Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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‡SAIRIE, adj. Also sairy, serie, sar(r)y, sarrie, sorry. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. sorry. [′sere]

1. Sad, doleful, sorrowful.Rnf. 1838 Whistle-Binkie 58:
And for a "serie something," Had he wauchled wast to see me.Sc. 1851 Tait's Mag. (Aug.) 460:
I grew serie, and couldna enjoy mysel' through the day or sleep at nicht.Sc. 1929 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 400:
Mony a sairy sicht it saw.Sc. 1991 T. S. Law in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 31:
In siccan a dreech ootlin orrie airt
ane wurld an groo but growthieness
that skyles in aa its sairie stanes
or the groo gangs lirt i the luft
sae nane may lippen ont. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 9:
Syne will each stoundit sairie sowel
Tae its ain gash corp mak mane an say:
"Hech me! Whit for hae ye revived
Tae bring on baith o us sic wae? .. " Edb. 1999:
She's been a sorry wumman since her man died.

2. Serious, solemn.Lnk. 1808 W. Watson Poems 68:
At tents, e'en on a preachin' day, When fo'k soud a' be sairy.Lnk. 1827 J. Watt Poems 51:
They turn obscene wha war fu' sarrie, Afore they bowz'd.Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms Intro. 1.:
The Psalms, Lilts, or Kirk-Sangs, hae maist o' them a gran', heigh, sary sugh.Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 17:
A sairie lokkin' face had he.

3. In a poor or sorry state, pitiable, woeful, incompetent, paltry.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 138:
He's a sarry cook that may not lick his own fingers.Ayr. 1793 Burns O, Ay my Wife ii.:
Some sairie comfort at the last.wm.Sc. 1837 Laird of Logan (1868) 546:
A whistle to make o' the castle lum To sowf his music sae sairie, O!Sc. 1862 A. Hislop Proverbs 255:
Sairy be your meal-pock, and aye your nieve i' the neuk o't.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr. Duguid 283:
I was juist thinkin' to mysel' t'ou wad mak a sary Solomon!Sc. 1896 A. Cheviot Proverbs 209:
It's a sairy collop that's ta'en aff a chicken.

4. Used as an epithet of compassion or affection, = "poor old — ". Freq. in addressing pet animals (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Sc. a.1706 J. Watson Choice Coll. i. 69:
Now, what could sery Heck do mair, syne kill her dead?Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 291:
Sary Man, and then he grat.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 19:
His Dog its lane sat yowling on a Brae; I cry'd, Isk-isk, — poor Ringwood, — sairy Man.Sc. a.1813 A. Murray Hist. Eur. Langs. (1823) I. 439:
In Scotch, a sairy man, or sairy body, is a poor innocent almost silly creature, to be pitied but not despised.