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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Personag(e, -sounage, n. Also: -aig(e, -adg(e, -ege; -sonnage. [ME. and e.m.E. personage (c 1380), AF. (1292) and OF. (13th c. in Godef.) personage (mod. F. personnage), f. Person(e n. Cf. Parsonage n.]In early texts, this form results chiefly or only from editorial expansion of the abbreviation for per- or par-.

1. (A) person, in various senses of Person(e n. 1.a. An individual; a human being. b. A person of some importance, a dignitary, a personage.Also, a person of the Trinity.Also, plur. without inflection.(1) 1456 Hay I. 278/32.
And sa suld the diversitee of armes mak the knaulage of the diversitee of persounagis Ib. II. 156/6.
That he be a gude rychtwis justicer bot ony lak or favour or difference of personage, na for lufe na hatrede 1513 Doug. vii. vii. 147.
Sum the maste semly farrand personage Tistys to the feild 1521 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xv.
Send from my lord erll of Angus … and grete personagis 1524 Reg. Privy S. I. 495/1.
All and sundry personegeis of the saidis bandis and cumpany of wageouris 1526 Douglas Corr. 341.
Anne ȝoung personaige called Stewart c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1502.
Thare wes than bot aucht personages 1551–2 Reg. Privy C. I. 120.
Thair salbe send to the Emperour ane sufficient personaig to gif up the samyn peax c1554 Makeson Genesis fol. 8.
Bot Esaw vas ane carleche personage 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4037 (see Exceptioun n.²). Ib. 10425. 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I. 528.
A strait and miserable ward to ane personage of his byrth 1572–3 Bann. Memor. 293.
That thei wold nominate certane personages of auctoritie [etc.] … to meit [etc.] Ib.
He of whome thei could lyke of to be the ode personage was the King of France a1578 Pitsc. I. 233/12.
[The king] gart tak great cure and deliegence wpoun the wpbringing of thir tuo bodyis in ane personage 1586 Cal. Sc. P. IX. 245.
To send sum grave personnage … towartis the king(2) 1513 Doug. x. Prol. 33.
The Son … the Fader … The Haly Gaist … Thre distinct personage(3) uninfl. plur. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 106 h. of ch.
Thir wertuis I wil compare to certane personag 1566 Cal. Sc. P. II. 318.
Discrete personaige will not rashly judge in so horrible crymis

c. (One's) awin personage, one's self. — a1578 Pitsc. I. 109/25.
I regaird nocht my awm personage na maner of way

d. Physical being or appearance; physique; body. 1513 Doug. vii. v. 114.
Sa fowle and laithly all hir personage 1533 Boece xi. xx. 450.
Men in thai dayis war of mekle greter stature and personage 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1172.
Quhil blude ran doun ouir all hir personage Ib. 8441.
As this chylde grew daylie into age In likemaner he grew in personage Ib. 5896.

A character, real or assumed. e. (One's) personality or guise; one's identity. f. A character in a drama or the like; a performer representing such a character.e. 1456 Hay I. 278/27.
For the principale caus of armes taking is for to knawe the personagis of noble men in bataill 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 116.
Our Salveour spekis heir to the apostolis in the personage and place of all utheris cheif ministeris and rewlaris Id. Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 153/11.
That I may … tak apon me … the place and personage of thais callit now of the new learnyng Id. Ressoning 15.
Swa are ȝe cled rather with the personage of ane impungnar nor ane defendar 1567 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I. 559.
Mature deliberatioun being had towert the personaige of him with quhome hir hienes suld joyne in mariage 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 81.
Scho cast away all hir disguisit personage of murning a1578 Pitsc. I. 144/22.
Lat nocht ȝour selffis appeir in wemenis personagis 1611 Crim. Trials III. 211.
Ȝe haif committed the crymes of thift [etc.] … and dissaitful suppositioun of ane counterfute personage … to assume and vsurpe the name and personage of the said Johnnef. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 17427.
In divers rewis playis and personagis Sum contenance on scaffaldis and on stagis 1538 Edinb. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 180.
[To] awaitt vpoun the grathing of thair rowmes in skafetting personages and ordour thairof 1555 Acts II. 500/1.
And gif ony … communitie chesis sic ane personage as Robert Hude Lytill Johne [etc.]

