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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.

Prively, Prevely, Priva-, Prevaly, Privily, Previlie, adv. Also: priv-, pryv-, priw-, prew- and -ely(e, -el(l)y, -el(l)ie, -elé, -aly(e, -al(l)y, -al(l)ie, -alé, -ilie, -ilé; prywaly; prevyly, preweillei; prefalie; privly. [ME and e.m.E. priveliche (c 1290), -lik(e, -ly, pryve-, pryvyly etc., privalie (c 1440), privily (1611), previly, -li (Cursor M.), prevaly (c 1460), -ely, preevelye (1582), f. Privé adj.]

1. In private or secret, not openly or publicly; privately, to oneself; secretly; stealthily, clandestinely, surreptitiously.Very common in this sense throughout the period, esp. in verse.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xii 73.
Priwely Ib. xxiii 170. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 167.
Inne secre place … whare they myght pryvely Spek … and secrely Ib. 41, 3112. c1420 Wynt. viii 5692.
Priwely 1456 Hay I 262/29.
That he had prively put fyre be a fyre ball or othir wayis Ib. II 154/23.
And prively and secretely confourt thyne inymyes a1500 Henr. Fab. 800 (Bann.).
Ane sone, the quhilk in lemanrye He gottin had in purchace priuely Id. Test. Cress. 94 (Ch.).
This fair lady … Richt priuelie, but fellowschip, on fute Disagysit passit far out of the toun c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 525. 1513 Doug. vi i 38.
Quhou pryvely [L. furto] with the bul forlane was sche Ib. vi 46. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 918.
This ladie ludgit neirhand by, And hard the squyer priuely … makand his mone 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2912.
His sisteris tway … Quha sair did weip priuelie and bewaill 1567 G. Ball. 100.
Rycht priuelie is thair communicatioun, To set thair nettis with cloikit craftines 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 156.
Replie was … set up priuely upon the Tolbuith dure a1585 J. Maitland Maitl. Q. xliii 42. c1590 J. Stewart 18/119. c1615 Chron. Kings 162.
Priwellie 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 37.
Do not speik evill of thy enemye Quhat ever thoue thinkest of him privelye c1650 Spalding II 233.
Heirfore thay privilie aduertesit the Parliament(b) a1400 Leg. S. xv 211.
[They] it away bare priwaly & dalf it Ib. xxi 671. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1852.
That privaly Pallamides was hole purpost For to betrais the Grekis oist ?1438 Alex. ii 2330.
Hir … That hes my hart sa subtely Wounded within me priualy c1420 Wynt. ii 1433.
Thai conspyryd pryvaly Wytht marcherys Ib. 1357.
Prywaly [C. priwaly, W. prevely] Ib. 1541. c1475 Wall. i 279.
A schort swerd wndyr his weid priuale Ib. iii 74.
Full priwalye Ib. v 460.
Priwale(c) 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 138.
Murther the quhilk is done priuily [Skene quyetlie, L. clam perpetratur], na man seand na wittand a1578 Pitsc. II 248/29. 1582–3 Reg. Privy C. III 560.
Having … privilie put doun and drownit himself 1584 Acts III 305/2.
Privilie 1652 Glasgow B. Rec. II 229.
The craimes at the crose and lining claith sold thair quhilk hes not payed the pittie customes at the ports bot is stolne in privilie [ed. privisie](d) 1657 Balfour Ann. I 6.
Had not Alexander Carrone priuly carried the king saue away throughe a priuey(e) 1375 Barb. ii 21.
That thocht ferly … That thai come hame sa preuely Ib. vi 398.
And ner thar-by He him enbuschyt preuely Ib. ii 13, v 282, 287, 304; etc. a1400 Leg. S. iii 929.
Preuely ?1438 Alex. ii 3794.
And the maydin hir knicht in hy, To stele the poun all preuelly c1420 Wynt. viii 7038.
He … wald mak so prewely Hys gyfft, that he wald lat nane wyte Ib. vi 1296.
Prewely [C. prewaly, W. prevely] a1500 Henr. Fab. 254 (Asl.). a1500 Seven S. 861.
Wnder the erd full prevely With mattokis myne it subtelly Ib. 1086.
For to lat ȝow slepand ly I stall fra ȝow full prevely Ib. 1070, 2766. a1500 K. Hart 24, 360. a1500 Quare Jel. 45.
Preuely I hid me of entent Among the levis to here quhat sche ment a1508 Kynd Kittok 20 (Bann.). c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 525. Ib. xix 39 (B).
Prevely [M. privaly] 1513 Doug. v xiv 35.
Thi wery eyn thou prevely withdraw From langsum laubour [L. fessosque oculos furare labori], and sleip a litil thraw Ib. xii vii 88.
Venus … temperis and enbalmys prevely [L. occulte] The plastyr tharwith 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 678.
Quhen preuelye ȝe did pyke Ane chekin frome ane hen 1533 Boece 194.
Thay prevelie [L. clam] fra the keparis tuke with thame certane houndis a1540 Freiris Berw. 168 (B).
He thristit hir hand agane richt prevely 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2026. a1578 Pitsc. I 267/5.
The king dissagyssed him self and come prevelie and hard everie lordis wott 1602 Conv. Burghs II 143.
Gif the merchandis guidis beis deminischit … or prewele put to syid 1602 Dundee Shipping P. 75.
To do me ane … despayt, … sawlld the schip preweillei without may witein(f) a1400 Leg. S. i 427, 428.
Than Petir rownyt in his ere And bad ger bring hym bred of bere All preualy. And he did sa. And preualy he can it ta And blissit it c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2407.
This King Acastrus prevaly Has put Peleus … Frome his cuntre c1420 Ratis R. 1295.
Sum … Wyll pres thaim prewaly to paynt c1420 Wynt. vii 1352.
Hys mynysterys … Prewaly put in his chalyce Wenenows poysowne Ib. ii 119, 977, iii 44, 65, iv 446, etc. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 331.
Supois sic sclander passit preuallie a1500 Lanc. 2426. c1475 Wall. iv 391.
He consawyt in his witt prewalye [1570 priuatly] … quha was [etc.] Ib. viii 588.
Prewale Ib. ix 1281.
Prewaly Ib. xi 945. c1490 Irland Asl. MS 23/27.
That the synnar … mak satisfactoun be werk or passoun prevale for his syn c1500 Barounis Lawis fol. 10 b.
It is nocht lefull … him to prompt na preualy to informe that sall gif that ilk dome 1513 Doug. iii iv 56. 1535 Stewart 11859.(g) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1912 (Bass.).
The feynd … under plesance previlie [Bann. priuelye] dois hyde a1500 Rauf C. 711.
The king preuilie smylit, Quhen he saw that bald 15.. Clar. ii 1762. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2437.(h) 1535 Stewart 5829.
Ȝit prefalie on ȝow tha wan the feild(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 81.
Bot that wes nocht sa priuely Na it wes persawit in hy a1578 Pitsc. II 12/7.
This was nocht conclwdit so privalie bot the cardinall gat wit heirof

