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.
Prelat(e, n. Also: -lait, -laitt-, -layt, -lot(e, -latt-, -lett-, -leitt-, -lott-, prellatt-; praelat(e, -latt; (prolot(e). [ME and e.m.E. prelat (Layamon), -latte (15th c.), -late (a 1400–50), F. prélat (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), med. L. prelatus a secular or ecclesiastical ruler, L. prælāt-us sb. use of p.p. of præferre to carry or place before.] A prelate.An ecclesiastical dignitary of high rank, as a bishop, abbot or prior; such a person as the wielder of spiritual authority or superiority.Also comb. with bischop, ordinar.(1) 14.. Acts I 61/2.
That na prelat nor kirkman, erl, baron or secular person sall presume to by woll [etc.] c1475 Wall. vii 927.
A gud prelat … cummyn off hie lynage c1490 Irland Asl. MS. 21/24.
The pape is wndir the confessour … thocht he be a gretar prelat Ib. 39/11.
Bot & thi prelat be present ask him lewe Id. Mir. I 44/18, etc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii 49.
Vnto no mes pressit this prelat For sound of sacring bell nor skellat Ib. xiv 6 (B).
Prellattis 1528 Lynd. Dreme 176. 1540 Id. Sat. 242 (B).
Chestety Quha with our prellattis [Ch. prelats] can get na resort Ib. 2571 (Ch.).
How prelats [B. kirkmen] heichts thair teinds, it is well knawin 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 63.
We your oratouris the bischoppis, prelattis and kirkmen now present in this toun 1549 Compl. 5/10.
That maist sapient prince ande prelat … Ihone of Loran … Cardinal of the apostolic seige c1552 Lynd. Mon. 643. Ib. 5364. 1558 Treas. Acc. X 420. 1558 Glasgow Cordiners 251.
The seile of the said maist reuerend fadir oure lorde and prelat 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xl 130.
Althocht the prelats gold in greit did geif a1578 Pitsc. I 34/28. 1581 Burne Disput. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 155/11.
Iohne Kmnox … schuke louse all the actis of paipis and emperoris, of prælattis and kingis 1587 Acts III 509/2.
All frehalders of the king vnder the degre of prelattis and lordis of parliament 1597 Misc. Spald. C. II 140. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 52 b.
Ane fewer of kirklands may be expelled … be the prelat of the kirk [L. per praelatum ecclesiae] gif [etc.] 1609 Acts IV 435/2.
That all priouris abbottis and prelattis haveing voit in parliament and specialie bischoppis shall weare grave and decent apparrell aggreable to thair functioun 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xiii title.
Be his prince apoynted to be greatest prelat in Scotland, Archbischope of Sanctandrois 1622-6 Bisset I 91/17. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 77.
Praelatt Ib. II 243.
Prelatts a1650 Row 195.
That they should not consent to take any of his ministers to make them prelats 1672 Acts VIII 95/2.
The blasoning of the arms … for which shall be payed to the Lyon the soume of tuentie merkes by every prelat & nobleman(b) 1375 Barb. xx 161.
Befor bath lordis and prelatis [: statis] Ib. 294 (E). c1420 Wynt. vi 55.
Four hundyr byschapys … And fere ma prelatis regulare, Wyth mony a gret clerk seculare Ib. vii 2619.
All the prelatys off Scotland Byschapys, abbotys and prelatys And mony off all othir statis Ib. vi 1370 (W), vii 535, etc. 1427 Acts II 13/1. c1450-2 Howlat 659 (A). 1456 Hay I 27/19, 29/17, etc. 1457 Acts II 49/2. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. 38/25. 1493 Acts II 232/2.
That the kingis hienes gar wryte his lettrez to baith the said prelatis [sc. the Bishops of St. Andrews and of Glasgow] exhorting … thame to [etc.] 1496 Acta Conc. II 7.
His hienes being personaly present togidder with a gret part of his prelatis and lordis c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 337. 1505 Treas. Acc. III 141.
Passand with the lettrez of the taxt of Denmark to the spiritual prelatis quhilkis wer nocht taxat … at the first tyme 1512 Ib. IV 401. a1538 Abell 70 b.
Thairfoir pray all prelatis spirituall and temporall to lows the pleuch of thare jakmen Ib. 83 b.
