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.
Quotation dates: 1492-1699
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Fere, Feir, v.3 Also: fear. [ME. fere, early ME. færen, OE. fǽran.]
1. tr. To be afraid of; to dread.(a) 1533 Boece xi. v. 412 b.
It is propir to ane criminall conscience to fere all thing 1562-3 Winȝet I. 59/21.
A suord, quhilk our aduersaris ferit mair than the spirituall suord 1562-3 Ib. 64/17.
Samekle mair ar thai to be eschewit and ferit 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii. xviii.
Fast fering, and dering That helhound auld and hair 1622-6 Bisset II. 285/6.
The peopill murmured against him fering sum tumult(b) 1513 Doug. ii. i. 67.
I dreid the Grekis fors, And thame that sendis this gyft always I feir 1562-3 Winȝet II. 65/20.
Ony man … naway suld feir the venemous scharpenes of thair tethe 1570 Satirical Poems xxxi.73.
Ȝehaue mair neid thame now to feir Nor quhen thay come in feir of weir 1596 Dalr. I. 29/21.
This oxx or bull quhen he was prouoked … euin feiret he nathing 1622-6 Bisset II. 222/9.
Because oftymes men feirand mischeif dois leif there schipis
b. With objective clause. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 75/9.
He … schawis himself, … to feir and be solist that … he suld be maid reprobat a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xcvi. 25.
I feir, that men … Hes sawin suspitioun, that credence is areir a1570-86 Ib. clxxvii. 26.
I feir sum boid and bobbis be behind 16.. Hist. Kennedy 6.
It was feiritt that he suld haue disereist his broder sone
2. intr. a. To be afraid to do something. 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 293/9.
I … think all gud cristyn man suld feire to saw his seid in the ground quhare sic wikkit frute sall grow 1533 Gau 104/3.
He ferit to brak this command 1562-3 Winȝet II. 53/10.
Wtheris … bayth feris to pereis, and thinkis schame to returne a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xxxix. 101.
I tak my leif Fering with langer purpose ȝow to greif a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 932.
I feird to speik in haist
b. To feel fear, be afraid. a1578 Pitsc. I. 75/2.
It is nocht the dewtie of … campieounis to feir at the sight of thair enemies
3. To affect with fear; to scare. Cf. Ferit p.p. 1581 Burne Disput. 189 b.
Ane change … from that quhilk feirit men to do euil, to this quhilk stayis men to do weil c1650 Spalding I.8.4.
It amasit, effrayit, and feired the haill people of Abirdene 1662 Criminal Trials III. 611.
Thair ar great bullis rowtting and skoylling ther, at the entrie, quhilk feared me 1692 Presbyterian Eloquence (ed. 2) 90.
I must not tell you that fear ... for fear it should fear you all to hear it
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"Fere v.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/fere_v_3>
