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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.

Plenȝé, Pleinȝé, v. Also: plenȝie, -ȝhe, -ȝei, -y(i)e, -yhe, pleneȝe, plengȝe, pleinȝhe, -ȝie, -ye, pleingȝe, -yhe, pleynȝe, -ȝhe, -ye, pleigne, pleyhne, plenn(e, pleigin. Pres. p. pleinȝeand etc. and plenȝene. [North midl. ME. pleny (Pearl), ME. pleigne (14th c.), otherwise only Sc. in this form, f. OF. plaign-, stem of plaingre, plaindre, with vowel as in Chenȝe, Dedenȝe, Fenȝe, Menȝe. Cf. Plainȝe v. and Plene v.]

1. intr. To give expression or utterance to sorrow, grief, discontent or disapproval; to lament; to complain, protest.a. Without compl. intr. and refl.intr. 1375 Barb. xi. 320.
I trow he sall manteyme him swa That … His fayis to plenȝe sall mater haf c1420 Ratis R. 1446.
Eild that suld repruf & plenȝe And pres al wycis to refrenȝe Ib. 1683.
[Old age] plenȝeys for default of heill a1500 Henr. Orph. 360 (Asl.).
Thocht sche be lyke ane elf Thar is na caus to plenȝe c1475 Wall. v. 679.
Quhen Wallace hard hyr plenȝe petously c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvi. 41.
Plenȝie 1511–12 Treas. Acc. IV. 329.
To the quene of the Blakfurd … ij Franch crounis … and thairefter … because scho plenȝeit uthir ij Franch crounis 1535 Stewart 50814. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3057 (B). a1568 Sempill Bann. MS. 126 a/15.
Ȝee nocht to plenȝie, my clayth will nocht stenȝie, Suppois ȝe weit it nycht and day 1569–70 Q. Mary in Cal. Sc. P. III. 59.
[But] pleigin [nothing till you be assured that fault be found in it a1578 Pitsc. I. 81/8.
Mony, seand place gevin to men that plessit to pleinȝie, begane … to compleine wpoun his tyrannie 1578 Conv. Burghs I. 64.
Plenȝie 1578–9 Waus Corr. 208.
The law … will serf yow and than ye can nocht pleynye 1596 Highland P. I. 172.
He plenȝiet and saide it [the bribe] wes owre littel for sic turns a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 537.
He pleinyes [Carmichael plenyeis] airly quho pleins [Carmichael plenyeis] on his kailrefl. a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 470.
Thu plenȝeis thé for-outyne skil, For to-day [etc.]

b. To complain about or against (of, on (apon), also agane) a person or matter, also to (til) a person. intr. 1375 Barb. iv. 215.
‘I wes nouthir wis no sle … ’ Thus plenȝeit he off his folye ?1438 Alex. ii. 7415.
To our goddis I plenȝe all c1420 Wynt. iii. 371 (C).
[Delilah] of hir wickyt wyrdis pleynȝheide Ib. iv. 141 (R).
Scho plenyheyd tyll hir husbandis sone Off the defoule wes till hyr done 1490 Irland Mir. I. 144/3.
Now the man has na thing that he may plenȝe of agane the woman 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 356.
Quhar the king baytit, to the folk that plenȝeit of the corne eting c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 46. 1549 Corr. M. Lorraine 316.
My Lord of Galloway plengȝeit apon the ortographye of thaim a1568 Bann. MS. 158 a/57.
Quhen his maister plenȝeis on his hors cheir 1569 Bk. Carlaverock I. 552.
Conform to our lettres of the quhilk thay have pleinȝeit 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 137.
And be pleinȝeing on the bischop I haue drawin it all out of him a1585 Maitl. Q. lxvi. 118.
Quhomto sall I my cruell paine lament? To pleinȝie to my parentis is bot vaine

