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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Regent, n. Also: -entt, -end; -(e)ant, -iant; -an. [ME and e.m.E. regent (c1412) noun, f. Regent,adj.] A regent, in various usual senses.

1. One who rules or governs; a governor. 1460 Hay Alex. MS 9439.
For pepill followis the trad of thare patroun The comounis als the regent of the toun 1533 Bell. Livy I 252/14.
Valerius Publicola, on the thrid day eftir that he was made regent, was chosin consul

2. One invested with royal authority by, or on behalf of, another; one appointed to rule a kingdom during the minority or incapacity of the sovereign.(1) 1521 Aberd. B. Rec. I xxxv.
Alexander Erll of Huntlie, regent and luftennand to our souerane lord, of the northt of Scotland 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II 215.
We, Marie, Quene dowriare and regent of Scotland, be thir presentis [etc.] 1556 Glasgow Chart. I ii 123.
We and our derrest moder Marie … regent of our realme 1565 Edinb. Univ. MS La. iii 388a fol. 2a.
The quenis magestie regent of this realme vnder our souerane lord 1570 Sempill Sat. P. xii 1.
James, Earle of Murray, regent of renoun, Now lyis deid 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 260.
The lordis present … elected the lord of Mar to be regent, … being in leittis with Argyle and Mortoun a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 45 (see Regents(c)(h)ip n.).
Regentt 1596 Dalr. II 354/16.
Scho now be all is callet regent(2) 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 535.
Sum tyme the realme was reulit be regentis, Sum tyme lufetenentis, ledaris of the law 1535 Stewart 30151.
The tother thre of regentis gart accuis Sone efter that, becaus tha wald not vs Justice and law be thair auctoritie 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 540.
Als frelie and with als greit libertie as ony regent or governour to us or oure predecessouris 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 165.
The saidis erlis … convenit … willing to cheise ane regent or ma a1578 Pitsc. I 1/9.
All the kingis quenis gowernouris and regentis that hes beine sen the said day 1581 Sempill Sat. P. xliii 154.
Quhan godly Murray as a regent rang 1596 Dalr. I 255/15.
Quhen he was nocht able to beir the burdine of the realme be him selfe, he cheiset of his nobles four regentis to gouerne vndir him; to quhilkes four æquallie he diuydet the cuntrie a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 49.
Upoun the electioun of a new regent a1711 Sage Wks. I 141.
The principal of four junct regents for managing the government during the queen's minority(3) 1520 Edinb. Chart. 204.
James, Erle of Arrane … ane of the regentis of the realme c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1381.
The regent of the land Fra Edinburgh come fast rydand 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 545.
Of the … estableshing of the governament of the realm in the persoun of the regent during his hienes minoritie 1569 Rogers Social Life I 170.
The xviii day of January [1569] … wes the regeant slayne in Lythko 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 51.
Nor thai wer constantly resistit be the regent and his trew counsall 1573 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 26 Nov.
Ane punseoun of clarat wyne … to be propinit to the regent 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 121, etc.
To intercommoun with the regent and lordis … tuitching the corronatioun of the king a1578 Pitsc. II 218/9, etc.
Thair was ane conventioun of certane lordis of the regentis counsall with him sellff in Stirviling 1596 Dalr. I 256/16.
This king was verie infensiue to the regentis and gouernouris c1615 Chron. Kings 119.(4) 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 11.
It is statute … be our souerane lord, with auise and consent of his darrest regant 1567 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXIV 92 n.
Befoir our soueranes magesteis regent 1575 Digest Justiciary Proc. I 47.
That they … addres thame to meit our said cousing and regent a1578 Pitsc. II 267/18.
The said Lord Forbus was maid luvtennand for the kingis grace and his regent 16.. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 394.
The king … or in his minoritie, his regent, who being be estats lawfully elected, presided in parliament, and moderated all — 1570 Sat. P. xiii 137.
Ȝe slew our regent because his warks wer gude(5) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 122.
This day the regentis grace … come to the Cannogait 1576 Treas. Acc. XIII 316.
For ane pillie with cordis to hing the regentis grace burdis 1577 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 60.
Ane thowsand pundis … to be gevin to the regentis grace for licence to remane fra the army a1651 Calderwood II 484.
Certane heeds … to be presented to the regent's grace

