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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.

Ten(n)o(u)r(e, -ur, n. Also: -owr(e, -er, tenwre, -eur, -aur, -oar. [ME and e.m.E. tenur (Cursor M.), tenor (Trevisa), tenour, -ure (both 14th c.), teneur (1413-22), tener (1526), tenner (1562), OF teno(u)r.]

I. 1. The meaning, substance or import a. Of a legal document. b. Of other writings. c. The wording used to convey this. Also const. word be word.Also pl.a., b., c. c1379 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 1.
I will at the landys be haldyn eftyr the tenovr of the ald charterys 1385 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 7.
Tenur 1398–9 Acts I 211/1.
Officeris … sal ansuer … as to the kyngis awyn letteres in all thyngis that til office pertenys efter the tenour of this act c1420 Wynt. v 810.
Be lettrys till hym send He saw, and be thare tenore [C. tenor, W. tennoure] kend That he wes chosyn empryowre c1420 Wynt. vii 2056.
Rychard … As a qwyt-cleme … Be lettyre he gave in fayre tenwre [C. tenoure] And othir mony fredwmys ma In to that lettyr war put alsua c1420 Wynt. vi 1312.
Tenowre 1422 Fam. Rose 125.
We haf grantit and giffin … fourti markes of the relefe of your landez … be the teneur of this lettres, to the quhilk we our seele we haf gert beput 1482–3 Acta Conc. II cxi.
The some of xx^ti merkis … aucht to him for the releif of the said Robertis landis efter the forme and tenour of ane instrument 1485 Lag Chart. 53.
The day of the perambuling and dividing of the saidis landis of the quhilk breif the tenore folowis worde be wourde and is thus 1495 Reg. Cupar A. I 246.
The said Patrick Bunch, Annabel, his spous [etc.] … sal bruke and jos … al priuelege of burgh in baronry eftir the tenor of our infeftment gevyn til ws thairapon 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I 83.
This to all quham it efferis, we mak knawin by the tenore of thir our lettres c1510 Prester John 310.
Ȝe sall vnderstand be the tenour of thir presenttis … that we knaw [etc.] 1513 Reg. Panmure II 282.
I Dauid Liddall … be the tenor of this writt cumis, leall trew man … to … schir Thomas Mauil 1517 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 44.
The inquest … passit be the tenor of the kingis breives Jonet Rutherfurd … westit and sesit of v lib. of land 1518 Peebles Chart. 48.
To cum and fynd lawborowis and to vnderly our souerane lordis lawis efter the tenour of thir our souerane lordis letteris within writtyn 1519–20 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 194.
My lord governouris writtingis of the quhilkis the tenour followis 1533 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 92.
And the assedation of the samyn … efter tener of our souerane lordis lettres a1538 Abell 83a.
Quhen I oblis me to keip my lettir of tak … I man keip the bundis of it eftir the tenour of my writ for it is ane rewll of law 1542–3 Acts II 417/2.
Of the quhilkis indorsationis the tenour followis 1543 Boyd Fam. P. No. 20 (8 May).
To haif sett & for maill lattin & be the tenaur of thir presents settis and for maill latt [etc.] 1549 Compl. 117/35.
He apnit the vrytingis to red the tenor of them 1567 Rec. Earld. Orkney 124.
Tenoar 1592 Acts Sederunt ii 19.
That … thay will juge … clausis irritant, conteint in contractis, takis [etc.] … according to the wordis and meining of the said clausis irritant, and efter the forme and tenor thairof a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 79.
The lords admitted the defender to produce the contract … albeit the persewar had proven a contract of ane wther tenor 1638 Act Gen. Assembly (1682) 31.
The tennour thereof to be followed out efoldly as the samine is laid out in the said proclamation 1657 Blackhalls 157.
The tenor of the precept of seasing followis word by word, nothing altered, eikit nor impairit ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. I 103.
That evry presbytrye have a coppy of the Comissione to be givne to ther Comissioners, the tenour wherof was lyckwayes sent alonge to them in wryttepl. 1449–60 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 370.
Nochtwythstandyng ony letteres of our predicessouris grantyt tyl our said burroyis … or ony other tenourez be the qwhilkis we wyll nocht that thai extend to mak ony mynwsyng(b) c1420 Wynt. v 816 (W) (see above).
Tennoure c1420 Wynt. viii 2899.
Be the tennowre full [weil] thai kend, That Jhon the Cumyne thai lettrys send 1420 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 181.
Tennor 1473 Edinb. B. Rec. I 27.
The tennour of the quhilk statutis rewllis and devyissis followis a1500 Seven S. 153. 1535 Stewart 30807.
Tha maid the tennour of thair band, With seillis braid subscriuit with thair hand, Betuix thir kingis 1535 Stewart 31434.
The messinger … Is passit syne, quhair he fand thame … quhome to his credens schew, … Ilk word be word to thame baith les and moir, With all the tennour that ȝe hard befoir 1549 Lamb Resonyng 133/21.
Tennour c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 810.
Scho in hand ane letter had … quhais tennour is sequent 1555 Glenartney Doc.
Expres aganis the tennour of the actis of parliament 1558-66 Knox II 337.
The tennour of the supplicatioun redd in oppen audience … was this: ‘To the Quenis Majestie [etc.]’ 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 97.
The tennor of quhilk recordis … do heir follow 1584 Boyd Fam. P. No. 68 (4 Nov.).
William Hunter … be the tennur heirof willis grantis and consentis [etc.] 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 237.
Ane prayer and coniuracioune … quhairof the tennour followis 1622-6 Bisset I 108/33.
Quhilk lettir … proported the tennour and contentis following 1622-6 Bisset I 205/15.
That na tennour of letteres of horning … Sall be admitted to be provin be witnese 1658 Stirling Merch. Guild 69.
The prenteis admittit contrair to the tennor of this said act sall not [etc.] 1663 Inverness Rec. II 215.
The saids persones to prosecute the tenner and will of the said act

