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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Commonté, Commounté, n. Also: commonti(e, -ty(e, -dtye; comonté, -tie; comunté, commountee, -tie, -ty(e; comown-, com(o)untie. [ME. comonté, comounté (1387), OF. comuneté: cf. Commonité,n.]

1. Possession or enjoyment (of land) in common with others.(a) c 1400 Newbattle Charter (Reg. H.).
Nor ȝeit the said abbot and monkis … sal tak to tham ony rycht, properte [or] commonte, vithout the marches grantit to tham 1466 Reg. Great S. 215/1.
Jhonne … sall brouke comoun pastour and fewell … in oure south mure of commonti 1504 Reg. Cupar A. I. 256.
Hafand … thair fewell in our monk myr … with commonteis of the Baitchehil and Causa end 1545 Ib. II. 51; etc.
Hawand thair commonte in the mwre of Montkell 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Breve.
Anent the propertie and commontie of landes(b) 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 33.
The saidis George, Iohnne, & Master George war in lachfull possessioune of commounte of the saidis landis 1540 Acts II. 379/2.
With commounty in the muris, mosis and myris of Oure and Nether Lifty 1635 Peebles Gleanings 206.
By debarring all utheris from doing of all deidis ather of propertie or commountie within the saidis boundis 1680 Conv. Burghs IV. 22.
Their haill comon good … consists mainly of their … harbor and comountie of their mure

b. In commonté, in common, as common property. 1535 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 186.
The mur of Brechyn with the pertinentis pertenyng to thaim in commonte 1537 Rec. Kinloss Mon. 145.
It sal be leisum to the said Patrick … to eit the girs of the said corn land … in commonty 1577 Reg. Cupar A. II. 130.
Certane faldis of corne land, allegit be the said George to pertene to him in commonte 1578 Aberd. Chart. 338.
The corne land be wast the said saucer stane to … ly ley and to ly in commonty 1606 Acts IV. 283/2.
All commoun kirks, pertening of auld to the saidis Bishoppis and thair chaptour in commountie 1641 Peebles B. Rec. 106.
His Majestie … disponit to the said brugh in commontie … the landes of Glentrase

c. The fact of sharing or having in common. 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. x. 14.
This sepulchral communion for the commonty of it, none should contemn 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. xix. § 2.
One of these … who have right to a commonty of these things, which is the subject matter of the commonty

2. Land possessed or used in common; a common.In very common use after 1500.(a) 1450 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 143.
The marchis off the landis off Menmur bayth off propirtye and commontye 1505 Reg. Cupar A. I. 261.
Tua kyis grys in the commonteis of the Baitchelhil and Gallaraw 1519 Reg. Panmure II. 292.
The comonte of the said landis salbe devidit be us 1535 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 188.
The haill mur to be commonte to the … citenaris of Brechyn 1549 Reg. Cupar A. II. 60.
Providing alway that the saidis … sall nocht appropriatt nane of the commonte to thame selffis 1555 Peebles B. Rec. 213.
[The council] ordanis ane man to be conducit to … pasture thair yeild nolt in thair commonte 1580 Inverness B. Rec. I. 278.
Iohne Cuthbert … allegis that ane equall partitioun … aucht to be tane vpon quhatsumeuir … land laitlie rewin out or to be rewin, the commontie being exceptit 1592 Ann. Banff I. 56.
That no person cast feall or diffet on the commontie be north the gait 1609 Stirling B. Rec. I. 122.
Johnne Scott … becumes in will for ryving up of the tounes commontie & the kingis hie gait in the burrow mure 1651 Elgin Rec. I. 290.
Fursday next … is appoynted to go to the commontie besyd Auldrochtie 1664 Fraser P. 157.
Sieing the said peice of brunt land was ower far incrotched vpone the said commontie 1683 Decis. Lords F. 46.
Sir Patrick, as being infeft in a miln, had right to affix his damm upon the end of a commonty(b) 1556 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 295.
To cast, win, and leid fewall, faill and dewatt vpoun the commounty of the towne 1566 Reg. Great S. 208/2.
Fodiendi cespites seu glebas … in lie commountie de Clene 1588 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 121.
To latt furth and sett in few … samekle of thair east and west landis of thair commountie 1600 Acts IV. 228/1.
Nochtwithstanding quhairof diuers persones hes ryvin out … great portionis of the samin commounteis 1628 Ann. Banff I. 58.
The cunyngair of the burgh … and comownties of the burgh benorthe the Kingis hie gait 1631 Ib. 66.
It is ordanit that na indueller cast, … feall in onye pairt of the said comountie 1665 Peebles. B. Rec. II. 62.
That in all tyme comeing the commountie of Glentres and Hethpoole be visite and gone about be the haill inhabitantes yearlie

3. The community; the body of the people. 1456 Hay II. 28/14.
Quhen nede war, to assemble the folk for the prouffit of the commountee 1458 Peebles B. Rec. 127.
It was concordit be the balyeis and the hal commonteys that ony man [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 1579.
Thir lytill myis ar bot the commountie, Uantoun, vnwyse, without correctioun 1490 Lennox Mun. 141.
The comunte and burges of Renfrew … makis interuptioun and impediment to the said toun of Paslay 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4981.
Twa bathing fattis he maid within the toun, To commountie greit consolatioun 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 7.
The lairdis of Haltoun, … and Pomphrastoun come … to Edinburghe aganis the commontie thairof 1582 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 583.
The scholers of Glasgow were invaidit, … be the bailȝies and commountie gatherit be sound of the commoun bell 1616 Crim. Trials III. 587.
Remove this stinking pompe … of the Scottis Court, and pride of this hautie, fekles, and impotent commontie 1641 Peebles B. Rec. 102.
For careing and leiding of thair fewall and all vther necessaries to the said burgh and commowntie thairof 1666 Glasgow Chart. II. 114.
The proveist, bayllies, counsell and comontie of the said brough of Dumbartane

4. Attrib. with land, teindis. 1537 Rec. Kinloss Mon. 145.
Outwith the said Gilbert and his tennents commonty landis 1572 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 163.
The barne lyand betix the barne of Iohne McBray … at est and the commounte land of Inuernes at the vest — 1618 Reg. Great S. 697/1.
De communi bono … solvi solitis, et presertim … lie commontie teyndis prebendariis dicti collegii