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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Fenȝeit, Feinȝeit, ppl. a. Also: fenȝeitt, -ȝete, -ȝet, -ȝit, fenȝheide, -yheid, -yheyd, -ȝeid, -ȝied, -ȝed, feneȝete, -ȝeit, feng(ȝ)eit; feinȝit(t, -ȝet, -ȝed; feignȝeit; feingit; finȝeit, -ȝet, fainȝied, faingȝeit, feaneȝe(a)d. [ME. feynid, feyned (c 1374), f. Fenȝe v.]

1. Feigned, pretended, falsely assumed or displayed.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 501.
Fore fals feinȝet halynes In lytil tyme he monke mad wes c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 6.
The feinȝeid [M. feynȝeid] luf, the fals confort 1535 Stewart 16411.
With fraudfull mynd, with fals and feinȝeit face 1567 Sat. P. iv. 63.
With feinȝeit fair and wylie wordis discreit Scho come to me a1578 Pitsc. I. 44/29.
Be feinȝeit and coullorit continance he was ressawit witht great ioy 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Iter.
Quhilk [sickness] was tryed be ane assise, quhidder it was trew, or feinȝeid(b) 1456 Hay I. 18/26.
Gerrand the Emperour, throu his fenȝeit halynes, trow that he was a haly man 1494 Acta Conc. 376/2.
The pretendit and fenȝeit restoring of certane oxin and hors to the saidis tennentis 1513 Doug. i. iv. 7.
With fenȝeit comfort by his cheyr outwart Ib. iv. Prol. 7.
Begynnyng with a fenȝeit faint plesance 1533 Gau 13.
Thay reid and prais mekil, and dois mony wtuert fenȝeit warkis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 44.
Be gud report of thame and ane fenȝeit gudnes in him self 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 33.
Inquisition salbe taken, gif that be done be fenȝeid furie, or not 1626 Garden Worthies 36.
A fainȝed flight my bands beleiving breake [= broke](c) a1400 Leg. S. l. 818.
Of thire twa ches the ane … & lat me wit but fengeit fare 1625 Garden Kings 49.
Be fraudulent, a fals and faingȝeit flight They come to Colene c1650 Spalding II. 417.
Yit the people … is thrawin, and drawin fra thair virtue, in hicht of harvest, to thir feingȝeit fastinges

b. Of persons: Simulated. 1457 Acts II. 51/1.
That … the kingis Justice ger take inquisicione of sornaris, bardis, maisterfull beggaris or fenȝeit fulys c1420 Ratis R. 1459.
Thai wyl nocht knaw, na haf in mynde, Thar vrechit, failȝeand, fenȝit kynd a1500 Prestis of Peblis 1148.
Than feinȝeit freind better is open fa 1562-3 Winȝet II. 43/21.
He mot be … nocht a fenȝeit, bot a trew persoun 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 24.
Sum papistis, sum fenyeit protestantis that hes na god bot geir a1578 Pitsc. II. 282/8.
The tulchen, to wit, ane feinȝeit counterfeitt bischope, presented be thame to the regent 1600-1610 Melvill 274.
[Being] craftelie abbusit be thair feinyied frinds 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 135.
Feinȝied fooles, bairdes, rynners about, … may be hanged

2. Invented to deceive or entertain; imaginary; fictitious. Freq. with fabill. a1400 Leg. S. iv. 46.
His prechinge wes bot falset and fenȝet thinge c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1836.
Sum folk … Told a foule fenȝeit fortoune fals Of Pallamydes c1420 Wynt. ii. 1063.
Othir fenyheid fabyllis sere I wyll forber to wryt in here Ib. iii. 350.
He contruvyde A fenyheyd ansuere a1500 Henr. Fab. 1381.
Quhat is it worth to tell ane fenȝeit taill? a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 599.
In stait of innocence Or than but fraud or fenȝeit fantasye 1513 Doug. i. vii. 93.
He … fed hys mynd … With thir plesand fenȝeit ymagery Ib. iii. v. 37.
Besyde the fenȝeit flude of Symois 1533 Boece iii. v. 96 b.
Be fenȝete querellis fra kingis thai reft scepteris and regnis 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 17.
I renunce … the fenȝeit and inventit purgatorie 1596 Dalr. I. 68/7.
We think nocht … to repeit the beginning … from thir shameles and finȝet goddis 1622-6 Bisset I. 77/19.
Nor haue I adhered to … fair flattering fenȝeit and allurand fictionis c1650 Spalding II. 393.
Goodis and geir [are] stollin and takin fra thame vpone feinȝeit and fraudulent caussis

3. Characterized by deceit; deceitful.(1) a1500 Henr. Fab. 452.
This fenȝeit foxe, fals and dissimulate, Maid to this cok ane cauillatioun Ib. 2910.
I rid thé fle To mache thé with ane thrawart, fenȝeit marrow a1500 Colk. Sow 62.
Scho callit to hir cheir … a fanȝeit flatterar c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxiv. 36.
[Women are] So feinȝitt [M. feynȝeit], and so fals with litill feir 1535 Stewart 6888.
He traistit als that Aulus Planctius Rycht fenȝeit wes, baith fals and venemus 1562-3 Winȝet I. 53/25.
And sa iugeit I. that it … behuifit thame … to hef bene afore werray finȝeit hypocritis 1567 Sat. P. iii. 26.
Had feinȝeit Fortoun fauourit him to ring 1573 Ib. xlii. 288.
Fals fenȝeit Judasis a1570-86 Maitl. F. xiv. 9.
Be nocht ane scornar nor feinȝeit flatterar 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 2220.
Fooles, fengyeit, and prophane, His dispositioun naturall Did hate(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 47.
Him followit mony freik dissymlit With fenȝeit wirdis quhyte Ib. lxvii. 16.
Defy the warld, feynȝeit and fals 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 195.
Hauyng sic traist in to thy [sc. Fortune's] fenȝeit face 1562-3 Winȝet I. 55/27.
Sic damnable errouris … defenceit only be fenȝeit eloquence 1570 Bann. Memor. 59.
That … feaneȝead blaspheming of Godis name, whairby ȝe purpose to cullour ȝour impietie

4. a. Of documents: Forged, spurious. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 197/6.
As we haue sene and wnderstanding ȝour fals and fenȝeit writ 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 238/2.
The said lettres, … gif ony be fals or fenȝeit, to be adnullit 1558 Inverness B. Rec. I. 20.
Gyf he wald awo[w] that the contract producit … wes false, fenȝet, and forgyt in itself 1573 St. A. Kirk S. 379.
Them that presentis them selves to the communion … wytht fengyeit tikatis 1578 Mun. Univ. Glasg. I. 119.
Gif ony charter berand his subscriptioun may be schawin, the same is fals and finyeit 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 121.
The wreits … cannot prove against him, because they are fals, and fenȝeit 1635 Blackhalls 149.
[The charters, etc.] are alledged to be false and fainȝied

b. Of things: Counterfeit, imitation. 1513 Doug. ii. vii. 107.
Our fenȝeit scheildis, wapynys, and other geir, Ful weil thai knew 1513 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 145.
Quhair they find fals feyngyeit wark or barked ledder 1535 Stewart 16024.
With feinȝeit weid he passit in Pechtland c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3136.
Thay wer bot fenȝeit fals figouris Ib. 3153.
Those fenȝeit beistis