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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.

Plaint, Plant, Plent, v. Also: plainte, playnt. [ME. pleynt (Chaucer), plaint(e, playnt (15th c.), f. Plaint,n.]

1. intr. To express a grievance or a request for redress, to complain.With or without compl. Also in indirect passive.(a) 1562 Peebles B. Rec. I. 288.
[To] pas done to the quenis grace to playnt apone Gledstanis 1558-66 Knox II. 80.
Gif ony … kyrk men sall playnt or allege thame to have resavit any injureis a1578 Pitsc. (1728) 125.
No justice ministrate for inlack of a head to plaint to 1580 Elgin Rec. I. 158.
The byer … plainting to the provest and bailȝeis … the cordiner salbe callit and convict in ane unlaw 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2720 (Ch.).
To plaint [B. plene] on preistis it is na bourd a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 24.
Playnt Ib. (1804) 248.
The Queene of England plaintit and the Regent desyrit that [etc.] 1597 Calderwood V. 542.
An honest man going to the kirk … answered ‘I am going to plaint to God upon the king’ a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 366.
He plaints early that plaints on [1706 of] his kail 1601 Reg. Privy C. VI. 296.
He … strak hir and said gif ever he fand hir plainting on him he sould cast hir in a peitpot(b) 1531 Acta Conc. Public Aff. 369.
He suld bring the … personis plantit upon befor our soverane lordis justice(c) a1578 Pitsc. I. 225/3.
Ȝe sall haue no cause to plent 1581 Reg. Privy C. III. 430.
[Saying that] gif he cum to plent to our soverane lord and his counsale he suld slay [him] 1600 M. Napier Mem. J. Napier 304. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 821.
He that plents without cause let him meiss without mends

b. tr. and const. noun clause or object and infin.: To express as a grievance, to complain of.(1) 1559 Knox (1732) 143.
Thare is one point that we plaint is not observed to us a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 89.
[That] they should repay him of onie injurie that he wald plaint of justice(2) a1568 Darnley Bann. MS. 244 a/10.
Gif plesur be to pance I playnt me nocht opprest 1570 Warrender P. MS. 139.
The Quene of Ingland plenttis that I mak hir na offiris 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 463.
The pure men plentis that duellis besyde him How he creipis in a hoill to hyde him … When they come … to crave thair debtis

2. a. intr. To express sorrow or distress, to lament. b. tr. To utter sorrowfully.a. c1590 J. Stewart 17/85.
He plaints, he cryis, scho vill not stay nor standb. 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 5 a.
Thir rowndales schoirt that I heir plainte Is … Me to comforte quhen I was fainte