Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WARE, n.4 Also wair; war (Gall. 1828 W. McDowall Poems 22), warre, waur; vare (Wgt. 1705 Session Bk. Wigtown (1934) 89; Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 355), vair (Wgt. 1705 Session Bk. Wigtown (1934) 80), ver, varre (Wgt. 1704 Ib. 65). [wer, wɑr]

1. Spring, springtime (Gall. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis s.v. Veir; Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 693; Cld., Ayr., Gall. 1825 Jam.; Abd. 1870, ver; Uls. 1953 Traynor, s.v. Voar); specif. cold bleak weather during the season of spring (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 355). Also attrib. Also in n.Eng. dial.Wgt. 1704 Session Bk. Wigtown (1934) 67:
On a warre night [they] came both into her house and drank a chopine of ale.
Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 334:
The Ware Evening is long and tough, The Harvest Evening runs soon o'er the Heugh.
Ayr. 1776 A. Edgar Old Church Life (1885) 335:
About Ware last, he fought his cock with the minister's cock on a Sabbath day.
Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 113:
The blow was ettled at a tall ane, A braw ware cock.
Dmf. 1820 J. Johnstone Poems 26:
I'll be as blythe as birds in wair.
Uls. 1898 S. MacManus Bend of the Road iii.:
He'll go to him the throngest day of Ware, an' the warmest day in Harwust.
Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 355:
It is as cold as a day in ware.

2. Combs. and deriv.: (1) wair-ben, a spring salmon (Dmf. 1825 Jam., s.v. Ben; Gall. 1930 Fishery Board Gl.). See Ben, n.5; (2) warclost [misreading for -close], the end of spring; (3) ware-day, the first day of spring (Uls. 1953 Traynor, s.v. Voar). Comb. lang war day, see Lang, adj., 6. (58); (4) wairie, of weather: cold, hard, bleak, unproductive (Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 355); (5) ware-quarter, the season of spring, the months of February to April (Wgt. 1877 G. Fraser Sketches 89); (6) ware-time, spring (Peb., Rxb., Slk. 1825 Jam.; Kcb. 1900). Also fig., the early period of one's life (Ib. Jam.)(2) Gall. 1703 Session Bk. Minnigaff (1939) 119:
This was in warclost a little before Mayday.
(3) Dmf. 1861 R. Quinn Heather Lintie 157:
In winter, anent her, The birds resume their ware day sang.
Uls. 1899 S. MacManus Chimney Corners 159:
Hire till the Ware-day comes round again.
(5) Wgt. 1711 Session Bk. Wigtown (1934) 175:
Aprill 20th to Alexander Reid for Ware quarter . . . £1.
Wgt. 1762 Session Papers, Cutlar v. M'Clellan (10 Jan.) 14:
Mrs Cutlar died the Wair Quarter preceeding the said Term [Whitsunday].
(6) Slk. 1820 Hogg Tales (1865) 109:
I fleechyt Eleesabett noore to let us torfell in the waretyme of owir raik.
Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 37:
Many a farmer leaves pieces of work in spring and the summer to be done in the backen; but when that period arrives, they are still left undone, perhaps to the next waurtime.
Kcb. c.1880 Vale of Urr Verses MS.:
The ware time is sair time.

[O.Sc. ware, c.1375, id., Gen.Sc. form, now almost entirely confined to sm.Sc., from O.N. vár, id. For I.Sc. forms see Voar.]

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

"Ware n.4". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/ware_n4>

28977

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: