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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.

Cherité, Chirrité, n. Also: cherytté, -yte(e, -itee, -itey, cher(r)itie, chearitie; cheretee, -etie, -ety, -eitie; cheraté, -aty, cherratie, cheroty; chir(r)itie, chireté, -etie, chirrettie. [ME. cheryté, cherité, early variant of charité Charité.]

1. Charity; benevolence, almsgivings.(a) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 429.
That cheryte To frend & fa euire haf we Ib. x. 512.
Cheryte, treutht, and hope 1456 Hay I. 70/24.
To defend haly kirk … or othir dedis of cheritee to fulfill Ib. 168/14.
A mortall man that deis in ire … deis out of cheritee c1450-2 Howlat 223.
A clerk … Full of cherite Ib. 726. c1420 Ratis R. 618.
Na gret lordschip, na dignite, Beand foroutin cherytee [etc.] a1500 Bernardus 123.
Throw lufe and dedys of cheryte c1475 Wall. viii. 1318.
The end off wer is cheryte and pes a1500 Henr. Abbay Walk 18.
Job was moist riche, … Thobe moist full of cheretie 1490 Irland Mir. I. 54/6.
We suld pray to God, that his grace and cherite he abstrac nocht fra us c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvi. 66.
It wer a story nyce That luve suld nocht depend on cherite 1533 Gau 58/22.
Thay ar al … bwnd in ane broderschip be ane faith and the band of cherate 1549 Compl. 17/33.
I exort the … to correct me familiarly, and be cherite 1562-3 Winȝet I. 19/18.
Chearitie moueis ws to aduertis ȝou of thre thingis a1568 Scott i. 42.
Gar … stabill thy estaitis In constance, concord, cherite, and lufe a1578 Pitsc. I. 167/12.
To haue godlie cheratie witht them as he aught to haue with it his awin bretherin 1596 Dalr. I. 224/16.
Thay imbrace him with al cheritie 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 4.
Requeisting yow … to extend … your cheretie for his relieff(b) a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxii. 47.
God commandit ws … haue chirrete with our nychtbour Ib. xxv. 28; etc.
Nane molest, Bot leif in chirrite 1613 Edinb. Test. XLVII. 280.
I exhorte my bairnes to continew cristiane chirrettie 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 4.
The ministeris [to] steir up thair flokes to schaw … thair chirretie 1630 Peebles B. Rec. 371.
That ilk … sall pay … forder according to thair chiritie and plesouir 1685 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XI. 71.
To give a pairt of the chirrity of the tolbuith

b. In the phrase for (or per) charité. 1375 Barb. i. 418.
This child … prays ȝow per cheryte, That ȝe resave her his homage Ib. vii. 537.
Scho may ask met per cherite ?1438 Alex. i. 457.
For cheritie, Of that ȝe carpe na mair to me c1460 Thewis Gud Wemen 316.
Amen, amen, fore cherytte c1475 Wall. i. 392.
Leiff ws sum part, we pray, for cheryte a1500 Seven S. 2782.
He ȝeid till hevyn, & sa do we. Says all Amen for cherite c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxv. 38.
Say ȝe amen, for cheritie c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 5.
Beseikand sum, for cherite, To beir my supplicatioun a1540 Freiris Berw. 82.
The gudwyfe thay prayit for cheritie To grant thame herbrye

2. A small addition; = Charity 2.(a) 1504 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 431.
That na woman sal by meile … and that thai sal tak nay strakis nor cheriteys 1543 Ib. MS. XVIII (J).
Tua chalderis of beir wyth dowbill cherite 1563 Reg. Cupar A. II. 277.
The comptar dischargis him … for the cherete of fourtene chalder sauld 1570 Inverness B. Rec. I. 194.
To … refound … the sowme of fourtie bollis beyr wyth the cherite 1574 Reg. Privy C. MS. XLII. 58.
For ȝeirlie payment of saxtene bollis teind victuall … but cheritie 1588 Exch. R. XXI. 376.
Sauld be the comptar … 4 chalderis beir, with ane peck to the boll for the cheretie 1600 Elphinstone Chart. 141.
Ane vther annual rent of ten bollis beir, with the cherotie 1606 Acts IV. 332.
To the minister … thrie chalderis wictuell … with the cheritie 1625 Ib. V. 183/1.
The exacting of ane peck or more vnder the name of cheritie to the boll(b) 1565 Prot. Bk. J.
Ane chalder of bair with the chiritie 1564-86 Scott 12 b. 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 274.
Grund malt with the chirritie