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

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Michty, a. Also: micht(t)y, -i(e, mitht-, mycht(t)y, -é, -i(e, mychety, mighty, -i(e, myghty, -i, mythé, methy. [ME. mihti, miȝty, myghty, OE. mihtiᵹ.] Mighty, potent.

1. Wielding great power or dominion as a prince or great lord or chief.a. Of rulers or their attributes. Common in complimentary formulae. Also absol.(1) 1375 Barb. i. 474.
With few folk thai had wictory Off mychty kingis a1400 Legends of the Saints xix. 35.
Mychtyare ?1438 Alex. ii. 8974.
Mychtyest c1420 Wynt. vii. 2577.
A mychty erle off Frawns c1420 Ib. viii. 18. 1424 Cambuskenneth Let. to Jas. I.
Betwene ȝou and the michti Kyng of Ingland a1500 Henr. Orph. 74 (Asl.). a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS lv. 62.
Ane michtie bischop in ane cuntre of [nocht] 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 75/4
God hes endeuit his g[race] aboue sindrie vther michtie princis(2) 1456 Hay I. 126/27.
[The king] is autoriȝit with grete and hye and rycht mychti jurisdiccioun a1578 Pitsc. I. 25/8.
He maintenit a gret companye of thewis … to lat him vnderstand his michtie power a1578 Ib. /25.
To adwance his michtie power he creatit senatouris of the parliament … as he haid beine ane king(3) 1379 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 2.
At the instance of a noble & mychty lord 1391 Lennox Mun. 43. 1394 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 29.
Til a nobil man and mychty Colin Cambell lord of Lochaw 1405 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 172.
Betuix noble men and michti 1409 Red. Bk. Menteith II. 277. 1424 State P. MS. (Reg. H.) No. 15.
Rycht hey mychti maist excellent prince 1420 Reg. Great S. 29/2. 1444 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 10. 1447 (1450) Reg. Great S. 69/1.
The sele of the said he and mychti lady 1456 Hay I. 2/22, 14/24, etc. 1482 Edinb. Chart. 146. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 261. 1494 Loutfut MS. 9 a. 1516 Sutherland Chart. 63.
It is … accordit betuix noble and mythe lordis 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 543. 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 208.
Be ane nobill and methy lord 1566 Rec. Earld. Orkney 375.
The maist mychtty potent lordis 1622 Red Bk. Menteith II. 322.
Oure richt heiche, michtie, and illustre prince c1650 Spalding I. 25.
Michtie(4) a1500 Golagros and Gawane 300.
absol. Quhan thai saw that mighty [the king] sa mouit in his mude

b. Said of cities and states. a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 465.
[Rome is] worthy to be Mychtyare throw religione Than wardly dominacione a1400 Ib. xxxiii. 850.
He of mychtty Perce was kinge c1420 Wynt. v. 3642. 1460 Hay I. 37/6. Alex. (Taym.) 2574. c1515 Asloan MS I. 308/6.
Mony utheris michtiest cites and townis 1513 Doug. v. x. 98.

2. Potent in standing, importance or wealth; powerful, important, rich.Also said of the qualities or attributes of such a person, and absol.(1) 1375 Barb. ix. 443 (E).
Thai that er war pour and bar Off that gud rych and mychty war a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii. 163.
I was borne … In lauchful bed of folk mychtty a1400 Ib. xli. 105.
My spouse is mychtyere Thane thi son & fere richere a1400 Ib. xxvi. 76, xxxviii. 558, xliv. 337. c1420 Wynt. viii. 6397.
Than quhat throw mycht off the burges [of Edinburgh] And the custwme … In his hand he worthyd mychty And gat hym a gret cumpany c1420 Ib. ix. 1637.
Robert the Ketht, a mychty man Be lynage 1456 Hay I. 223/33.
Twa or threi of mychti burgeis sonis c1460 Thewis Wysmen 390. a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow iii. 141.
This Cokelb grew eftir to so grit riches … he grew the michtiest man In ony realme c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 300. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 201.
Than come he hame ane mychti riche man And spousit syne ane michti wyf richt than a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 293.
A burges … Riche and mychti 1533 Gau 17/11. c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 45.
It nowthair sparis mychtie men nor pure 1570 Satirical Poems xxii. 12. c1575 Balfour Pract. 280.
Quhen the judge daris not richtlie judge for fear of ane michtie and potent persoun(2) a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxii. 83.
Thoght I be laich, I beir a michtie mynd c1600 Montg. Suppl. xv. 2.
Of small degrie and michtie name(3) 1456 Hay I. 298/9.
absol. Of the riche to the pure, of the mychety to wayke [etc.] a1500 Golagros and Gawane 1154.
Of that mighty na ma War set at the des

b. Rich in (of) (property, possessions, friends). c. Rich enough (to pay etc.).b. 1375 Barb. v. 274 (E).
A man … That was off freyndis weill mychty a1400 Legends of the Saints xxv. 397.
He & scho that mychtty ware Of gold & siluir ?1438 Alex. ii. 4816. a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1328.
This lord … mychti was of heretage c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 296.
Syne maryit I a marchand myghti of gudis 1513 Doug. i. i. 23, ii. i. 17.c. 1456 Hay I. 231/3.
Sik a notable burges, the quhilk is mychti to pay x or xii thousand frankis

