An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language / in which the words are explained in their different senses, authorized by the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and deduced from their originals

by John Jamieson

MAIR, MAIRE, MARE, s.
1. An officer attending a sheriff for executions and arrestments, S.
Acts Ja. I.
2. Maire of fee, a hereditary officer under the crown, whose power resembled that of sheriff-substitute in our times.
Acts Ja. I.

Gael. maor, an officer; C. B. maer, a ruler; Arm. maier, the head of a village; Fr. maire, anc. maier, a mayor; Alem. mer, a prince.

3. The first magistrate of a royal borough.
Wallace.

MAIR, adj. More.
V. [Mare].

MAIRDIL, adj. Unwieldy, Ang.

Apparently from Gael. muirtamhuil, heavy, pron. nearly as the S. term.

MAIRATOUR, adv. Moreover, S. B.
Ross.

MAIROUIR, MAIROUR, adv. Moreover.
Abp. Hamiltoun.

MAIRT, s. Winter provision.
V. [Mart].

MAIS, conj. But; Fr.
Bannatyne P.