g. ? (cf. b above). — 1628 Soc. Ant. XXVIII 433.
Your l. knowis, althow they [the soldiers] be men of personagis, they can not muster befoir your l. with thair trewis and blew cappis

2. A representation or figure (of a human being) (in embroidery or of wood). 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 134.
Ane fals ruif … of grene velvot maid in broderie with greit treis, personages [etc.] 1578 Inv. Q. Mary lxxi.
Ane quhite buist with chas men in personages of woid

3. The benefice or living of a parson.Also, the house attached to a parsonage.(1) 1144 Reg. St. A. 123.]
[ij porciones … que pertinent duobus personagiis c1420 Wynt. ix. 2089.
Quhilum off a personage He maid and dowyt a faire collage 1457 Reg. Dunferm. 344.
Vithin the personage of thare kyrk of Strivelyng 1472 Ib. 369.
Giffand ȝerli fyuety lib. for the tendis … of the said personage 1503 Reg. Privy S. I. 142/2.
A presentation maid to James Redeheuche clerk … of the personage of Glendovane vacand be the deceis of umquhile schir Robert Mure c1500-c1512 Dunb. lx. 35.
And sum that gaittis ane personage Thinkis it a present for a page 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 36.
The preist for a personage … Langis ful sair 1518 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 125.
Promovit to the personage of Kinkell be my lord legat 1565 Reg. Soltre 126.
The personaige and vicaraige of Dunnotter 1567 Coll. Aberd. & B. 226 (see Person(e n. 5(1)). 1571 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 211.
Quhair personages and vicarages ar coniunct, sa sall they remane 1578 Reg. Soltre 139.
The iust valour of the personage … £80.6.8. a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. li. 62.
At thy gift is monye abeceis Personagis provestreis and prebendareis Now sen doun is the auld religioun 1642 Orkney Rentals iii. 25. 1661 Decis. Lords G. 2 (see Mensal(l a.(n.)). 1678 Wemyss Chart. II. 254.
[To] give institution to the said Mr. Alexander Monro of the forsaid personage and viccarage of Methill(2) 1570 Reg. Episc. Morav. 419.
Theking and utheris necessaris reparatioun concerning the personage

b. Personage-teind(is, also -dewty: The ‘great teinds’ or tithes of growing crops, which were originally due to the parson or titular holder of a benefice, as distinguished from the ‘lesser’ or vicarage teinds (see Vicarage n.).Only Sc.For further information see Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. I. clx ff. and Encycl. Laws Scotl. (esp. § 816, XIV. 360). 1599 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. IV. 31.
The personag and vickarage teindis 1618–22 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 213.
This kirk … being provyded presentlie with thre chalders victuall and ane hundreth merks money out of the personage teinds, with the vicarage [etc.] 1627 Rep. Parishes 73.
The personage teyndis it payit in rentall tuelff bollis of strakit meill four bollis of beir, bot not so meikill worth 1633 Old Ross-shire I. 33. 1654 Retours Inq. Spec., Forfar (335); etc. 1659 Glag. Univ. Mun. I. 361.
All and sundrie the teynds personadg and viccaradg of the foirsaid paroch kirkes 1662 Burnett Fam. P. MS.
Sauld … Not only the tack and assedatione of the teynd schaves and personage teynds of the saids landis 1671 Samsons Riddle 131.
All and sundrie tiend sheaves, or personage teynd, of the samen lands 1680 Dunblane Synod 170. 1690 Strathendrick 57.
Personadge teinds — 1599 Reg. Great S. 303/2.
For the personage dewtie