Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

COMPEAR, Compeir, Compere, Compare, v. [kəm′pi:r, kəm′pe:r]

1. (1) To appear in court as a party to a cause either in person or by counsel. Still sometimes found in official documents.Sc. 1736 Unknown Poems of Allan Ramsay in Scots Mag. (April 1932) 18:
To compere with one accord Before Tribunall of the Lord.
Sc. 1822 Scott Letters (1934) VII. 216:
I will not fail to compear on Tuesday.
wm.Sc. 1980 Anna Blair The Rowan on the Ridge 87:
In July David Blair and Ann Muir compeired before the Dundonald Kirk Session and stated that, having made an irregular marriage, they now declared themselves wedded persons.
Sth. 1739 C. D. Bentinck Dornoch Cath. and Par. (1926) xii.:
One man had to crave the indulgence of the Session for his failure to obey their citation on the plea “that he could not Compear before the Session on a Weekday.”
Mearns 1720 Baron Court Bk. of Urie (S.H.S. 1892) 117:
Elspeth Donald, . . . compeiring personallie (and owning the hog to be hers).
Rxb. 1705 Minutes Jedburgh Council Meeting in Border Mag. (Oct. 1934) 159:
The said day William Broun, post at Hawick, haveing compeired befor provest Scott and Baillie Cranstoun.

Hence compearance, a formal appearance in court as party to a cause.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xiv.:
The justice took the word o' the tane for the compearance o' the tither.

(2) To appear before a congregation for rebuke or for examination by a jury.Bnff. 1831 W. Cramond in Trans. Bnffsh. Field Club (1884) 89:
This is the last public appearance in this church recorded, except that in 1831, May 15, five persons compeared before the congregation, and were publicly rebuked.
Abd.(D) 1877 W. Alexander North. Rural Life in 18th Cent. xxv.:
When a case of infanticide had occurred. . . the mode adopted was to order all the “free” or unmarried women to “compear” at the kirk; and there . . . individually to satisfy a jury of midwives that none of them had given birth to the defunct infant.
Kcb. 1716 Session Minutes Kelton Par. Church (15 April):
John Smith compeared this day for the second time before the congregation.

2. To present oneself, appear.Abd. 1724–25 W. Orem Descr. Old Abd. in Biblioth. Topog. Britannica (1782) V. iii. 52:
The beggars within the town shall compare within the Kirk . . . to receive their tokens.
Lnk. 1930 T. S. Cairncross in Scots Mag. (Jan.) 301:
I [beadle] 'll syne compear afore the minister. I'll tosche my curls, pit on a wee bit birr.
Dmf. [1777] J. Mayne Siller Gun (1836) 152:
What tho', Dumfries, some awkward blades Compear'd wi' muskets and cockades.

[O.Sc. compere, compeir, compear, compair, to appear, as a formal act, esp. in a court of justice or before some person in authority, from 1450; to present oneself, from c.1480 (D.O.S.T.), through Fr. (now arch.) comparoir (pres. Indic. sing. compere). from Lat. comparere, id.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Compear v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/compear>

7195

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: