Obs. Forms: 4–5 tarien, 5 teryyn, (tarry), 5–6 tarie, -ye, (tarrie), tary. [ME. tery-yn, tari-en appears to represent in form and sense both OE. tęrȝan, *tærȝ(e)an, tyrian, *tęrian, to provoke, and OF. tarier to provoke, excite, in F. dial. to vex, irritate, torment, tease (of doubtful origin). In so far as tary was of OE. origin, it was a doublet of TAR v.2 See Note.]
1. trans. To provoke, vex, worry, harass.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter cv[i]. 8[7]. Þai taried [irritaverunt] vpsteȝand in se, Rede se.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter, ibid., Tariden.
13[?]. Cursor M., 28153. I womman haue vn-buxum bene And tarid myn husband to tene.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1189. Þa þat wille him folow, he … scores and taries in his nedes.
1387. (MS. c. 1410) Trevisa, trans. Higden (Rolls), V. 355. Þe kynges … sone … gan to tarry [v.r. terre; orig. lacessivit] and to angre þe Longobardes wiþ despitous wordes.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7287. He was tarriet with the Troiens, & tenit full euyll.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 489/2. Teryyn, or ertyn. [Ertyn, irrito.]
c. 1440. Psalmi Penit. (1894), 38. Yn this world ys no scharpur arwe, Than the turment [MS. turnement] that me gan tarie [rhyme marie].
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 176. Kingis to marie, and sum to tarie, Sic is his power and mycht.
2. To weary, tire, fatigue. (Cf. TAR v.2 2.)
c. 1375. in T. Wright, Rel. Antiq., I. 9. Fatigatus, y-taried.
Hence † Tarying, teryynge vbl. sb., provoking; † Taryer, teryare, a provoker, vexer; † Taryingness, provocation.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xciv. 9 [xcv. 8]. Als aftre dai in taryingnesse Ofe fandinge in wildernesse.
a. 1400. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), II. xxii. Of tarienges & temptacions that Soules fele bi her ghostly enmyes.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 489/2. Teryare, or ertare, irritator.… Teryynge, or ertynge, irritacio.
[Note. The form teryyn (= tery-en, teri-en) in Promp. Parv., with its derivatives teryare, teryynge, points to OE. tęrȝan, with the palatal ȝ reduced to y consonant or i, as in the actually recorded late OE. form tyrian (imper. tyrie, pa.t. tyrȝde, tyriȝde, tyride), giving a ME. teri-en (tery-yn), with a variant tary-en, tari-en, perh. from an Anglian *tærȝ(e)an, as in weryen, warien, from OE. węrȝean, wærȝean, więrȝan, wyrȝian, wyrian, WARRY, to curse. The coincidence of tarien in form and meaning with OF. tarier would tend to reinforce it as the leading form. It is noteworthy that ME. examples of tary- are not known before c. 1300, and that tery- is cited only from Promp. Parv. As to possible connection with TARRY see Note to that vb.]
