adv., prep., adj., sb. Sc. Forms: 5 thwortour, thuortour, thourtour, 5–6 thortour, 6 -ouro, -yr, -ir, -ar, (thortwart), 7 thorture, 6– thorter. [In early forms thwortour, thuortour, thortour, Sc. forms of THWARTOVER: cf. Sc. a-thort = a-thwart. The second element has been so weakened as to appear a mere suffix, as in easter, wester, etc. Thortwart is a deformation.]
† A. adv. Athwart, across, crosswise. Obs. rare.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 1110. Feill off thaim dede fell thwortour in [= into] the fyr.
B. prep. Athwart, across, overthwart.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. vi. (S.T.S.), I. 39. Incontinent þe buschment foresaid come thortoure þare gate.
1609. Sc. Acts Jas. VI. (1816), IV. 443/2. Landis … beginnand at þe watter of Tarress … To rowaneburne and thorter Ingreis ȝeattis by the fute of magilwod.
1897. Ld. E. Hamilton, Outlaws, xviii. 209. You daurna show your face thorter the water.
C. adj. Crossing, lying athwart, transverse. Thorter land, land lying across or beyond a certain area, outer land; thorter way, a cross-way; so thorter lane, road, etc.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 540. A cleuch thar was, quharoff a strenth thai maid With thuortour treis. Ibid., IX. 1632. A thourtour bande, that all the drawcht wpbar, He cuttyt it.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 569. In ane thourtour way, Seir gaitis pas thay…. Thus partit thay twa.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, II. xvi. (S.T.S.), I. 194. Sic thingis done, he past fordwart with thortoure passage in [= into] þe latyne way.
1535. Aberd. Reg., XV. (Jam.). To remoif, red, & flit out of the said inland thortyrland, yard, & forentres.
1580. Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1882), IV. 185. To caus mak sufficient thorter barris of irne, and infix thaim in the window of the mid hous.
1814. North. Antiq., 404 (Jam.). To look through an elf-bore in wood, where a thorter-knot … has been taken out.
Mod. Forming part of local names: there is in Dundee a ‘Thorter Row,’ which ‘crosses’ between the Nethergate and Overgate; in Hawick ‘Thorter Dykes,’ beyond the Loan-head, etc.
† b. Coming athwart; obstructing, opposing.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. v. (S.T.S.), I. 35. The sabyne ladyis … be preiss of þair thortwart cuming devidit & put sindry þe armit oistis. Ibid. (1536), Cron. Scot., III. iv. (1541), 27/1. Sa agill of thair bodyis, that thay may dant all thortour and difficill gatis.
† D. sb. Opposition, obstruction, resistance.
1581. J. Melvill, Diary (Wodrow Soc.), 124. The thrid thortar and debat quhilk he haid was with the provist, bailyies, and counsall … about their ministerie. Ibid. (1598), 532. Anent quhatsoevir the thorteris and accidentis fallin out.
Hence Thorter v. trans. and intr., to cross the path or way of; to thwart or oppose (a person); hence Thortering vbl. sb., thwarting, resisting; † Thortersome a., tending to thwart, obstructive.
1608. Jas. VI., Lett., in Calderwood, Hist. Ch. Scot. (1678), 581. Their willingness … hath been ever *thortered and impeded by too many … Advocations.
1671. M. Bruce, Gd. News in Evil Times (1708), 46. There is much Thortering with, and Murdering of Light in Scotland now, but Thortering of Light shall be the drearysomest Sin that ever Scotland had.
1890. J. Service, Thir Notandums, xiv. 101. They [witches] made wee maiks oot o’ clay … of them that had thortered them, stappin’ the maiks fu o’ preens.
1606. Birnie, Kirk-Buriall (1833), 30. The passage so impeshed with *thortersome throughes.
