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.
Quotation dates: 1375-1623
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Ser(e, Seir, adv. and adj. Also: seire, seyr(e, schere. [ME and e.m.E. ser (Orm), sere, seir (both Cursor M.), ON sér for oneself, passing into: Separately, apart.]There is possible ambiguity between senses A and B 1.
A. adv. Separately, severally; on separate occasions.Only in early verse. ?1438 Alex. ii 2196.
Great thochtis haue I suffred seir [F. ne sai quans] ?1438 Alex. ii 2392.
Gif ȝe lufe sa, our lufes gais sere ?1438 Alex. ii 4494.
Bot all on fer assailȝeit him seir c1400 Troy-bk. i 304.
And so fayr thewis can appere In thame, that thai one wonderit sere c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1149.
She hurt als sere with stones cast of Gregeois [L. Et proiectis ab ea lapidibus nunc istum obruit nunc illum]
B. adj. 1. Separate, distinct, different; individual.Only in early verse. 1375 Barb. xv 64.
Ilk man fled thar wayis ser a1400 Legends of the Saints xxiii 459.
To … mak Ilkane of thame a fertre sere, To lay thame in a1400 Legends of the Saints xxiv 3.
Thre statis are sere, In quhilkis almen sal apere ?1438 Alex. ii 3456.
But ilkane seir Ar fundin ay douchty at the preif ?1438 Alex. ii 3459.
To ȝow all, baith samyng and seir, I hecht [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii 6164.
His fallowis, ilkane seir, Maid thare avow c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1251 (D).
Quharfor that seire I ourset now Passing aweye as superflew c1420 Wynt. i 1373.
Off langagis in Bretayne sere [C. seyr, W. seire] I fynd that sum tym fyff thare were c1420 Wynt. i 1489.
Awtorys sere, in thare storys, Oppynnyownys haldys on syndry wys Off this Nembrot c1420 Ratis Raving 112.
Luk nane of thi fyve wyttis sere … Be miskepyt … in thé c1420 Ratis Raving 1112.
The formest of thire eildis sere I set within the fyrst thre ȝere a1500 Golagros and Gawane 242.
Propir schene schane the son, seymly and seir a1500 Golagros and Gawane 473. a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 25.
That ilk ane tuik ane seir way a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 568.
In ane thourtour way, Seir gaitis pas thay, … Thus partit thay twa a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 666.
It was semely set on ilk syde seir
2. Various, sundry; several; numerous; many.Chiefly with plural nouns.(1) 1375 Barb. i 32.
In ser [Sk. fer] landis renownyt wes he 1375 Barb. viii 230.
And hors hewyt on ser maneris 1375 Barb. xx 395.
Hys face … was To-fruschyt in-till placis ser a1400 Legends of the Saints Prol. 28.
Sere a1400 Legends of the Saints xxiv 521.
To sere halt he gaf fet ?1438 Alex. ii 2643. c1400 Troy-bk. i 256.
Ȝardes … That fruyt in grew of sere maneris 1416 Liber Melros II 539.
Grete besines that we hade appoun hande to do in sere contreis c1420 Wynt. i Prol. 27.
Fra that I sene hade storis sere In cronnyklys 1456 Hay (Glenn) III 1/18.
The quhilk buke is deuidit in sere parties c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3129.
Sere Yndianis … tuke the flycht(b) 1375 Barb. xix 358 (C).
Thai the battell com so neir That arrowis fell emang thaim seir a1400 Legends of the Saints i 154.
He … wan to Cryst fell folkis seyre c1420 Ratis Raving 141.
Throw wordis and recordis seir That thow may … here c1450-2 Howlat 137 (A). c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace xi 416.
Ȝon knycht thinkis for to dewid his men In seir partis a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 171 (Asl.).
Mercy is menȝeit be diuers seire ressonnis 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 603. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 3/10.
Tronis, potestatis and marteiris seir 1513 Doug. i Prol. 87.
Lord Sanct Clair … diuers tymys seir, Prayt me translait Virgill or Homeir 1513 Doug. vi Prol. 54.
Ful perfitely he writis seir misteris fell 15.. Clariodus ii 352.
Ane herp with stringis seir 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 6930.
Throw riche regiounis and semelie seir cieteis 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 8926.
Seir diuers thochts that neids not to be schawin a1568 Scott ix 18.
The misseif full of hairtis seir 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 14/11.(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xvii 322.
To compuncione thu [? for thé] suld steyre The instance of myn prayer sere a1400 Legends of the Saints xx 1.
Sere men of sere intencione To Sancte Blase has devocione a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii 308.
Be he com to sewine ȝere, He cuth langage spek sere c1420 Wynt. ii 357.(b) ?1438 Alex. i 1261.
Now seik I him in seir countre 1460 Hay Alex. 18313.
And xxvti kynd of seir langage I haue put vnder tribute and trewage c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii 181.
Rebell renkis in mony seir regioun 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 497.
Soung and playit be seir cunning menstrall 1513 Doug. iii vi 215.
Caldronys and othir seir veschell ma 1513 Doug. v vi 32.
Seir othir come eik quhais namys onknaw is 1513 Doug. vi xii heading.
The seir punitioun of sawlis in purgatorye c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1406.
Thow dang seir Sutheroun to the ground(c) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiv 27.
Sa costly aray Scho had … & of schere schape, & syndri wise
3. comb. In sere-wise adv., in different ways. But perhaps merely a further instance of Service n. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii 515.
& hyre prayere quhen scho had Ser-wyse to God deuotely mad, A licht of hewine rathly schane
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"Ser adv., adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/sere_adv_adj>