Sa he gaif halie exempill baith to prelatis & religios men 1514-6 St. A. Formulare II 104. 1540 Acts II 370/2. 1551 Ib. 485/1. Hamilton Cat. title.
That quhatsumeuir persoun … sweiris … sall incur the panis efter following … Ane prelate of kirk, erle or lord … xij d. [etc.] 1558–9 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I lxiv. c 1558–9 Statutes Sc. Ch. 157.
Unto my lordis the prelatis 1562-3 Winȝet II 56/11.
Prælatis 1567 G. Ball. 89, 182. 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 397. 1600-1610 Melvill 556.
That sic wer … of old prelates, or men namit bisschoppis 1617 Acts IV 583/2. 1668-9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 29.
Will ye do greater works of compliance? namely, to come to synods, … forbear lecturing, and lord the prelate Ib. 42.
Prelates … are but instruments to apply this power … which is radically in Christ, and not properly subjectively in either prelate or presbyter(c) 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 340.
Prelaittis a1538 Abell 123 a.
And thow be prelait or prechour Ib. 9* a.
Prelait lawly wes Paip Eugyn 1554 Crail B. Ct. MS 19 Nov.
Because he vas noder barone burgess nor prelayt(d) a1500 Prestis of Peblis 71 (Asl.).
Thir estatis all … The bischopis first with prelotis and abbotis 1490 Irland Mir. I 140/31.
Thir pastores … betakynnis the prolotis and princis, that suld wach … the pepil Ib. 141/1.
Prolot Ib. 141/37.
Prelotis c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv 18.
Onto the ded gois all estatis, Princis, prelotis [M. prelatis] and potestatis Ib. lx 50.
Panting ane prelottis countenance Ib. 53 (M).
Ane pyk-thank in a prelottis clais 1515 Wemyss Chart. II 142.
As efferis ane prelot and man of kirk to do for his man and seruand 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 172. a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxvi 12.
And now he sittis on ane stule Ane prelot of pryde(e) c1450-2 Howlat 969 (B).
Ȝe princis prelettis of pryd for pennyis and prow a1568 Scott i 46.
And lat perversit prelettis leif perqueir(f) 15.. Dunb. App. xi 9.
All empriouris, kingis, princis and preleittis(2) 1456 Hay I 264/29.
For suppos he [a clerk] war sa fule hardy that he wald sett on aventure, the prelate ordinare wald curs him 1469 Acts II 98/1.
The pape … has grantit … ane indult perpetuale to the prelatis bischopis of Saintandrois 1500–1 Acta Conc. II 484.
And that the prelatis bischoppis of the realme was in use … of the making of thair testmentis
b. Applied hyperbolically to a clergyman of lower rank. —c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 307.
Sa sais the curat of our kirk, that knew me full ȝing: He is our famous to be fals, that fair worthy prelot
c. plur. as a designation of the spiritual estate of the Scottish Parliament.c1420 Wynt. vii 3232.
Off Scotland the three statis, Burges, barownys, and prelatys 1425 Acts II 9/1.
To the articulis present … to the prelatis mychty lordis of the parliament erlis & baronis c1450-2 Howlat 269 (A).
The prelatis thair apperans proponit generale 1516 Reg. Great S. 23/1.
In the parliament haldin et Edinburgh … be the prelatis, baronis, & commissaris of burrowis representand the thre estatis of the realme 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 394.
To warne the prelatis and baronis to the parliament 1622-6 Bisset I 70/26.
Prelattis
d. Latterly plur., put for: the bishops, regarded as the leading representatives of the Episcopalian party.1636 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 153.
If all Scotland knew the feasts, and love-blinks, and visits that the prelates have sent unto me 1638 Bk. Pasquils 51.
From knoking priests and prelattis crouns … Almightie God deliver us 1640 Intentions Army Kingdom Scotland 19.
Our professed enemies the papists & prelats, with their adherents a1650 Row 488.
Showing that the prelats could not sit as their judges [in 1637], they being the verie partie compleaned upon c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. fol. 60.
The very next day after that fatall checke given to the prelats in the kirks of Edinburgh ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III 68.
It was rather laese majesty divyne to mantaine actes of parliament for advauncing the prelatts
