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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.

Privat, Pryvat, adj. (n.²) Also: priw-, pryw- and -att(e, -ate, -ait, -et. [ME (Wyclif, Trevisa) and e.m.E. privat(e, pryvat(e, L. prīvāt-us orig. p.p. of prīvāre, Prive v. and Privat v. Cf. also Prevat.]

1. a. Of a person: Not holding public office or official position. Also predic., quasi-adv. 1531 Bell. Boece I 32.
Ane man is plesant sa lang as he is privat, howebeit he alter his maneris quhen he is clothit with publik auctorite Id. Livy I 90/18.
Terquyne … wald be … the mare active pvnisare of thare attemptatis than ony private man Ib. 293/7.
Our … familiare with private persouns 1533 Boece 58.
Quhen he was private, he was to ws weill myndit 1560 Acts II 531/2.
Nouther … to priuate nor publict persoun a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 126/18.
To the peruersit iugement of sum priuat faccious fallowis Ib. 121/1.
Priuate Ib. 125/4.
Priuat Ib. 161/5.
Pryvate 1562-3 Winȝet I 27.
I thocht that I, ane priuat man, could do na better … bot pray for peace amangis all professing our Lord Jesus 1567 Sat. P. vii 33.
Behalding than the actis execrabill … Ane priuat hart it mycht prik vp with tene 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 25.
Priuat 1574 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 7.
Ane privat persone takand upone hand without ony baillie … to gif saissing c1590 Fowler II 32/15.
This halynes (I wil not say opin wickednes) was not in priuat pasturs onlie, bot also in abbots byschops [etc.] 1592 Acts III 614/1. 1636 Moray Synod 38.
A pryvat laik man … had baptized a chyld 1648 Ib. 90. 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i xx 1 (1699) 106.
Any privat party Ib. Dedicatory.predic. a1686 Turner Mem. 227.
Since then I have livd private

b. Of a place: Lacking official status. 1500 Acta Conc. II 422.
The quhilk was proclamyt at the Skait of Creif and nocht in court, the quhilk place of Creif is ane pryvat place and nocht convenient 1632 Lithgow Trav. vii 334.
This citty … was once the capitall seat of the kingdom though now … it is onely become a private place

2. a. Of or pertaining to a private person and not to a public or official authority. b. Of or pertaining to a person in an unofficial capacity. c. Of or pertaining to an individual or a small intimate group; individual, personal.Passing into sense 3. 1456 Hay I 274/34.
Bot and the party had maid a private appoyntment and accordance with him by the prince, he suld nocht [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. in Innes Rev. VI 92.
The lawis that makis mentioun of … translacioune of heretage suld not be understandit of the … dignite rial, for it is ane mar hie … thing, na is ane heretage particular or priuate 1490–1 Liber Melros II 600.
Actis nor statutis prywait nor generall a1500 Bk. Chess 762.
Thir iudges suld richt veill attend Fra pryvate luif 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 64.
The sade Thomas sall nocht … mak na innovacioun, pryvat nor public, concernyng [etc.] 1530 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 339.
In persewing of thame at private justice courtis by the airis 1533 Bell. Livy I 205/5.
Sum private iuris Ib. 215/1.
The batall of Veanis was convertit in ane private cure 1533 Boece 61 b.
I haue devisit to liff ane privat liffe … Plesinglie and with gude hert I leif the authorite 1541 Peebles B. Rec. I 60.
That nane of thaim tak vpoun hand to mak ony privat mercate, foirstall, [etc.] 1549 Compl. 92/29.
Ȝour gold and siluyr and vthir gudis public and priuat sal be distribut … amang them 1562-3 Winȝet I 25/12.
For caus of exercise and priuat studie Ib. 33/20. Ib. 97/14.
Adheirand only to his priuat opinioun Ib. II 49/1. 1563 Cal. Sc. P. I 693.
In there pryvet greiffes by him to them ministred 1567 Ib. II 390.
How I am changytt of latte frome my privatte state to ane publict charge 1574 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 8. a1578 Pitsc. I 18/16. 1590 Grant Chart. 177.
Be granting of priuate commissiounes of iusticiarie and lieutennendre 1596 Dalr. II 366/18.
Al priuat libalis and accusatiounis Ib. I 141/6. Ib. 239/1. 1598 Melvill Propine 32.
Men in private occupations runnes loose [etc.] 1602 Colville Paraenese Ep. 16.
Such priuat monopolls and dangerus distractions alltogidder I abhor c1610 Melville Mem. 105.
In respect of ther priuat personages 1619 Aberd. Council Lett. I 167.
[They] maks as it were a privat mercat to tham selffis befoir the mercat begins 1621 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 121.
By this thair priwatt purses are inritched 1630 Gordon Geneal. Hist. xi.
Privat 1643 Cuningham Journal 68.
The very first private men of warre 1669 Meikle Old Session Bk. 11.
After privat direction from God 1678 Cunningham Diary 109.
To a private contribution for a minister, 4.5.0. 1682 Lauder Observes App. iv 306.
With the advocats and others, who spared not to utter ther privat sentiments

