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.
Conterfait, -feit, -fit(t, v. Also: contyrfait, -fate, -feit, -fyt, conterfyt, -fute. [ME. conter-, contrefete (c 1325), contrefayt (c 1489), etc., variants of Counterfait, -fute v.] tr. To imitate; to counterfeit.(a) c1460 Thewis Wysmen 396.
Of helynes thai pas mesour … And conterfyttis hie gratious c1460 Thewis Gud Wemen 22.
A woman suld … contyrfyt nocht our hie estait 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 133.
Fenȝeand hym Iherom to contyrfeit c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 94 b/29.
Sum dois foly conterfeit a1578 Pitsc. I. 138/23.
Ane monk, quho did conterfit mervalus … hollienes of lyfe 1611-57 Mure Dido ii. 790.
He … cunningly can conterfitt a passion 1665 Lauder Journal 48.
To sie a Frenchman conterfit the Castilian(b) 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 23.
Quhy suld I than … Presume to write … Or contyrfate sa precyus wordys deir? Ib. iv. ix.
Quhou Dydo queyn … Of enchantment dyd contyrfait the art 1531 Bell. Boece II. 60.
This maner of justice is conterfaitit yit, in our dayis 1581 Acts III. 220/2.
His subiectis of the meane estate presuming to conterfait his hines [in dress](c) 1570 Leslie 76.
He preissit to conterfute ane King of Yngland