† affeir, affere, v. north. dial.
[a. OFr. afer-ir, affer-ir, to belong, pertain; impers. afiert it belongs, behoves; (Pr. afferir):—late L. *afferīre, f. ad to + ferīre to strike, fig. to reach, affect. Though common in Anglo-Fr., aferir seems to have been adopted only in north. Eng. and Sc., where it is retained, esp. in Sc. law, to the present day, and usually spelt effeir.]
impers. To fall by right, appertain, become, be proper or meet.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 162, I sall..Hald It, as It afferis to king. c 1450 Merlin 225 And dide hym grete honour as affiered to so high a man. 1470 Harding Chron. xciij, As to suche a prince of nature should affere. 1513 Douglas Eneis v. iii. 54 To turn agane, as thaim afferis. 1552 Lyndesay Dreme (1866) 279 Sum swyft, sum slaw, as to thare kynde afferis. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 21 He salbe punissed conforme to the maner & quantitie of the crime, as affeires of Law. |