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 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ere-ledder, Earlether, n. Also: erleddir, eirleder, earledder, eyer lether. [f. lether Ledder n., with obscure first element.] A chain or rope for attaching a horse to a cart. Also attrib. with pin.‘Earleather-pin, an iron pin formerly used instead of a hook, on each end of the shaft of a cart, for fastening the chain by which the horse draws, Fife.’ (J). 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 293.
For fyfty iij chenȝeis, to the lynnalis of the cartis and the erleddir pynnys 1513 Ib. IV. 515.
x stane of smale towis to be eirlederis for the hernys 1542 Ib. VIII. 131.
Small cord to be ereledderis 1625 Edinb. Test. LIII. 114.
Ane irne rigwodie and ane pair ear ledderis 1661 Ib. LXX. 147.
Ane cairt saidle, ane earledder 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 367.
In the workhorse stable … 8 ker-sadles, 8 pair eyer lethers 1693 Edinb. Test. LXXX. 2.
ij pairs earlethers worth j lb xiiij s.