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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.

Grant, v. Also: graunt(e, grawnt. [ME. graunt(e, grant(e (a 1225), AF. graunter, granter, OF. granter, graanter.]

1. tr. To grant or bestow as a favour or in answer to a request; to consent to or permit (something requested). Usually const. with dat. of the person.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 420.
This child … pray[i]s ȝow … That ȝe resave her his homage And grantis him his heritage a1400 Leg. S. ii. 873.
The gret ioy that God … has grantit tham Ib. xxxiii. 821.
Thai his askine grantit rath c1420 Wynt. v. 4740.
Teophile … askyd mercye, And that grantyd myld Mary ?1438 Alex. ii. 3641.
I grantit ȝow my lufe, I wis c1420 Ratis R. 514.
God has grantit na resone To men till knaw the quaiite Of his micht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 957.
Grant me confort this day, As thow art God verray! c1515 Asl. MS. I. 255/28.
He grantit first fredome to haly kirk 1513 Doug. iii. viii. 45.
Grant our vayage ane esy and reddy wynd 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1121.
Grant me the thing that I ȝow craif a1568 Scott i. 161.
Foirgifanis grant … till all into ȝour parliament 1614 Highland P. III. 164.
What conditiones may be grantit to the rebellis 1630 St. A. Baxter Bks. 83.
Mitigatioun to be grantit to the parochineris(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 1231.
For-thi, sire, graunt me ȝour gud will c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1446.
He of refetyne Thame preyed space to graunt thaim syne c1420 Wynt. iv. 312.
He prayid till his god Appolyne To grawnt hym wyttyng [etc.] Ib. v. 1321.
Bot he wald grawnt off nakyn wys To the Jowys that franchyse 1490 Irland 146/3.
Na thing is sa hard na difficil … bot sche graunttis and impetratis to thé 1564 Peebles B. Rec. 298.
Gif the tovne grauntit the said William … his dessir of the said office in lifrent a1585 Maitl. Q. xxx. 40.
God … graunt thame grace for to repent

2. To grant permission, to consent, that something be done or happen. With noun-clause or infin. as obj. a1400 Leg. S. xxii. 667.
The iuge … granttit that his saule in hy Suld agayne til his bodye c1420 Wynt. vii. 1654.
He grawntyd them trewyd for to be 1456 Hay I. 298/24.
He grauntit that … ane of his eyne suld be put out a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 54.
Grant me, lord, on yon gait graithly to gay Ib. 1007.
At thow wald … grant the frekis on fold farar to fall, Baith thair honouris to saif 1513 Doug. i. vi. 171.
Quhy grantis thou nocht we mycht joyn hand in hand And fortill heir and rendir vocis trew? Ib. viii. 51.
O hie princes, quham to Jupiter hes grant To beild ane new cietie Ib. Direct. 33.
God grant I may amend it 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8678.
Thairto I do consent, And grantis ȝow heir with all benevolence To pas ȝour time

3. To agree or consent, undertake or promise, to do something. a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 221.
Scho vmbethocht hyre … That it a foule fandyng was To gere hyre grant to fyle hir flesch 1456 Hay I. 54/2.
The knychtis wald nocht graunt to pas with him in Affrik c1450-2 Howlat 666.
Thai grantit that gud, but grutching, to gane c1475 Wall. i. 69.
Till haid of hym he granttit at the last 1485 Acta Conc. *110/2.
He … grantit to pay the excrescence of the avale of thaim c1515 Asl. MS. I. 201/7.
He callit Willam his bastard son, quhilk grantit to gang 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1686.
The gardner [was] not saikles, to cut sa sone that grantit

4. intr. To agree or consent to or till (some request). 1375 Barb. vii. 133.
Thai grantit till his spek for-thi a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 640.
He wes lath to grant thare-til c1420 Wynt. viii. 2344.
To the forsayd termys he grawntit for thi, Thai trewys for till hald lelely ?1438 Alex. ii. 571.
I grant thairtill With gude hart Ib. 1286, etc. 1494 Acta Aud. 202/i.
A parte of the said convent wes takin and presonit, quhill thai grantit to the said assedatioun 1496 Acta Conc. II. 23.
The chancellar and lordis … grantit to his peticione and desyre c1515 Asl. MS. I. 264/29.
Jhon Baliole grantit thairto 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 43.
I wil obey and grantis onto ȝour will 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6993.
I wald ȝour grace to my desire wald grant

b. absol. To agree, consent (to a request); to make a promise (in answer to a request); also const. dat. of the person. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3201.
Gif God grantis throw his pousté, We sall richt wele accordit be Ib. 5088.
Pirrus … said, ‘Gude friend, Len me that bow!’ ‘I grant!’ said he 1456 Hay I. 46.
A knycht askit justyng of a Romayn, and he grauntit him with gude will c1460 Consail Wys Man 165.
Be nocht lefull to hicht na grant, … And quhen thow grantis kep veil thi hecht a1500 Seven S. 2416.
The stewart grantit him blythly c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 313.
That page wes neuer of sic price for to presome anys Wnto my persone to be peir, had pete nought grantit a1568 Scott xxxiv. 45.
Ȝe grane ay quhill thay grant