3. A university teacher.‘In the four older Scottish Universities: a member of the senior academic staff who took a class of students through the full four year course of instruction in language, physics and philosophy in the Arts curriculum’ (SND, s.v. Regent n. 1).For some comment on the regenting system as it developed in the University of St. Andrews, see St. A. Univ. Arts Fac. Acts, cxxiii-cxxvi.Cf. ME maister regent (1387), also regent (a1450).Also applied to certain senior teachers appointed to the High School of Edinburgh at the time of its ‘reformation’ in 1598.(1) 1414 Acta Facult. Artium (St. Andrews) 25 March.]
[Quod determinantes admitterentur per decanum Facultatis et regentes qui habeant considerare eorum sufficientam 1509 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 47.
Our maist noble progenitouris … has … exempit all continuale regentis and studentis and dayly officiaris being in oure Vniversite of Glasgw fra all taxt 1557 Aberd. B. Rec. I 306.
In the new college of Ald Abirden to be ane regent thairin 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 8.
The bairnis of thys college sal heir na other lessons bot thair regentis Ib. 11.
Sum regent … quha sal haif cure of thayr studie … bot nocht to reid ony particular lection to thayme Ib. 12, etc.
Swa in thre ȝeris thyr regentis sal pas be degreis the hail cours of dialectic, logic, physik and metaphysik 1579 Acts III 180/1.
The secund regent sall teiche the preceptis of inventioun dispositioun and elocutioun 1584 Reg. Privy C. III 713.
Nather can it aggrie with gude ordour that regentis sould be joynit in mareage 1595–6 St. A. Kirk S. 814.
Mr. Jhone Heklein, regent to the baitchelaris 1620 Aberd. B. Rec. II 370.
Thair salbe a fourt regent prowyidit to teache the hie class, to disburdine the primar altogidder thairoff c1628 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 283, 288, etc.
The forme and ordour of teaching and proceiding of the students … in the colledge of Edinburgh. … The regents conveynis in the regents chalmer who was hebdomader the weick preceiding thair to schew mutuallie quhat thai have sein amis amongst the scolleris 1638 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 286.
The principall and four regentes … haveing these many yeires bein lyabill to the censure of deprivation through manifest contempt … of thair originall fundation a1650 Row 469.
Having been regent to his tuo elder brethren in the Old Colledge of St. Andrews c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. fol. 40.
250 merkis … for their stipends in these faculties beside 250 merkis as ordinary regents 1649 Lamont Diary 4.
Ther was five ministers … apointed to attende the disputts for a regents place in St. Leonards colledge a1671 Ib. 114.
May, 1660, he entered bajan with Mr. Ja. Weyms, major, regent ther 1689 Foulis Acc. Bk. 116.
To … Willies regent for the bajane glass [sic] £23 4 s.(b) 1630 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 244.
Regiantis(c) 1657 1st Rep. Hist. MSS 306.
Archbald caryes himself weell. He has been examined by the regans and hes don weell(d) 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 131.
To Willie Foulis to give his regend for candles to the class(2) 1509 Reg. Episc. Glasg. 522.
To the regentis of the sayd patigoge and to the studentis to thair collatioun 1547 Glasgow Chart. II 512.
The regentis of the universite and petegoik of oure ciete 1569 Reg. Privy S. VI 132/2.
The deposing of the lait principall, sub-principall and regentis thairof 1582 Reg. Privy C. III 490.
Principall of the College of Glasgow, … regentis thairof [etc.] 1589–90 St. A. B. Ct. 17 March.
He granttis the persewar to be ane regent and suppost of the vniuersitie 1590 Edinb. B. Rec. V 25.
Mr. Adam Colt ane of the regents of the touns college c1650 Spalding II 102.
Ane of the regentis of colledge Marschall(3) 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 14.
Regentis in philosophe or humanite Ib. 13. 1597 Edinb. B. Rec. V 206.
Thrie thowsand punds … upoun lands or rents for the intertenement … of ane regent of humanity … within the college … in all tyme cuming c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. fol. 15.
Thereafter he was regent of an philosophie classe 1681 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 27.
Near the space of fourtie years in the imployments both as regents of humanity and philosophie within ther colledge(4) 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V 224, 225.
Thay think best … that thair be foure lernet and godlie men appoynet regents to teache the grammer schole. … Ilk ane of the … regents sall teache thair clas in severall houssis and to this effect the hie schole sall be devydet in four houssis be thre parpennis. … The said ferd regent sall be principall of the said schole and regents and haif the owersicht of thame all Ib. 226.

b. A teacher, more generally. c1515 Asl. MS I 325/5.
Tharefor levis thir fals regendis knawing bot a god in iij parsonis c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 896.
All obscure probleme or questioun Ȝe can discus … as regentis most deuine