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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wester, -ir, -yr, adj. Also: vester, westre, waster, -ir, vaster, watstir, wathstir, woster, voster, weister, woister. [e.m.E. wester (1584), OE westra, ON and Icel. vestri, vestari.] Western, lying more to the west; applied to the more westerly of two places, etc. freq. in contrast to Ester adj. Cf. Ouster. a. In place-names. See Ester adj. 1 and Mid(d)il(l adj. 1 for further examples. Also following the surname of a person, referring to the name of his farm. Also, once, applied to a people. b. In other contexts, chiefly modifying a word for an area, place or part of a building.a. (1) 1170–2 Reg. St. A. App. xl.
Westercaledoure 12… Reg. Dunferm. 223.
In svmmitate de Westircarne et sic ad svmmitatem del Estyrcarne 1309 Liber Melros 343.
Watstirker 1309 Liber Melros 344.
Wastirker 1325–6 Liber Melros 350.
Ecclesia de Wathstirker 1438 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 265.
[The] landys of … Medyll Badfothell and the landys of Westir Badfothelis 1456 Exch. R. VI 278.
Westre Lochlane 1489–90 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 322.
De terra Smythtwaster 1495 Exch. R. X 503.
Et eidem, de firmis duorum locorum de Montbergeris Estir et Westir 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 186.
The landis … of Pitscotty westir 1524–5 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 350.
Vaster Leochel 1545–6 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. I 131.
Ferme land in Weister Partik 1562 Reg. Cupar A. I 354.
Landis of the abbacie of Couper … Balbrogiis, vester, eister, and ower, payis of few maill, £lix xv s. vij d. 1574 Thanes of Cawdor 180.
Eister and Westir Delneis contigue adiacent to the saidis landis 1585 Burntisland B. Ct. 13 July.
William Henrie in the Kirktoun of Kingorne Vaster(2) 1526 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 81.
Roben Portuus prevyt the forsaidis meir be his awne aytht and be the aythtes of … Jhone Brydin ester, Jhone Brydin vester 1529 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 99.
It is compromitit be schir Niniane Brydin, in nayme and behalf of Jhone Brydin vester, and Jok Hesloip, that [etc.] 1567 Liber Calchou 522.
Eister Thome Kennatie 20 s. land … Thome Kennatie vester tua merk land 1606 Edinb. Test. Index II 282.
William Millar, vester in Abirrargie 1667 Stitchill Baron Ct. 43.
John Hoggeard alias Calseyend … ex consensu rei to pay to William Hoggeard wester in Nether Stitchell twenty punds foure shillings(3) a1384 Fordun (1871) I 149.
Quique Gothi postmodum in duo divisi, duo de se regna creantes, unum in Italia Estirgothorum, alterum Westirgothorum in Hyspaniab. 1427 Melville Chart. 245.
Schir Jone … and his inhabitaris and men duelland in the Wester Rath 1428 Bk. Carlaverock II 430.
[He] had mair rycht in and to the twa tenandriis lyand in the westir town of Pencatilland 1440 Cop. St. A. 200.
Sex akrys of oure land next liand the westerhalf of the dike 1464 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 59.
The said Thomas … sall haue the estyr syde [of a piece of land] & the said John the westyr syd for euer 1472 Peebles B. Rec. I 168.
To kep … the ester hill … with Cadmowr wod to kow and kapyl, and the wester hill to chep 1513 Doug. viii iii 123.
Thai westir partis … Quhilkis ar bedyit with the neddir see 1526 Reg. Privy S. I 531/2.
Committand to him the keping of the tour and place of Falkland, with the keping of the estir and westir woddis, parkis and deir … thairof 1539–41 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 285.
For … tua pannellis to the [windows of the] brewhous and wester seller of x futtis 1547 Reg. Cupar A. II 45.
Payand … for the teind of the saidis croftis, ester and wester, ane boll [etc.] 1563 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 145.
William Smyth borit Robert Johnsoun boit and drounit hir benorth … the westir inche 1596 Dalr. I 87/15.
We nevir reid that euir thay [sc. the Picts] entired into thay westir iles 1679 Torry Coal & Salt Wks. 51b.
To the salters for carting the wester bucket clouse 1684 Thanes of Cawdor 368.
A handsome ragglyne to be left in the wester syde of the … jamb to receave the theeke of the building bewest the same 1694 Foulis Acc. Bk. 166.
The wester bee skep did cast this day(b) 1520 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 57.
The said inquest findis Adam Wylkesone woster gawell of his foir hous als fer beigit as his ground extendis 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 143.
Ve ordand the ester vaych to varne Jhone Hawe, the voster vayche to varne David Brydin, and the over vaych to varne Voll Keyne 1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 37b.
Begynnyng at the heid of the said lon passand woist abone the buithlatt gait ay and quhill it cum to the woistmaist fur of the row bowfald with the woister Inchehaddis as it is mercheit and diuidit(c) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 217.
Thair was ane assemblie of the kirke … whairat the waster part being convenit, as thai were befoir warned to doe a1578 Pitsc. (1814) xv.
The waster limite of Scotland whillum was Cumberland 1595 Bamff Chart. 141.
Passand … linalie to the waster dyk of the eistmest corne fald … of Ardomie 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V 264.
That thair be ane new tolbuithe biggit for administratioun of justice abone the waster kirk of this burgh 1645 S. Leith Rec. 55/2.
The ludges in the easter links … also … the waster links 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II 474.
The magistratis … having … takin ane say of the waster loft in the Laigh Kirk, and of the old counsell sait in the ilie 1665 Edinb. Test. LXXI 392.
In the laich waster chamber … ane great byble 1676 Bonckle Kirk S. 52.
The waster dore of the church c1700 Haigs of Bemersyde 309.
I planted all the fruit-trees in the garden, except the apple-trees which is within the uppermost waster quarter

c. From a westerly direction. 1613 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 106.
Thair is ane jawer hoill the fylth quhairof in tyme of wester wynd fallis upon the sclaits of the said fleschemerkatt directlie upoun the entrie thairof 1701 Brand Orkney & Shetl. 49.
The tide … running with violence upon the land, they cause a contrary motion in the sea next to it, which they call easter or wester birth, according to its course

d. The Westir Seyes, = west seyis (Se n.¹ 4 (3) pl.). See Westerly adv. for example.