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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Privité, Previté, -itie, Priv-, Prevate(e, n. Also: priw-, prew- and -itee, -ity(e, -yté, -ete(e, -etie, -etey, -ate(e, -aty and pryveté, -até, prywaté; Privacé. [ME privite (Ancr. R.), -ete (a 1240), -ate, -eti (Cursor M.), -etee (Wyclif), -ytee (1470), ME and e.m.E. privyte (c 1290), e.m.E. privity (1531), -itie (1555), pryvete (Caxton), ME and e.m.E. also previte (Cursor M.), prevyte (c 1450), e.m.E. prevete (1528), OF priveté, -ité (a 1200 in Godef.) privacy, a secret, etc., med. L. privitas (1333 in Latham) Privitate n.The (very common) forms in -at- are perhaps conformed to Privat adj., Prevat adj., but cf. Privacé n.]

1. That which one keeps secret. a. One's private thought or counsel; one's secrets. 1375 Barb. x 163 (E).
He … schawyt to sum his preuete [: he; C. preuate] a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 397.
Sancte Colme … wald hyme schaw al priwete That in his thocht consawit he Ib. xxxii 77.
Conuertit to the treutht scho wes Bot that scho held as priuete, Abydand oportunyte Til [etc.] Ib. xxxv 63.
God … Fra quham ma na priwete … conseilite be Ib. xxiv 72, xxvii 444. c1420 Ratis R. 66.
Nane may wyt quhy that suld bee Bot he wyst ilke preuatee That is and was and sal be eft a1500 Sir Eger 338.
Privity a1500 Seven S. 2370.
The knycht him slewe in haist or he Micht discover his prevate 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8929.
Ilk man suld not knaw ladeis preuitie Ib. 5809, 6508.

b. A piece of private or personal or secret business, a secret, esp. an official or state secret. Chiefly plur. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 169 (C).
Whare they myght pryvely Spek what they wold and secrely Of pryvateis [D. prywateis] of thai fals gyles Ib. i 21. c1420 Wynt. iii 339.
Dalyda … scho amang thare preweteis [C. prewateis, W. previteis] Counsaylyde throwcht the Phylisteis 14.. Acts I 338/2.
Gif … ony … tell or revel till other the consail and privateis of the nychtburis or the kingis 1456 Hay I 223/9. 1542 Misc. Bann. C. I 16.
I wolde in no … wise … declair the privities of Scotlande to no prynce Christen

c. God's secrets; the, or a, divine or heavenly mystery.(a) a1400 Leg. S. ii 950.
& syne in Paradis quhare he Herd as he sais priwete Ib. 1043.
God can … schaw to thame his priuete & his ferlyis he leit thame se Ib. xvi 858.
Pryuete Ib. xviii 299.
Thu arte preste & has … His seyre priueteis socht Ib. xxxvi 626.
Of appostolis the voice wes he & of prophetis the priuete Ib. xxvii 1110, 1118, etc. 1456 Hay I 9/1.
That thai understand nocht the southfastnes of Goddis privetee c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 15969.
Dampnit all thai be Saifand the will of goddis private c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 17.
The foure euangelistis ar vndirstandin be iiij figuris of spirituale priuite … Johne … be ane egile [etc.] Ib.
The sacramentis or haly priuiteis of the godhede Id. 2 Thess. ii 7.
Priuitee [after P., L. mysterium](b) a1400 Leg. S. iii 394.
Thu has hard me Spek of the croice the preuete Ib. 398, 400.
‘Lat me se, How turment suld be preuete.’ Androw sad, ‘Sic turment was The preuete mare and lese Of manis restauracione’ Ib. 407. c1420 Ratis R. 377.
Ȝit wmquhill Godis preuate Wirkis the contrar c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 307.
It is nocht spedfull … til inquere our far in … materis of Godis preuate a1500 Henr. Orph. 582 (Bann.).

d. One's intimate or private physical needs. 1375 Barb. v 574 (E).
The king … rycht towart that cowert gais … For to do thar his preuete [C. preuate]

