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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.

Autorité, n. Also: autoryte, -itee, -ietie, awtorite, -itee, -yte, -etie. [Early ME. autorité (c 1225), autoryté, OF. autorité; cf. Auctorité and Authoritie.]

1. Authority in respect of power.Occasional instances, in print or manuscript, of forms with tt (auttoryte, attoritie, etc.) probably belong to Auctorité.a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 143 (ane wes of gret autoryte). c1420 Wynt. vi. 110 (thare powste and thare awtoryte); vii. 1417 (powere and autoryte). 1451 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 163 (in contempt of our autorite). 1456 Hay I. 126/31 (the autoritee of the grete officer). 1490 Irland Mir. I. 8/7 (under thi power and autorite). c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvii. 3 (sum takkis our litill awtoritie). 1513 Doug. i. iii. 97 (sum man of gret autorite); ii. ii. 54 (sum name of wyrschip and autorite). 1531 Bell. Boece I. 6 (to governe thaim be his autorite). a1568 Pedder C. 4 (knavis pretendand to awtoretie). 1566 Reg. Privy C. I. 463 (in manifest vilipending of thair Hienessis autoritie). 1581 Lennox Mun. 321 (of his princelie office and royall awtoritie).

b. A possessor, or position, of authority.1549 Compl. 19/1 (the hie monarchis, lordschips, ande autoriteis).

2. Authority for a statement or opinion.c1420 Wynt. ii. 1469 (for dowt that wemen wald call it myne autoryte); iv. Prol. 9 (be this clerkis autoryte). 1490 Irland Mir. II. 70/1 (as mony autoriteis of scripture schawis). 1513 Doug. Æn. Comm. vi/1 (the excellent awtoritie of Virgill).