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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Trental(l, Trigental(l, n. Also: trentale, -ell, trigentale. [ME and e.m.E. trental (14th c.), trentall (1471), trigintall (1531), med. L. trentale, trigintal, OF trentel, L. trīginta thirty.] A set of thirty requiem masses. Also attrib.(a) 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III 97.
I ordan xxx^ti trentallis to be said for my saul 1478 Grey Friars 15.
To fulfil furth the trentale of xxx messes to xviii pristis to say messes 1497 Treas. Acc. I 328.
To the preistis of the college, to say tua trentalis of messis for the king 1497 Treas. Acc. I 330.
Ane trentale of messis of Sanct George xx s. 1505 Edinb. Hammermen 53.
For the ekin furtht of the laif trentall iiij s. viij d. 1506 Treas. Acc. III 77.
To prestis to say sex trentales messis 1512 Edinb. Hammermen 77a.
Trentall 1526 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. I 154.
With ane trentell of messis in the ouik that the said obit sall happin in 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 695.
We thre sall mak ȝour festis funerall, … Syne, trentalls twenty trattyll all at onis 1532–3 Treas. Acc. VI 89.
Ane trentall of messis done for the Britonaris saulis, quhilkis periseat at the port of Air a1568 Scott i 89.
Thai tyrit God with tryfillis [and] tvme trentalis 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xii.
To the not so bad, they … allot a purgatorie, wherein … the soule must ly … some trentals of masse(b) 1491 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. I 257.
The placebo and dirige … and trigental of saidis messis 1491 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. I 257.
Trigentallattrib. 1507 Treas. Acc. III 294.
For ane trentale mes 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 174.
For three trigentale missis neglexit be the said dene in his last compt

b. transf. Applied to something else: A set of thirty, a large number. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 319.
Thou … geris me tell thair trentalis of mysdedis