5. tr. and intr. To admit, acknowledge, confess. With various constructions.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xii. 276.
He can repent … Grauntand … Rychtwyse blud betraisit he had Ib. xxii. 366.
Before al [he] had granttyt thare That he had bene a cristine mane c1420 Wynt. viii. 326.
That that lord had dowchtrys twa, I grant 1456 Hay I. 101.
And tharfor mon we graunt that that bataill cummys of rycht 1466 Acta Aud. 32.
The v mercis that he grantis he promist to pay 1498 Acta Conc. II. 289.
He grantit … that he had commonit and spokin with … Jonet 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 42.
Iohnne Forret grauntit … that he keist nocht the turffis be na title of richt c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 310.
I grant ȝe ar baith greit and wicht a1578 Pitsc. I. iii/24.
That he grantit he had no wther refuge … bot in the kingis clemencie 1624 Peebles B. Rec. 365.
Charles … grantis he said: The devill be amang the provest and bailȝeis or I be thair burges(2) a1400 Leg. S. xi. 163.
We grant ws seruandis ay bown of Ihesu Criste 1475 Acta Aud. 38/1.
The said Robert grantit him awand the said soume to the said James 1534–5 Linlithgow Palace 328.
The said Sir James … and Sir Thomas granttis thame pait 1564 Exch. R. XIX. 529.
I … grantis me to becum actit cautioner and sovertie for my cousing 1596 Dalr. I. 258/20.
Sche compeiris, and grantis her selfe to haue slane the king(3) a1400 Leg. S. x. 477.
He granttit his faddir gilt Ib. xxii. 352.
Lord Ihesu Criste, … I nyt thé nocht, Bot granttyt thé in word & thocht 14.. Acts I. 352/2.
Of a man grantand his awne wrang Ib. 372/2.
Giff ony man grantis dett and has nocht to pay c1420 Wynt. iv. 2546.
Wyth mowth thai grawntyt thare homage 1493 Dunferm. B. Rec. 48.
The syse … fyndand the said Wat datur [= debtor] of all he grantit in jugment 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 35.
Forsuyth, … I sal, quhat euer betyde, Grant to thé all the verite 1560 St. A. Kirk S. 36.
William granttes thir wordes, ‘The Devill cayre the Kirk’ 1622-6 Bisset I. 299.
Gif the occupyare of the ground granttis that charge gevin to him(4) a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 555.
Quod Cypryane: ‘I se wele now The crucyfit is mare than thu … , & the feynd that granttit til 1500 Rep. Elphinstone Mun. 15.
For the quhilk sovme … the said Margaret grauntit 1563 St. A. Kirk S. 162.
And sche sperit … gif the father wald grant wyth the barn a1578 Pitsc. II. 242/25.
It was alledgit that he sould have slaine the regent, … bot he wald nocht grant

6. tr. To bestow or confer (a possession, right, privilege, etc.), to transfer (property), by a formal grant. Occas. gif and grant.(a) a 1350 Facsimiles Nat. MSS. II. 14.
Quod dicti abbas et conventus concesserunt [gl. has grantit] … totam terram [etc.] c 1400 Newbattle Charter (Reg. H.).
Nor ȝeit the said abbot and monkis … sal tak to tham ouy rycht, properte [or] commonte, vithout the marches grantit to tham 1423 (1430) Reg. Great S. 30/2.
We haf … granted to the said Michel yherly to resayf, tak up, and joyse thir thynggis under vyrtyn 1456 Hay I. 207/21.
Thus suld kingis or princis here the parties resouns … or he grantit lettres of mark Ib. 225/32.
For the law sais that quhen a thing principale is grantit, all the nedefull pertinence till it is grantit 1476 Peebles B. Rec. 177.
Gyffand and grantand to the forsaid George … fwll power to mak rasonabyll tenandis [etc.] 1484 Acta Conc. I. *85/1.
The lettres of balȝery and chalmerlanry grantit to the said James 1518 Glenartney Doc.
The quhilk to do, we gif, grantis and committis to ȝow owr power be thir our lettres 1541 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 105.
Sua that the toun of Campheir grantit nocht nor gaif thame larger privileges nor Myddilburgh 1667 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 235.
The saids provest [etc.] … haue given and grantit, and be thir presents giue and grants to the said Livetennent … full libertie and power [etc.](b) 1388 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 294.
The forsaid Iohn … has giffin and grawntit … all his land of [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1201.
Palladinar tho wes Graunted and gevin Vlixes c1420 Wynt. vii. 3114.
Powere had thai than at fulle, Grawntyd be the Papys bulle, To mak that translatyown 1451 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 315.
We hafe gravntit trone to be erekkit in thair cite 1454 Liber Coll. Glasg. 177.
The saide Johne … hase gyffin and grawntyde … wnto the saidis Priour, covent, and thair successouris a tenement [etc.]