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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
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Partial(l, Parcial(l, a. Also: pars-, perc(h)-, pertand -ial(l)e, -eale, -eall, -iell. [Late ME. (Lydgate) and e.m.E. (1526) parciall, perciall (a 1548), partial (c 1585), OF. parcial (14th c. in Godef.), MF. partial, late and med. L. partialis.] Partial.

1. Unduly favouring one party in a dispute rather than another; unduly favourable to (one party); biased; prejudiced.Also, wrongfully favouring one's own interests or those of one's own party.Also (only in Rolland Ct. Venus) in more neutral sense, = favourable, in support.

a. Of persons.(1) predic. c1460 Regim. Princ. 117 (Marchm.).
Trev men … Quhilkis war nouthir wrechit gredy na parciale [F. perchiale] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 9926.
To na man be parciall 1471 Acta Aud. 17/1.
That the Erle of Angus quhilk is juge ordinare to him … in the said action is parciale to him 1490 Irland Mir. I. 14/6.
And jn thi presens men will nocht be sa parciell as in thi absence 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II. 347.
The sade Alexander … is parciale in all materis concernyng the sade Jhone 1501 Ib. III. 27. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3861.
Judges consistoriall Quhilk hes bene sa prolixt and partiall To the great hurt of the communitie c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii. 237.
I thame hald partiall For … thay luifit neuer me Id. Seven S. 1426. 1562 Reg. Privy C. I. 211.
[He] declarit him [the witness] partiall 1566 Ib. 443. 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvii. 1.
Pernitious peple perciall in despyte Susanis judges 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 65/6.
Gif I ualde nocht be thocht partiall 1622-6 Bisset I. 174/18.attrib. 1489 Lennox Mun. 128.
[The king's murder] is masterfully colourit and mantenit be the parciall persons vnderwritin 1498 Acta Conc. II. 222.
The wrangus … withhalding … of … oxin … made in maner of prising thairof be parciale folkis 1521 Dundee B. Ct. I. 59 b.
The bailȝeis for waiknes of court & for pertiall assessouris insuspect has contynewit the actoune 1565 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 31.
In calling him ane parseall juge with his adversarie agannis him a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 8.
The parciall jure 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 119/5.
It becumis you not to be follouid uith partiall or factiouse seruandis(2) c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 427.
And on thy part thow sall haif few partiall Ib. iii. 134.
Quha dar tak thy part this day partiall In all this court?

b. Of legal and other proceedings, legal judgements, legislation, etc. Also transf.Partial counsale, advice or assistance given improperly to one party, by a judge, juror, witness or other member of court.(1) 1480 Acta Conc. I. 53/1.
His wrangwise inordinat and parceale proceding in the servyng of a brefe of inquest 1499–1500 Ib. II. 400. 1501 Ib. III. 83. 1501–2 Ib. 171.
His wrangus … and perciale proces … becaus he made nocht the sade breif til be proclamyt at the mercat cors … opinly before witnes(2) 1510 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 96.
Alexander Gray … suer that he had giffin parcial consaile with the said Loky Patersone agains the said Dauid and Androu 1525 Douglas Corr. 103.
Withe ane parciall evill avisit consale agains the law of God and haly kirk 1536 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 134.
[The] procuratouris … proponit exceptiones … aganis scribe for his partial consell as thai allegit 1540 Acts II. 374/2.
Without ony pertiale counsale rewardis or buddis taking 1565 Perth B. Ct. 282.
The witnes … suorn and purgit of parciale counsall Ib. 289.
Patrik Murray bailȝe to purge him of parciall counsall 1566 St. A. Kirk S. 288. c1460 Regim. Princ. 72 (Maitl.).
With pertiale counsale in to priuite 1616 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 72.
Giltie of partiall counsall 1622-6 Bisset I. 175/6.
Gif they [judges] be thair aytht judiciallie purdge thame self of partiall counsall a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 221. 1696 Cramond Kirk S. IV. 27 Mar.
Barbara Pillans … being solemnly sworn and purged of partiall counsell or prejudice 1700 Acts X. App. 140/1.(3) 1489 Lennox Mun. 130.
The trew barownis … be the masterfull and parciall menys of the said personis … ar disherist and distroyit 1491 Ib. 143.
That nowdir of the saidis partis sall tak partiale part with thar awn folkis c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 129 (B).
I me confes Of parciall jugeing Id. xiv. 26 (M).
So meikill tressoun so mony parciall sawis 1528 Douglas Corr. 130.
Our said souerane … without malicius or perciale wayis has procedit in … the materis of cryme impute to … [the] Erle of Angus 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2666 (B).
And thruche lawis consistoriell Prolixt corrupt and pertiall 1548 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) Drummond v. Drummond.
Ane parciall decrete 1581 Cal. Sc. P. VI. 18.
I saw such parciall dealing against me(4) transf. 1567 Cal. Sc. P. II. 330.
[That] most parciall and onressonable day of lawe apoyntyt for the clengyng of hyme

2. a. ? Divided into groups or rival sections. 1549 Compl. 144/30.
At that tyme al men var egal & nocht partial nor deuidit

b. ? As a share falling to a particular individual, particular, personal; ? shared. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus Prol. 224.
And … of the seuin planetis all Ilk man takis his proper part partiall a1578 Pitsc. I. 87/27.
That the iniurieis done to ony of them … sould be equall pertiall to thame all

3. That constitutes (? only) a part of a whole: ? not total; ? constituent, component. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 14 b.
In this description the larg alwayis is fund to be the figur totall and dyesis allwayis parcialle. The leiff forsuith intermedialis totalis and parcialis ar nemmit