warison

English

Alternative forms

• warrison

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Scots warisoun, from Middle English warisoun (“reward, punishment”), from Old Northern French warison, variant garison, guarison. Doublet of garrison.

The change in sense from "reward" to "bugle call" arose from Walter Scott's apparent misinterpretation of a line in the Middle English text The Battle of Otterburn, equivalent to modern English "Minstrels, play up for your warison".

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɒɹɪsən/, /ˈwɒɹɪzən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɔɹəsən/, /ˈwɔɹəzən/, /ˈwɑɹ-/

Noun

warison (plural warisons)

1. (obsolete) A war cry played to order the soldiers to attack (normally played on a bugle).
   • 1805, Walter Scott, “Canto Fourth”, in The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem, London: […] [James Ballantyne] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […], and A[rchibald] Constable and Co., […], →OCLC, stanza XXI, page 112:

     Then since a lone and widowed Dame / These restless riders may not tame, / Either receive within thy towers / Two hundred of my master’s powers, / Or straight they sound their warison§, / And storm and spoil thy garrison; […]

     § Note of assault.

Middle English

Noun

warison

1. alternative form of warisoun

Old French

Noun

warison oblique singular, f (oblique plural warisons, nominative singular warison, nominative plural warisons)

1. alternative form of garison