A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1438, 1499-1605
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Gent, a. Also: jent. [ME. (a 1225) and OF. gent. In Sc., as in ME., only in poetry.]
1. Of persons: Of good or graceful manners or appearance.a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiv. 38.
Before hyr ay thare went Four ȝnng men, gay and gent a1400 Ib. xliii. 2.
Sanct Cecile, the fare and gent ?1438 Alex. ii. 1992.
To tell the maydins, that war gent, How [etc.] ?1438 Ib. 4746.
Feronas, that was gent and small, Be the hand … Him tuke 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. ii. 90.
The feird [Muse is] Melpomene the gent c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 70.
My self suld be … Gymp, jolie, and gent 1535 Stewart 60447.
This nobill king … wes thair that da present, With mony lord and mony ladie gent 15.. Clariodus iii. 1244.
The King, the Queine, with lustie ladies jent c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 410.
Ane ladye gent approchit quhair he lay, Quha in bountie and bewtie did abound a1568 Scott ii. 4.
The grit debait and turnament … Wes for a lusty lady gent 1572 Satirical Poems xxxiii. 302.
Than spak ane lawers wyfe, baith trym and gentabsol. a1500 Golagros and Gawane 1285.
Than that seymly be sight said to the gent
2. Of things: Elegant, handsome, beautiful. Also transf. of non-material things.a1500 Henr. Fab. 445.
Quhen I behald ȝour fedderis fair and gent a1500 Ib. 1674.
Phebus with his golden bemis gent a1500 Golagros and Gawane 72.
The renk raikit in the saill, riale and gent c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 41.
The rosy garth depaynt and redolent With purpur, azure, gold and goulis gent 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 157.
Amid the wortis and the rutys gent 1513 Ib. xiii. iii. 82.
The haly promys and the bandis gent Of peax and concord a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS lix. 9.
The gaynes of my ȝeiris gent … I wait nocht how away is went a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxv. 42.
Hir armes ar long, … Hir middill gent and small