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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.

Rialté, n. Also: ryal-; riel-, ryel-; ryol- and -tee, -tie, -ty(e. [ME and obs. e.m.E. rialte (c1325), riaulte (c1350), riolte (c1400), OF *rialté, var. of realté Realté n. See also Reawté n. and Royaltie n.]

I. 1. The office or rank of a king or queen; royal power or dignity; sovereignty.Used in circumlocutory references or addresses to a king.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 2233.
I sueir ȝow be the rialte Of ȝour croun and the dignite Ib. 2365.
For the great bounte ȝe bere That ȝow is chargit of rialte c1420 Wynt. viii 912 (C).
Trowis neuir in pesse to be Gif he sal ioys that ryolte [W. ryalte] 1456 Hay I 253/9.
That never women suld succede to the ryaltee of Fraunce Ib. 293/10.
Bot the dignitee imperiale is … maist excellent of all ryaltee Ib. 302/12.
As efferis … to the ryaltee of him that sendis the writtis c1515 Asl. MS I 201/11.
Willam … was crovnit king … and liffit lang with rialte thare 1533 Boece 288.
His corps with funerale tryumphe, according princelie rialte, was berijt(2) c1400 Troy-bk. i 46.
That ȝe enterit … To sogeourne here … With-out leue of hys ryalte a1500 Henr. Fab. 1433 (Bann.).
I beseik thy kingly ryalte heir quhat I say(3) c1420 Wynt. viii 1954.
Off all hys robys off ryalte

b. To be in rialte, ? to be in the presence or company of a king. But perh. merely a further instance of the above. ?1438 Alex. ii 2353.
Quhen men ar in rialte [F. ensemble en une compengnie] Thay suld nocht le

2. The condition of being directly subject to royal administration. Cf. 7 below. 1449 Acts II 36/2.
That al regaliteis that ar in the kingis handis … be haldyn in ryalte ande iustifiit be the kingis justice 1492 Acta Conc. I 267/1.
The said erledome … is now all reuertit to the king in nature of rialte 1496 Ib. II 16.
It [supra half ane nettis fisching] being haldin of our sade soverane lord … as of ryalte 1503 Acts II 251/1.
Within burrowis baith of rialte and regalite 1570 Edinb. B. Rec. III 273.
The said burgh being of auld past memorie of man erected in ane fre burgh of ryaltie

3. Kinglike character or qualities; nobility of mind. c1400 Troy-bk. i 77.
Had he bene with ryaltee Rytht lyk as syk a kyng suld be c1420 Wynt. vii 3467 (C).
The Kynge Edwarde … changit … in lurdanes his ryolte

4. Magnificence; pomp.With the quots. from Henr. Fab. and Barb., cf. late ME (a1470) and obs. e.m.E. (1556) ryaltee, etc. = ‘a royal or magnificent feast or ceremonial’ (OED). 1375 Barb. xvi 48 (C).
Thai sudiornyt thair … In gret myrth and in rialte [E. iolyte] c1420 Wynt. i 1723 (C).
Off Assyry … The kynryk rasse in ryalte a1500 Henr. Fab. 385 (A).
Quhat is avale thi feist in rialte [M. and ryaltie], With dreidful hart and tribulacoun Id. Abbay Walk 10 (Bann.).
Thy … empyre, In ryeltie, nor in rich array, Sall nocht indure at thi desyre a1500 Rauf C. 688.
‘Heir is ryaltie,’ said Rauf, ‘aneuch for the nanis’ c1500 Fyve Bestes 404.
And so gois all this warldis rialte

5. In the phr. to ryng (regn) in … rialte, in senses 1 and 4 above.In at least some instances, there appears to be conflation of these two senses. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1041.
Bot ilk berne has bene vnbundin with blame, Ringand in rialte, and reullit thame self evin c1475 Wall. viii 1625.
The nobill kyng, ryngand in ryolte a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 539 (Harl.).
O pryncis, prelatis [etc.] … Regnand in riches and rafeand rialtye Ib. 1426 (Arund.).
King Dauid, … Ringand as roy in gret rialte a1570-86 Maitl. F. 207/3.
In this new ȝeir I thé exhort In joy and ryaltie to ring

II. 6. A realm, kingdom. c1420 Wynt. v 1359 (C) (see Reawté n. 4).
1456 Hay II 152/5.
The bukis of the ryaltee of Pers

b. The royal revenues. c. ? A royal prerogative or right granted to an individual (cf. e.m.E. roialtie (1483), royaltie (1576)).b. 1535 Stewart 59968.
And nothing left of all his ryaltie To him to spend bot casualtiec. 1539 Strathblane Par. 319.
Me … tyll haif … grantit … the said bedmanschip with all landis annuelrentis ryoltis and pertinentis tharto pertenyng … to ane honest man Robart Makcadam

7. A part, or the parts, of the kingdom directly under the king, as opposed to a regality ( Regalité n.). Also attrib. = Royaltie n. 3.(1) 1429 Acts II 19/2.
Gif … the court be … nocht sufficiande in the rialte 1432 Ib. 21/1.
Gif he happynis to fle in the regalite oute of the rialte, the schiref sal certify the lorde of the regalite 1493 Ib. 235/2.
In ilk burch of the rialtie 1513–14 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 9.
The hedismen … landit and unlandit, bath of the rialte and regalite, to compeir befor the lordis of counsale 1555 Acts II 493/2. 1556 Edinb. B. Rec. II 231.
That the samin [prices] be vniuersally observit alsweill to burgh as land, regalite as rialte 1578 Reg. Privy C. III 9.
Utheris fensabill personis, alsweill dwelland to burgh as to land, within regalitie as ryaltie 1587 Acts III 434/1.
Quhidder the saidis landis ly in ryaltie or regalitie 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 160.
Inquisition sall be made alswell within regalitie as ryaltie anent malefactours(2) 1496 Acta Conc. II 16.
Half ane nettis fischeing … haldin of our sade soverane lord and his predicessouris as of ryalte(3) 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 6.
All sheriffis stewartis ballies alswele regalitie as ryalte 1550 Reg. Privy S. IV 149/1.
Aldermen and baillies of burrowis, regalite and rielteis, and all uthiris oure jugis 1591 Crim. Trials I ii 261.
Ryeltie