Applied in similar senses to d. documents, e. residences or buildings, and f. private or unofficial schools.d. 14.. Acts I 51/2.
Gif ony be convickyt of fals charter gif the charter be the kingis he is to be condempnit … And gif it be the charter privat [L. Si carta vero fuerit privata] than [etc.] 1492 Acta Conc. I 238/1.
It wes a priwat contract maid betuix [the] said Malcum and Margretee. 1531 Bell. Boece I 62.
And in the mene time, certane armit men ruschit out of privat chalmeris Id. Livy I 69/22.
All the public and private housis of this ciete 1596 Dalr. II 351/17.
In a priuat ludgeng of the gouernourisf. 1676 Cramond Kirk S. II 5 Nov.
Considereing how much the public schoole at the church is prejudged by privat schooles 1680 Edinb. B. Rec. X 389.
All privat Lattine schoolls 1682 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 1 Nov. 1699 Cramond Kirk S. IV 14 July.
That there is in this paroch, the publick schoolm^r, & a privat one, and two chaplanes

3. That is not performed openly or publicly, but only in the presence of a particular person or persons; also, clandestine, secret.For further examples see Professioun n. 5 b.(1) 1533 Bell. Livy I 225/12.
The faderis, movit to hie displeseris be thir persand wourdis, held … mony private consultatiouns a1538 Abell 8 b.
Thare wes na priuat festis maid bot opinlie Ib. 110 b.
& privat consall of sympill men 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 12.
The saidis leters of the auchtorite ar stoppit at the signet be privet wais 1543 Douglas Corr. 152.
That Schir Raufe Saidleir … daylie directit and resavit priwat writingis to and fra syndrie grite menn a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii 34.
Nor be priuat conspiraceis 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I 17. 1622-6 Bisset II 225/3.
That na private aythis be amangis theme [sc. mariners] for defrauding of thair maisteris 1629 Justiciary Cases I 132.
Nather is it allegit that the said Toppok and the pannell … had ony privat pactioun 1639 Johnston Diary I a 87.
Privat 1643 Scot. Ant. XIII 32.
For private marriage with young Craigie(2) 1681 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 16 Nov.
And for the concealeing therof efter publict report that the money was wanting … and still keeped private be the saids persones till the said Marioune declared them to have had the samyne

b. Of meetings. 1572 St. A. Kirk S. 370.
To reveil nothing intrated in this privat assemblie 1628 Linlithgow B. Rec. 25 July.
Commissioner to the privatt conventioun of borrowis ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. I 24.
They discharge all … privatt meetings tending to factione and tumult

4. a. Privat writing = privé writing, Privé adj. A 5 b. 1501 Acta Conc. III 9.
It was ane pryvat writing makand mencione of the landis of Lassingtoune 1533 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 96.
The said Andro hes obtenit privat writyngis to discharg ȝow and ȝour deputtis fray [etc.] 1554 Acts Sederunt i 55.
That in caise hir grace be circumvenit and geve som private writingis lettrez or chargis, be solistation … or vtherwais, to … stop justice, that the saidis Lordis sall … do justice … nochtwithstanding ony sik private writingis lettres or chargis gevin … be hir grace in the contrar a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 17.
That justice should not be stayed be privat writtings procuired from the King

b. Priwat consall: cf. Privé Counsail, Privé adj. and Secrete Counsail, Secrete adj. a1538 Abell 110 b.
The raid of Lawdir quhar the king wes tane be the lordis and put in the castell of Edinburgh. Als Cochren & the laif of his priwat consall wes tane & iustifit to be hangit

c. Privat censure. = privé censure, Privé adj. 4 c. 1668 Dunkeld Presb. II 45.
In which diocesis som off the brethren ar, all wer removed on by on, for ther privat censur, and being severally cald in

5. With an agent-noun. a. That performs the specified action ? unofficially, or ? not openly, clandestinely. b. Private professor, ? a university professor who teaches separately (smaller) classes or tutorials as opposed to one lecturing in open audience (see Public adj. 6 a).a. 1567 Acts II 552/1.
Quhilk disordour [of setting up defamatory placards] … may redound nocht onlie to the gret hurt … of all noble men in thair gud fame, privat calumpniatouris having … libertie to bakbyte thame

b. c1646 Crawfurd Edinb. Univ. passim (see Professour(e n. 1 a (2)).

6. a. Privat memberis, the private parts. 1531 Bell. Boece II 511.
Ane linnin curche to hid his privat memberis

b. Of a place: Not public, not of general access. c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. fol. 70.
The great lodging, where the private schooles are 1665 Old Ross-shire I 39.
Kirke mercats and uther privat and publick places 1696 Galloway P. 6 Aug.
Wee … did meet at a privat countrey ale house

7. noun. a. A private or personal business or preserve. 1561 Q. Kennedy Oratioune in Knox VI 162.
I will nocht be sua balde (because it is Goddis privat) to aggrege the incredible … mistemperance of the air

b. In privat, not openly or publicly, clandestinely.e.m.E. (1581). 1469 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 419.
I sall neuer in privat nothr in part be me or ony otheris … hendyr [etc.]

c. A privy. = Privé B 4. 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 235/32.
Young wemen … be casting thair new borne babes in filthie priuets, vthers in colpots, and in vther secret places