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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Taffitie, Taffiteis, n. Also: taffata, -ita, -yta, -eta, -at(t)ie, -ittie, -ietie, -et(t)ie, -aty, -ity, -ety, -atj, -ati, -etj, -et(t)i, -itye, -etay, -etey, -itae, -até, -ité, -eté, -atee, tafetie, -iti(e, -ity, taphettye, -ety, -etie, -atie, -ité, thaphaté, taiffety, -it(i)e, taufatie, teffetie, tefety, -ité, taffat(t)is, -atas, -ate(i)s, -atyis, -atiis, -atieis, -et(e)is, -ettis, -etas, -ite(i)s, tafeteis, -iteis, tapheteis, taiffite(i)s, -ateis, tauffateis, teffites, toffetiis, taftateis, talphetie, -atie, talfettie, -atie, -itie, -ity, talffitie, talphyteis, -eteis, tafftay, taf(f)ta, taftie, -y(e, taifty, taftais, -ay(i)s, -eis, tapheit, -ett, talphett, talfet, (stafata). [ME and e.m.E. taffata (Chaucer), taffeta (1552-3), taffeties (1583), taffetie (1602), taffita (1604), taffity (1630), OF taffetas, taphetas, med. L. taffata, -eta.]

1. Taffeta. Also attrib.(a) 1372 Exch. R. II 371.
In … pannis sericis, taffatis, tela lata 1493 Halyb. 37.
A stek taffatis 1494 Treas. Acc. I 233.
iij ellis of taftais to thare doublettis 1494 Treas. Acc. I 233.
Taftays 1495 Treas. Acc. I 256.
Ane tippet of taftayis 1495 Treas. Acc. I 257.
v quartaris of taftais to turs his [sc. the king's] sare hand; price xv s. 1496 Treas. Acc. I 270.
For a traves to the kingis bed of taffatas lynit with buckrame 1498 Halyb. 178.
Taffattis 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 420.
Taftateis 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 521.
Taffeteis 1516 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 71.
Ane ruffe of taffatyis 1527 Treas. Acc. V 303.
Taiffiteis 1527 Treas. Acc. V 304.
Taiffites 1529 Treas. Acc. V 361.
Taffateis 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II 18.
Toffetiis 1531 Treas. Acc. V 421.
Taffetis 1538 Treas. Acc. VI 397.
Talphyteis 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 253.
Taffites 1539 Inv. Wardrobe 42.
Taffatiis 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 409.
Teffites 1540 Maxwell Mem. I 409.
Ane payr of cwrtyngis of wariant tapheteis 1549 Edinb. Hammermen 181b.
Taffettis 1555 Crail Ch. Reg. 65.
Taiffateis 1558 Treas. Acc. X 360.
To by certane welvot, sating, and talpheteis agane the solemnization of the mariage of our Soverane Ladie 1562–3 Treas. Acc. XI 240.
ij elnis of tafeteis to lyne ane pair of brasaris of satene a1578 Pitsc. I 368/6.
Claith of gould, welwete, sataine and dameis witht taffatieis and wther silkis a1585 Maitl. Q. 2/27.
Thair wovin hois of silk ar schawin Burrit aboue with tafteis drawin 1581 Acts III 220/2.
That nane of his hines subiectis … being vnder the degreis of duikis, erlis [etc.] … or thair wyffis, sonnis or dochteris, sall … vse or weir in thair cleithing … or lyning thairof onie … weluet, satyne, damas, taffateis [etc.](b) 1373 Exch. R. II 440.
In empcione vnius pecie de taffata 1489 Treas. Acc. I 145.
For ane elne of taffata to mende the kingis rowbryall xx^ti s. 1490 Treas. Acc. I 145.
Taffyta 1491 Treas. Acc. I 187.
Taffita 1496 Treas. Acc. I 292.
Taffaty 1497 Treas. Acc. I 339.
For half ane elne of taffatj, to be ane quaif to the king agane the raid, iiij s. 1500 Treas. Acc. II 20.
Taffati 1501 Treas. Acc. II 32.
Taffeti 1501 Treas. Acc. II 50.
Taffetti 1502 Treas. Acc. II 46.
Taffeti 1503 Treas. Acc. II 307.
Taffety to lyne ane goun 1505 Treas. Acc. III 35.
Taffetj 1505 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II 114.
Taffetay 1506 Treas. Acc. III 48.
Tua hattis coverit with taffetj 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III 250.
Taffeti to be howis to the king 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III 272.
v steikis of the taffeti bocht … to the courtingis for the … ruffis [for the princes' cradles] and for the font 1515 Treas. Acc. V 9.
Taffity 1532 Crim. Trials I i 276.
ij elnis taffate, to draw thame and nerf thame [sc. hose] 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII 399.
Ane elne of taffate boucht upoun the feildis to be ane hande senȝe for my lord governoris carage 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. I 204.
For taffitye to be ane standart to the towne 1560 Old Dundee II 249.
Taffeta 1561 Edinb. B. Rec. III 122.
Taffate or vther silk 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 135.
Taffetie 1566 Treas. Acc. XI 511.
Taffitie 1572 Edinb. Test. II 252a.
Ane cassekin of taffetie 1575 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 335.
Taffettie 1583 Cal. Sc. P. VI 689.
Tafitie 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Actilia.
Ane forme of armour … maid of taffitie, ledder, or linnen claith, stuffed with caddes a1605 Birrel Diary 10.
Taffitae 1676 Cunningham Diary 69.
Taffatee c1680 Bk. Dunvegan I 194.
Tafity(c) 1374 Exch. R. II 466.
iiij ulnis de thaphate 1533 Treas. Acc. VI 182.
Taphettye 1533 Treas. Acc. VI 184.
Taphety 1539 Aberd. B. Rec. I 161.
Taphite(d) 1494 Treas. Acc. I 224.
vj quarteris of tafftay to a belt 1523 Old Dundee II 248.
Tafta 1608 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 229 (9 Feb.).
Taftye 1657 Balfour Ann. II 8.
Taffta 1657 Balfour Ann. IV 384.
Tafty(e) 1535 Treas. Acc. VI 247.
Talphett 1550 Reg. Great S. 103/2.
Talfet(f) 1603 Montgomery Mem. 246.
Ane vardingell couerit with teffetie 1622 Sc. Ant. XIII 162.
The gumpheon of state which was a morthead painted in black tefety 1648 Lennoxlove MS (The Duke of Hamilton) F1/426/6.
Tefite(g) 1619 Edinb. Test. L 263b.
Wemanis gluifis lynit with taiffitie in the heidis(h) 1590 Mill Mediæv. Plays 199.
For tua ellis of quhyt talphetie that the bairne was rowin in 1603 Moysie 83.
Talfettie 1606 Edinb. Test. XLII 80a.
Talphatie 1622 Stirling B. Rec. I 156.
Talfitie(i) 1496 Halyb. 45.
A stek blak stafataattrib. 1503 Treas. Acc. II 234.
Ane taffeti hude to the king 1530 Balmerino and L. Chart. ii 32.
Thre hatts with thre taffite typpats in tham 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I 239.
Tua pair of tapheit gartanes 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 122.
Tafetie hatis 1613 Edinb. Test. XLVII 359a.
Thrie tafetie pursis price of all x s. 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 26 Sept.
The taffitie bed with the fedder bed bolster 1640 Innes Sketches 509.
Ane reid steikit taffita matt 1647 Old Ross-shire I 143.
Mixt talfatie ribbans 1647 Caldwell P. 99.
Ane ruch hatt with a taffettie pock 1649 Wemyss Chart. 231.
My blaik tafiti goung 1673 Curiosities Charta Chest 18.
Plain sating ribbons may be worn … in the same manner as taffietie ribbons a1700 Alchem. MSS V.
Breye it … into ane fyne pouder be searceing it in a pottingars box throcht a taffetas sarcinett

