraint to hald up … in Norroway quhill the leck was mendit 1622-6 Bisset II 99/7.
As towardis the rest of the executouris in this cause, [he] thocht there offices wes of nane awaill

5. With a period of time as the object: Near to, nearly. Also towart thir tymez, about this time, around this period. a1500 Sir Eger 2157.
While that it drew toward the night a1540 Freiris Berw. 44 (B).
It drew neir towart the nicht 1659 Dumfries Council Min. 2 Nov.
A gray naig toward 9 years old or thairby pacit … was sold in publick mercat — 1533 Boece 209b.
Towart thir tymez cunnyng men … war liffand … as Donate grammariour [etc.]

B. adj. In keeping with what is required; favourable; obliging, compliant. 1460 Hay Alex. 4965.
Sindrie princis drawis a severale part And thare opiniownis ar nocht ay towart Quhilkis haldis the landis in devisioun 1460–88 Facs. Nat. MSS II lxxvi.
The gret kindnes and towart disposicioun that he has to the king 1540 Lynd. Sat. 290 (B).
I am of nateur so towart I latt no lovaris pas with sorry hairt