2. a. Privacy, seclusion, secrecy.Freq., in (to) privite in private, in secret, in concealment, not publicly or openly.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxv 58.
A chawmir stithly made The maste priue that scho hade … For priuete & sekyrnes(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxx 336.
& thar Theod[e]ra & he War sammyne a quhile in priuete c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xx 17.
Priuetee [P. priuetee, L. secreto] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5619.
Priuetie(b) ?1438 Alex. (c 1580) ii 5310.
That I sall neuer maryed be Na haue lemmen in priuate Ib. 2219. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 505 (D).
By hem-seluen in prywate c1420 Wynt. vi 983.
In prywate [C. prewate, W. prevete] Wyth the Dewill he had trete Ib. 798. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 92.
Priwatee c1460 Regim. Princ. 65 (Marchm.).
With speciale counsale in to private(c) a1568 Fleming Bann. MS 160 b/51.
Priuity a1568 Wedderburne Bann. MS 260 a/10.(d) 1375 Barb. v 306 (E).
Thai ordanyt that he still suld be In hiddillis and in prewete [C. preuate] Till Palme Sonday Ib. x 756.
Frawnsois hattyn wes he That swa clamb wp in preuete [C. preuate] Ib. xi 485.
Thai … tauld him in-till preuete [C. in gret preuate] The multitud and the beaute Off thair fayis Ib. vi 549, x 375.
Preuete [C. preuate] c1420 Wynt. vi 1223, viii 935.
Prewete 1540 Lynd. Sat. 325 (Bann.).
Thair is ane hunder … That luvis iaping … Micht thay get it in prevetie [Ch. priuitie] 1584-9 Maxwall Prov. in 1584-9 Commonpl. Bk. fol. 10 b.
Be nocht peirte in prewetie Till ws na iniquitie(e) ?1438 Alex. ii 9537.
Thay rowned togidder in preuate c1400 Troy-bk. ii 333 (C).
They samyn in-to one place Beyng in-to gret prevate [L. in secreto], Anthenor … said [etc.] c1420 Wynt. iii 36.
That ilk suerd … had he, On his rycht syde in prewate [C. prewate, W. prevate] Wndyr his gown Ib. 428.
Than Sampson, movid in pete Tauld hyr all in prewate That gyve [etc.] Ib. vi 2223.
For to cum in prewate On hym, or he suld wytryd be Ib. viii 6811. a1500 Seven S. 878.
Prevate Ib. 1213. c1520-c1535 Nisbet John vii 10.
Preuatee(f) c1420 Wynt. vi 1267.
Prewyte 1513 Doug. ix ix 47.
This ilk Helenor … was get … Betwix Meonyus kyng, in prevyte [Ruddim. pryuate, L. furtim], And Lycynya Ib. xii Prol. 213.
Previte

b. Secrecy of thought or counsel. a1570-86 Maitl. F. xlvii 39.
And lippin nocht in no privite To haill that efter may wittin be

c. Contrasted with in apert, in pe(i)rt, in open, in plane. Alex. ii 10002.
Men aucht to lufe Him commonly Baith in peirt and priuaty [F. haut et apertement] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 13827.
With pretious stanis … Quhilkis as thai held suld nane discomfeist be That thame suld bere in plane or prevate a1500 Sir Eger 2393.
He was never christened … That could on me set any fault, In open, or in privitie 1530 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 108.
Doand skaytht to thair nychtbouris or thair geirris in previte or pert 1536 Ib. 170.
Previte

3. a. ? Private fellowship, intimacy. b. ? One's private household or immediate entourage. a1500 Adv. MS 25. 4. 15 fol. 95, 96.
Haldand land of him or duelland in his preuite as of his fre famal or ner of his kyn 1494 Loutfut MS 24 a.
For lordschip requiris priuete mair than strangnes till him that pretendis til haff it as diuers doctouris sais

4. plur. The private parts. a1400 Leg. S. ii 712.
Ay as men war hyr scherand Thai prewetes, and scho murnand 1624 Perth Kirk S. MS 17 June.
And all hir priuiteis vncouerit

5. The fact of being privy to something; awareness of, and hence concurrence in or consent to, something more or less private or secret; complicity.(1) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 76.
Had it not bene that Alexander … was joined to hir in privitie of all thir wickit doingis 1584 Cal. Sc. P. VII 144.
And suirley I perrell that Mr. Colwil quha hes noct bein in the werey prewetey off this mater … can noct sa weill … satisfie all dutes that … wilbe mowit c 1595 Mar & Kellie MSS 45.
Upoun ony consavit suspicioun of my privitie or allowance of David Forestares slauchter 1603 Fam. Rose 292.
Be his privetie knawledge and allowance 1608 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 128.
This … murthour … is brocht to the light … and also his foirknauledge, privitie, and persuasioun(2) 1584 Gray Lett. & P. 5.
That nothing be done without the privitye of my lady, my cummere 1584–5 Laing MSS I 41.
His attemptat committed without our knawlege and privitie 1585 Acts III 377/1.
That … na leagues … be maid … without his hienes … privitie and consent had … thairto 1596 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 294. 1603 Moysie 107.
The king … wald not acknavledge sick commissioneris that had conuenit thame selfes besyd his priuetie or commissioun 1603 Aberd. Council Lett. I 94.
Previtie 1607 Melrose P. 37. c1630 Scot Narr. 220.
Privity 1631 Justiciary Cases I 194. 1638 Baillie I 31.
This I thought not possible without my privitie