2. To make a formal complaint, esp. before a court, to complain.a. Without compl. intr. b. Variously const. intr. and refl.a. (a) 14.. Acts I. 70/2.
Gif the man that plenȝheis sayis suth … the disseysour sal be in the kyngis amercyment Ib. 335/2.
The pepill … dar nocht plenȝei for aw of thar office 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 641. 1522–3 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 216.
Plenye 1535 Stewart 51522.
The man that aucht the pleuche … Sould to the schiref pas richt sone and plenȝe(b) 1409 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 72.
He that pleynȝeis ande he that is plenȝeit on 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2258 (Ch.).
My marchandryse schaw me … Or to the bischop I sall pas and pleinȝie c1575 Balfour Pract. 584.
The quhilkis lieges dar not pleinȝie for feir and terrour of the saidis officiarisb. intr. (a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 363.
Thar-for scho thocht wele to … plenȝe on hyme or he had Til ony of hyr complant mad Ib. xxxvi. 980.
Thai … went to the emperoure To plenȝe apone thare fadir iniure ?1438 Alex. ii. 3080.
It is Gaudefere … That to plenȝe, shir, cumis to ȝow Of ald Clarus 14.. Burgh Laws c. 32 b (A).
Gif ony man plenȝe on thaim of ony thing 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 161.
Giff ony man of the court of his lord plenȝeis in the court of an other lorde 1453 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. V. i. 175 (4 Apr.).
Give thai do noght that the hale toune sall write to the king and plenyhe of thair mysroule 1490 Irland Mir. II. 115/31.
Na creatur be ressoune may plenȝe of God 1503 Lanark B. Rec. 13.
For an instrument quhen the Lard Dalȝell plenyeit off the nolt 1523 Perth Hammermen 23.
[If he] plenȝies on ony of thame to ony juge or juges 1524 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 208.
[Jedburgh's servants] raif in pecis [the signet letters] … and bad me ga plenȝe to king and quene as I list 1529–30 Ib. 323.
Gif ony wald plenȝe of me in using of my office a1538 Abell 12 a.
Thare fathiris plenȝene to the king of him he answert manfullie Ib. 108 b.
Ane wedow sayand of his iniuris sche suld plenȝe to the king 1541 Macritchie Gypsies 41.
Anentis the complaintis gevin in be Jhone Faw … and Sebastiane Lowlaw … ilkane plenyeand upon uther of divers faltis and injuris(b) 1412 Laing Chart. 24.
The forsaide lorde … sal abide the prouincialis cumyng and sal pleinȝhe til him 1558 Reg. Soltre 223.
Schir Alexander Henrisoun … pleingyheit of Jhone Gardnair ane beidman of the hospitalarie of … brekin of the statutis of the beidmen a1578 Pitsc. I. 291/5.
Thair was no iustice ministrat for inlaike of ane heid to pleinȝie to Ib. II. 93/26.
Ony skaith done … sould be … doubill restoirit to ony Scottismen that wald pleinȝe thairon Ib. I. 16/7; Ib. 30/23. 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 235.
The vther to the Sessione pleinyeit Ib. 504.
[He] Fearand the kirk shuld on him pleinyeid(c) 1604 Urie Baron Ct. 8.
Stewyne Smyth … plennit in jugment vpone the tennenttis in the grundrefl. ?1438 Alex. ii. 8848.
Lordingis, seruandis, till ȝow I sa Of him ȝone man plenȝe I me 14.. Acts I. 72/2.
Gif ony man plenȝeis hym of ane othir man of ony querel of wrang and unreson 1456 Hay I. 163/9.
Bot I suld plenȝe me till his juge and ask rycht … of him

c. To make an appeal (to a person) to do something. 1566 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 54.
Gif thay failye, the kirk … will plenye to the cewaill maiestratt to put order tharon

3. tr. To present (formally) as a grievance, to express as a complaint, to complain about.a. Const. noun clause. b. With noun (incl. cognate noun) object.a. (1) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 127.
To the appostil thai brocht hym … plenȝeand ful faste on hym that he … gert tham brint be 1399 Acts I. 212/1.
Of the qwhilk pension scho said & plenneit that scho was lettit thruch the deputez of chamberlane 1405 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 58.
Thar has commyn a reuerend fadyr … plenȝand in playn counsail that [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 2731.
Scho plenȝeit on me that I Wald hir haf forsit sa cruelly 1499 Exch. R. XI. 395.
It is plenyeit that … the induellaris … distroyis the wod and der grettumlie 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 338.
To foure scolaris menstralez … because thai plenȝeit thai gat our litill expens 1533 Boece vi. i. 185.
His dochteris come with mony teris pleneȝeing thai war … defoulit be the king a1578 Pitsc. I. 38/25.(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 3173.
He pleyhnyd to the schyrrawe sare That stollyn his plw-yrnys ware a1585 Maitl. Q. lxx. 12.
Of the toun the haill meinȝie Maist humblie to ȝow dois pleinȝie That [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II. 45/6. 1580 St. A. Baxter Bks. 30.
Becaus the service men pleingȝeis that thai gett na proffeit(2) c1450-2 Howlat 920 (A).
All the fowlis … plenȝeit to Natur Of this intollerable iniure, How the howlat him bure So … haltane 1533 Boece viii. xiii. 280.
Ane fare ȝong chylde … pleneȝeit how he was inquiet … be ane devil 1551 Old Dundee II. 299.
Sho wes servant in Thomas Maxwell's house when Sande Barre come to plenȝie how his brother wes hurt(3) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1232 (Bann.).
Vprais the dog and on the scheip thus plenȝeit: ‘To thé a sowme I payit [etc.]’b. 14.. Burgh Laws c. 40 (B).
The playnte that ane of thaim wyl pleigne of ane vthir — 1533 Boece fol. 21.
How King Gryme was corruptit be auarice. How the barons plenȝeit his mysgiding Ib. i. v. 43.
Ambassiatouris … pleneȝeing hevilie the tresoun … of Pichtis

4. To deplore, lament (a matter), complain (that something is so). 1533 Boece vii. ii. 223 b.
Pichtis … pleneȝete the hard chance be thare avne culpe incurrit — 1567 Sat. P. vii. 55.
[The queen] Pleinȝeand that sho was rauyssit by hir will 15.. Crawford Mun. Invent. II. 58.
I haif pleynȝet that ye ar our schort 1581 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. 142/15.
Ye vse to plenyie that the cair of your childrene and familie lattis you nocht luke ouer your bukes as ye vald