3. Of God, Christ or a pagan deity: Having divine power.Also transf. to the deity's qualities or attributes.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 123.
To that ilke mychty Kinge We sall serwe a1400 Ib. xlii. 32.
Mychtyaste of al is He 1456 Hay I. 52/13.
Haa, michty God of hevin! 1490 Irland Mir. I. 14/29.
The hie and mychtty lord Jhesus c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 102.
Dame Wenus, lufis mychti quene c1500-c1512 Id. lxxii. 4.
Befoir the michti King of glorye 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 14.
Aurora to myghty Tytan spows c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1089. 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 198. 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 106. 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 73/14.(2) c1515 Asloan MS I. 326/21.
Marcus … tretis of Goddis michtiest powere 1561 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xlv.
[The] mychty protectioun [of our lord Jesus] a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS clxxix. 20.
His mychttie ire a1570-86 Ib. 73.
Wnder His michtie hand

4. a. Possessing great influence (with God). a1400 Legends of the Saints V. 655.
Sancte Johne that mychtty is Vith God

b. ? Strongly or greatly addicted to (in, for) a vice or the like. c1420 Ratis Raving 1503.
Man mychty in iniquite a1500 Henr. Orph. 212.
Cresus the king, non mithtiar on moid For covatise

c. Qualifying an agent noun: Greatly given to the practice denoted. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 87.
Schir Johne Kirkepakar, Off many cures ane michtie vndertaker

5. Physically powerful, stalwart, strong.Of persons and animals, their attributes or actions, etc. Also absol., and cf. Michty n.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 2687.
He was michty and staluart to stand c1420 Ratis Raving 1573.
The sext eild … to four scor of ȝeris … Lestis in men of kind mychty c 1446 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 249.
Jone of Forbes … was a gude man wise mychty and manly in his tyme 1456 Hay I. 169/27.
[He] was stout … and mychti of were in armes 1456 Ib. 196/2.
Women … suld nocht be compellit to the weris, all war thai never sa michty c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxvii. 36.
And syne the Bruce … cum rydand … As nobill, dreidfull, michtie campioun 1513 Doug. viii. v. 22.
The lovabill gestis of mychty Hercules 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 25/9.
The mychty ande the sterk man a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xvii. 29. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 2190.
This michtie bair(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 1418.
The lyone … With his clukis that ware mychty c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxiv. 32.
Hectouris manheid and michtie excellence 1513 Doug. viii. iv. 119.
Hercules it [the rock] smytis with a mychty towk 1533 Bell. Livy I. 51/5.
His flurissant ȝouth, his mychty strenth of body 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 17.
With ane michtie bend c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3086.
Michtie straikis 15.. Clariodus iii. 1120.
His michtie corpis(3) a1500 Golagros and Gawane 753.
absol. Quhen thai myghty can mach

6. a. Of things: Of great size or strength; strongly built. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 3052.
Ane mychtie castell bigit hee c1515 Asloan MS I. 187/4.
With … mony michti schippis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxvii. 37.
He wes our mychte pavis 1513 Doug. v. iv. 77. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 5248.
The michtie towre

b. Of huge amount, huge. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1725.
The rych reward was mychty for to se c1475 Ib. x. 943.
I thank yow, schyr, off this mychty reward c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 3330.
Off fat cattall thai sesit ane michty pray 1531 Bell. Boece I. vii.
Thair costlie clethin schew thair michty rentis

c. Sumptuous, splendid. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1819.
He … Come … with richt mychti apparele a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1885.
A burges … held a michti hous at hame 15.. Clariodus i. 31.
The michtie bardis of his nobill steid Of bricht gold gleimit 15.. Ib. ii. 124.
Ane chalmer … arayit … With gold and silk and arais full michtie 15.. Ib. iv. 1364.

7. Powerful of its kind. a. Of sounds: Loud. b. Of the wind: Strong. c. Of liquor: Strong, potent. d. Of a quality or attribute: Present in a high degree.a. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vi. 346.
Quhar claryowns blew full mony mychty sonis c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 129.
Thai … sang ballettis with michty notis clere 15.. Dunb. App. vi. 28. 1609 Acts IV. 424/1.
The same wes … song … with a verray loude and michtie voiceb. 1587-99 Hume 50/86.
The mightie winds blaws to and fra 1644 Petrie Chiliasto-mastix 19.
By a michtie wind of preachingc. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii. 342.
With Irland ayle the mychteast couth be wrocht c1500 Fyve Bestes 213. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 38.
Roxena … went to the king with ane coupeful of michty wine 1535 Stewart 37628.
With coistlie spycis and mony mychtie wyne 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1917.
Michtie drink comforts the dull ingine c1550 Id. Meldrum 836. 15.. Aberd. B. Rec. MS. (Jam.).
Stark mychty wynes & small wynes 15.. Clariodus iii. 1023.d. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 12.
Thai haff wrocht in to thair mychty pryde To hald Scotlande at wndyr euirmar a1578 Pitsc. I. 103/17.
His mightie curage in sic adwerssatie 1596 Dalr. I. 163/8.
The Scottis couragious, of a blyth hope and a mychtie spirit, leipis to straikis 1600-1610 Melvill 142.
M^r Andro … with … mightie force of sprit … planlie tauld the King and counsall that [etc.]

e. Of speech: Emphatic, signifying much. f. Of an oath: Strongly binding. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 86.
His lyppis honorys sciens ay With mychtty spech full of gud fay 1533 Bell. Livy I. 2/16.
Brutus … gart the pepill with mychty aithis swere