b. (To keep some piece of knowledge) secret, to oneself: cf. Privé adj. 3 d. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2007.
Cletemistra gaif trowyng … Of his counsall, & privaly It kepit

c. Not in public audience or with general access or participation, behind closed doors, in private. 1597 Skene Verb S. s.v. Iter (see Privé adj. 3 e).
Privily 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 184/7.
Flatter not youre self in youre labouris, bot before thaye be sett furth lett thaime first be preuilie censured be sum of the best skilled men in that craft 1615 Logie Par. Hist. I 77.
For the quhilk the brethrein … ordane him to teache privallie the nixt exerceis day 1692 Acts Sederunt ii 198.
If they make any merchandize privily in a shop … when there is no publick mercate

d. By direct approach to the sovereign, not through the regular channels open to the general public. 1580 Reg. Privy C. III 284.
Sumtymes the signaturis past the sealis at the desire of his majesteis letters privilie purchest

e. Coupled with various antonyms (= publicly, openly). ?1438 Alex. ii 9241.
The couartis fled all halely, Baith in apart and preuelly 1512–13 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 139.
That na infectit persoun … cum to … mercat priuelie or appertlie be day or nicht 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 256.
He never … maid promys to marye the said Margret, nether prevely nor oppynlie 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 398.
Thay … cessit not, in kirk and market, publictlie and priuelie, to … rayll aganis him 1588 Burntisland B. Ct. 15 Oct.
Priuily nor publiclie 1589 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 243.
That na flesche be eitin on Fryday or Setterday be na persoun prewile or publicle

2. a. In such a way as not to reveal oneself or give away what one is doing; discreetly, quietly; silently.Also, to hald oneself prevely, to keep hidden and silent.Cf. Privé adj. 7.(1) 1375 Barb. v 436 (E).
Thaim that war woundyt gert he ly In till hiddillis all preuely ?1438 Alex. ii 2410.
And quhen that I am anerly Into my chalmer all preualy [F. quoie] To think Ib. 2415.
I sall contene me wele alway And preuelly [F. coiement] discouer hir till All hale my stait 14.. Burgh Laws c. 60 (A).
Thai sal pas to thar walkyne & sa gat sall walk priualy & besily [B. wysly, Skene discrietlie, L. caute et sollicite] quhil lycht day a1500 Seven S. 1666.
Bot thai wrocht nocht sa prevely Bot all thai ymagis thair bellis rang 1513 Doug. iii x 23.
And prevyly [L. tacitique] we smyte the cabill in twane Ib. vii vi 5.
Alecto … prevely [L. tacitumque] begouth awach and lowr About … Quene Amatais bour Ib. viii 66. c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 311.
Forsuthe the fader beheld priualie [L. tacitus considerabat] this thing(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 1344.
And thay thairin richt preuelly [F. quoi] Thame held a1540 Freiris Berw. 497 (M).
Neir the dure ȝe hald ȝow preuelie And [etc.]

b. Of speech: In such a way as not to be generally audible, privately, aside, sotto voce. ?1438 Alex. ii 5393.
All … said amang thame preually [F. a consel], This vow is outtragious Ib. 7625.
Syne he said him thus, All preuelly [F. a consel] that nane micht heir a1500 Henr. Fab. 2031. Id. Test. Cress. 529.
Quhen the gold thay saw, Ilk ane to vther prewelie can roun, And said [etc.] 1513 Doug. v x 5.
And in hys trasty eyr thus prevaly He rownys 15.. Clar. v 813.
Privallie

3. ? Individually, as an individual. 1666 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 8 Oct.
With power to them all conjunctlie or prevallie to act and doe … as becomes