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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Petti-, Peticote, -coit, n. Also: petty-, pety-, pettie-, pette-, pete-, peteye-; pitte-, pitti(e)-, pitty-, piti-, pity- and -cot(t, -coitt, -coytht, -coat(t, -coate; peitticoit, peittiecothe, -kothe; peitikot(t; peatticotte; patycoit. [Late ME. and e.m.E. pety coote (Lydgate), petycote (Prompt. Parv.), petecote (1587), petticoat(e, petty-coate (Shakesp.), also pitticoat (1698), man's under-doublet (1420), woman's petticoat (1464), waistcoat (1673). Cf. OF. cote, mod. F. cotte petticoat.] A petticoat, the garment.Sometimes written as two words.All instances not specifically identified by the context as belonging to sense 1 or sense 2 have been given under sense 2. Some of these may properly belong to sense 1.

1. A short under-coat worn by a man beneath the coat or doublet. 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 40.
j elne of quhite fore my lorde princis petycot 1474 Ib. 26.
j elne of skarlete for a petticote to the king 1493 Prot. Bk. J. Young (S.R.S.) IV. 132.
A pare of se peis … a peticot 1498–9 Acta Conc. II. 297.
[The goods of the said deceased Robert] … a petecot of rede [etc.] 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 59 b.
To Androw Mouet ane peteyecot 1642 Kirkcaldy Presb. 228 (see Mule n.² (d)). 1673 Sc. Hist. Rev. XL. 60.
[One man says that he offered] ane old hairstuff peticoat [to Mr. Jossie]

2. A skirt or underskirt (sometimes dependent from, and of a piece with, a bodice) worn by women and girls as an upper garment or as an undergarment.(a) 1522–3 Dundee B. Ct. I. fol. 121 (16 Jan.).
For ij ellis of clath that his wifis petticot was of 1558 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 309.
For the wrangous reiffing … fra hir of ane plyd ane petticoitt [etc.] 1565 Prot. Bk. Gilbert Grote 69.
To … my petty coytht that is new 1558-66 Knox I. 459.
One brought a kirtill one uther ane pettycote [etc.] 1580 Elgin Rec. I. 158.
Petticoit 1582–3 Burntisland B. Ct. 5 Feb.
The said Robert had spilt ane petticot off hiris quhilk scho gawe him to mak 1601 Hist. Fam. Seton 585.
My rid seaclaith … petticot 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 324.
Petticottes of silk the peice xii li. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 548.
Fill the pynt and let the pettie cote ly, the claith wilbe better cheip after nune 1641 Edinb. Test. LIX. 278.
Twa imbrothered petticoattis at ix lib. the peice 1677 Cunningham Diary 103.
To my wife to buy a petticoat, £28/3/0 1677 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 247 (19 June). 1704 Sc. Ant. I. 129.
Pettecott(b) 1502 Acta Conc. MS. XII. 84.
Petycoit 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III. 268.
ij elne scarlet to be ane pety cote to the quene 1565–6 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 36.
The said Mariorie sall cum … barfit and bair legit with ane peticot quhit for out collour or sleffis or clayth upone hir heid 1650 Ruthven Corr. 122.
Peticott 1695 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 190.
For furnitur to a peticoat 1707 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. VII. 75.
Peticoate(c) 1553 Treas. Acc. X. 203.
Fyve elnis reid unwatterit champlat to be ane pittecote to my lady Jene a1568 Scott iv. 83.
Moir gentrice is to jott Vndir ane silkin goun Nor ane quhyt pittecott 1581 Edinb. Test. X. 129 b.
Scho leuis to Marioun Pacok ane blak kirtill ane quhyt pittecoit [etc.] 1583 Ib. XII. 226 b.
Pittiecoit 1593 Ib. XXV. 222 b.
Pittycoit 1620 Ib. L. 352.
Thrie figorato pitticoitis at xxiiij lib. the peice 1637 Edinb. B. Rec. VII. 196.
Wemen's … weiring of thair gounes and pittiecottis about thair … faices … [results in] matrones not being abill to be discerned frome … louse leiving wemen 1641 Edinb. Test. LIX. 337 b.
Pitticoatt 1669 Ib. LXXIII. 292 b.
Pittecot 1674 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 375.
Pittiecoatts 1681 Douglas Corr. 279.
Piticott 1689 Foulis Acc. Bk. 115.
Pitticoat 1696 Edinb. Test. LXXX. 191 b.
Pittecoat a 1700 J. Maidment New Bk. Old Ballads (1844) 14.
Pitycoat(d) 1551 Treas. Acc. X. 29.
vij elnis reid unwatterit chamlett to be ane patycoit to my lady(e) c 1640 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B. 42.
Maid to ȝour wyfe ane govne peitticoit & schankis of blacke schairge Ib. B. 43 b.
Peittie cothe Ib. 44.
Peittikothe 1649 Wemyss Chart. 231.
Peitikott … My kramisei satin peitikot brotherd uith perll(f) 1658 Brechin Test. VI. 160.
Peatticotte