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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Present, n.¹ Also: press- and -end, -ant; praisant; plur. also presens. Also: Presand. [ME and e.m.E. present, -ente (Ancr. R.), -aunt (c 1290), -ant (c 1320), OF present (10th c. in Hatz.-Darm.; F. présent) as used in the phr. en present as a gift, orig. in(to) the presence, repr. 7th c. barbarous L. in præsenti, -e, for L. in re præsenti or in rem præsentem, in, into the place itself.]

1. A gift or offering. = Presand n.Also as the second element of a compound in Cors-present, Corps-present and Croce-present.(1) ?1438 Alex. i 199.
Behald quhat-kin present That our Goddis hes to vs sent Ib. 2512. c1420 Wynt. iv 2214.
Hys ryng and his hewyd … he sent Till Julyus Cesare in present 1456 Hay II 110/4.
The Quene of Inde send thé money, jowellis, and speciale presentis c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 2909.
Gif Alexander wald … Thare present thankfullie tak a1500 Henr. Fab. (O.U.P.) 2398. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lx 36.
Sum that gaittis ane personage, Thinkis it a present for a page 1512–3 Treas. Acc. IV 407.
To sindry personis that brocht presentis to the king 15.. Clar. iv 779.
It ane royall present was(b) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 637 (C).
That the presend of the cite Suld in-to ithand fayrnes be c1420 Wynt. vi 1633.
Hire, and hyr presend, thankfully He ressaywyd(c) 1513 Doug. i ix 102 (E) (see Presand n. 2 (2)).
Praisantis(d) c1600 Montg. Suppl. v 29.
Na presens, nor perswationis slie, Sell newer mouf my mynd ane inch

b. Present-silver, money given (1) to a distributor of gifts, (2) to a bearer of a gift (for (of) the thing given).Cf. presentation silvir, s.v. Presentacioun(e n. 4 b; also quot. Hamilton Cat. s.v. Presand n. 2 (3). — 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 310.
To the maister cuik for present silvir of rewardis debursat be hyme 1512 Ib. 345.
To the maister cuik for present silvir and rewardis, comptit … in Linlithgow Ib. 350.
To the Lord Mortonis man for present silvir of halkis Ib. 356.
For present silvir of ane martrik, gavin be my Lord of Murray to the king Ib. 339.

c. In Argyll and Carrick: An ‘offering’ (orig. in kind) payable in addition to the rent by a tenant to his landlord; also Presand n. 2 c. 1583 (1585) Reg. Great S. 285/2.
Cum 2 lie coiggis butiri, unum lie wedder, pro lie presentis dictarum terrarum 1634 Argyll Reg. Acc. (Reg. H.) Kintyre.
For the kaynes and pressantis of the said iiij merkland of Darrachan 1653 Argyll Rentals II 3 June.
They payed at Martimes last the haill maills, multuris, presentis, and the teynd thairfoir in victuall and the brok in money 1674 Rental of Morvern in Highland P. I 285, etc.
And the Ȝuill and Pace pressant viz A quart of butter and a stane of cheese at Ȝuill and a quart of butter and 2 veals at Pace

2. (Another's) presence. = Presence n.¹. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1287.
Heir am I cumyn at this tyme to your present [: gent, rent, entent]