d. To prove (probation of) the tenor of (a legal document), to establish the contents of a lost document. a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 82.
If any man's evidents be burnt … he may sumond all pairties … togidder with the tenor and effect of the saids evidents, proven be diverse famous wittnesses who heard saw and read the samen a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 82.
Adminicles lybelled for probation of the tenor of ane evident most be produced 1681 Stair Inst. iv xxxii § 2.
When writ hath been … lost or destroyed … witnesses cannot be rejected, either to prove the fact, where the writ is only for probation, or to prove the tenor of the writ, that it may remain for probation, or to prove the tenor, where the proving of the fact will not suffice, in respect the writ is a necessary solemnity

2. The process or method by which a, freq. legal, procedure is carried out, the substance of such a procedure; the meaning, import or intention of an action, event, etc. b. The procedure followed by a government office or governmental body. 1450 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 151.
To gar thai boundis … obseruit … eftir the tenor of ane perambulatioune maid tharupon a1500 Henr. Fab. 880.
I gif commandement For to compeir befoir my tribunall … Efter the tennour of the cry … all beistis … As thay commandit wer … Befoir thair lord … appeird 1498 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 83.
The tenour & wordes comprisit in the trewis and leage late concludit 1532 Wigtown B. Ct. 269b.
& the connotione fand that euerie nechbovre sovuld flag & gutter … eftir the tennovre of oure soveran lordis keis 1535–6 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 163.
The preiff leid be George Curror is passit with hyme be tenor of the second productioun and preif becaus thai concordis in all 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 116.
Incontrair the tennour of his promeis 1576 Reg. Soltre 231.
The provest and chaptour decernit the samyn vacand … nocht keipand the tennour of the fundatioun 1627 Aberd. Council Lett. I 267.
If it will please you to … write to me the tennor of your desiresb. 1516 Treas. Acc. V 82.
To Johne Davidsone … in pensioun and fee for his services done … efter the tenour of the kingis prevaye seill 1575 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 283.
Eftir the affensing of the court conform to the tennour of the said commissioun

3. The arrangement or ordering of a military force or battle. 1460 Hay Alex. 1498.
Antigone … Gart his futmen ga mak the first assailȝe To brak the tenour of his first battalȝe

II. 4. The tenor part in a musical composition. Also pl.‘In medieval polyphony, the low-lying vocal or instrumental part which carries the chief … melody of the composition.' H. H. Carter A Dictionary of Middle English Musical Terms. 1562-92 Wode's Psalter in Music of Scotl. 170.
The Tenor is the ground but doubt, Deame, fill a drink, I sall sing siccar 15.. Clar. ii 1756.
Ane squyer … sang the tennour wonder plesandlie 15.. Clar. iv 1829.
The king … sang ane tennor … And scho the trubill a1578 Pitsc. I 233/17.
They could pleay and singe tuo pairtis, the on the tribill the wther the tennour c1550-c1580 Art of Music 32.
In the subsequent exemple the mid noit of the tenor … throw aucthoritie of canon is deducit c1550-c1580 Art of Music 34b (see Newme n.). 1583 Perth Kirk S. in Lawson Bk. Perth 152.
Ordains John Swinton (precentor), first, to keep only the tenor in the Psalm a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 88 (Wr.).
Treble, Tenor, Counter, Meene 1562–92 Wode's Psalter in Sc. Ch. Hist. Soc. Rec. I 42.
I have thought gude to make it knawin wha sett the thre pairtes to, and agreable to the tenor, or common pairt of the Psalme buke … I was ever requesting … till they were all set … I oft did wreat to Maister Andro Blakehall, to Jhone Angus, and sum Andro Kempe set, sa I notit tenors, and send sum to Mussilbrough and sum to Dunfarmling 1562–92 Wode's Psalter in D. J. Ross Musick Fyne 68.
Tennowrpl. 1562-92 Wode's Psalter (ed.) 156.
Tenoris to sing upon 1562-92 Wode's Psalter (ed.) 194.
I notit tenors