b. Various particular sorts of taffeta.For further examples see also Armosin(g n., Changeand ppl. adj. 2, Dewcap n., Dyce(i)t adj., Figo(u)rit ppl. adj., Figurit ppl. adj. 2, Florence n., Flourit ppl. adj., Forbati(e adj., Grograne n. b, Janis n., Lut(e)string n.², Napillis b, Spanis adj. 2 (2), Touris n., Wollit ppl. adj. b. Taffeta of (the) cord, taffeta of … threidis see Thred(e n. 2 d. 1506 Treas. Acc. III 248.
Taffeti of Florence, to the sleffis of it 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 192.
To bordoure the samyn schamvart iiij elnis taffates of the cord 1532 Treas. Acc. VI 75.
Tapheit 1534 Treas. Acc. VI 193.
Taphety turke 1535 Treas. Acc. VI 252.
Ormosy taphett 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 162.
Taffiteis 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 87.
xj quarteris quhite teffites of cord 1549–50 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 196.
Tafeteis 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I 273.
Tafteis 1557–8 Treas. Acc. X 330.
Talpheteis 1561 Treas. Acc. XI 93.
For twa elnis and ane half of blak tafiteis of the vj threidis … the elne xxx s. 1562 Treas. Acc. XI 204.
Kowgrane tafeteis 1566 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 501.
Taffetas 1569 Inv. Q. Mary 186.
Tauffateis 1569 6th Rep. Hist. MSS 672/1.
Quheit tauffateis figurit with blew 1571 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1878) Sept. meeting.
Taffatie 1574 Cal. Sc. P. V 45.
Taftie 1586 Perth B. Ct. 15 June.
Spanes taiffety 1590–1 St. A. B. Ct. 24 March.
Taffittie 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 199.
Taifty 1595 Argyll Acc. 2 Jan.
Taffetey 1596 Edinb. Test. XXIX 321a.
Taphetie 1600 Treas. Acc. MS 111b.
Taffatie de cord to cut out this stand with 1606 Edinb. Test. XLII 80a.
Taphatie 1609 Paterson Ayr & Wigton II 442.
Ane dowblet and breikis of Spainis taffatie, cuttit out vpone taffatie of the cord 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 176b.
Figourit taffattie 1612 Brechin Test. II 252b.
Taiffitie 1612 Brechin Test. II 252b.
Spanis taiffite of fillamort 1614 Laing MSS 137.
Cramesen tuftit tafetie 1620 Edinb. Test. L 352a.
Taffitie decord at l s. the elne 1638 Elphinstone Mun. 194/2.
Changeing talffitie 1642 Old Ross-shire I 142.
Taufatie 1661 Funeral Acc. i 4 (see Dewcap n.).
Talfity 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II 512 (see Lut(e)string n.²).
Taffete 1688 Douglas Bequest 24 July.
Black cordet tafity

2. transf. Something made of taffeta. 1600 Elgin Rec. II 81.
The displaying of the taffatie on the stepill vall 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 112b.
Ane womanes new taffitie with the furnitour pertening thairto 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 253b.
Ane cuttit taffatie to ane woman