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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.

Pover-, Pouer-, Powerté, n. Also: povir-, pouir-, pouyr-, povar-; powyr-, powar-; pouvir-; pauuer-; (pever-) and -tee, -ty(e, -tie. [ME pouerté (a 1300), pouertté, pouertee, earlier ME pouerte (see Povert n.), e.m.E. pouertie (1477), -y(e (1523), pauuerty (1486), OF poverté (c 1138), pouerté, poureté (11th c. in Tobler-Lomm.), orig. povretet Pur(e)teth n., later F. pauvreté, L. paupertāt- inflected stem of paupertās nom. (see Povert n.). Cf. also Pureté.] Poverty.Of a person, or of a corporate body: The condition of having relatively little, little, or no, wealth or material goods: indigence, destitution, want.Also fig., personified and in proverbial contexts.(1) ?1438 Alex. i 563.
Men suld nocht repruf pouerte, Thocht pure men ay skornit be 1429 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 42.
Fourty punde of annuale rent ȝerly to be raysyt of my landys of Cortaqwy, and falȝeand thairof throw ony manar of way were, pouirte, or ony othir gate to be raysyt 14.. Acts I 44/2.
Gif that he be constrenȝeit wyth necessite or poverte c1450 Cr. Deyng 212.
Al man is born of the hewyne, banist tharof in pouerte fore his synis c1450-2 Howlat 951 (A).
This howlat … Put first fro poverte to pryce 1461 Liber Plusc. 385.
Thair is nocht heire bot … Baith pompe and pryd, with passand pouerte [: vanite, be, he], Weire and invy a1500 Henr. III 126/22. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 231.
Passing the boundis of wylfull pouertie [: propertie] 1549 Compl. 7/21.
This pure man throucht grit pouerte hed no thyng to present tyll his kyng 1550 Corr. M. Lorraine 342.
I … wilbe herriit and distroyit be povirte for evir 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2816.
Pouertie 1562-3 Winȝet II 48/1.
In the stryte way of haly pouertie a1568 Bann. MS. 202 b, 203 a, b.
Povertie, [once] Peverty [the title of the character in Lynd. Sat.] a1578 Pitsc. I 102/14.
Povertie(b) 1375 Barb. iii 551.
And thai full pitwtysly gan tell Auenturis that thaim befell, And gret anoyis, and powerte [: pite] c1400 Troy-bk. ii 25 (D).
In-to depnes of powerte [C. povertee] Byhouyd hym dyrent to be a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 837 (Asl.).
As powerte deid wexacioun and seiknes Thir thingis we dreid a1538 Abell 89 a.
Zelair of ewangelical powerte illuminat in the spret of prophice 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 240.
Suppois powyrty banys me your grace service c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1931 (see Penurité n. 1 (1)).
Powertie 1567 Sat. P. iv 167.
Powertie(c) 1560 Waus Corr. 22.
And gyff … hyr grace send noth mone to me, that pauuerte veill contryne me … to laiff Rome(2) 14.. Acts I 357/2.
To be prowyt of his pouerte be iiij lell men [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. I 134/33.
Dreid nocht for thi pouerte and indegence 1491 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 327.
Considering … the pouerte of hym 1533 Boece 151 b.
The Romanis … only cuvate to reif elike the riches and poverte of all naciouns 1532–3 Acta Conc. & Sess. (St. S.) 109.
Sua that justice may be hastily ministrat betwix the saidis partyis becaus of thair povertie a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 127/2.
Pouerte 1567 Acts III 25/1.
The pouerte of mony is in sic sort, that [etc.] 1585 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 15 Oct.
Haveing consideratioun of the eild and povertie of Patrik Alane sumtyme freir c1590 Fowler II 77/31.
In regard of there povertie 1606 Acts IV 284/1.
Povirtie 1615 Denmylne MSS. in Highland P. III 229.
The saidis burrowis.in respect of thair pouertye and inhabilitye [etc.](3) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 78.
Sa hapnyt thane percase, His ny[ch]tboure … To fal in sic pouerte a1500 Bk. Chess 1481.
This Egipt fell in sic a powerte Lang efter this 1533 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 132.
Geif man or voman … fallis in poverte quhilk is … opinlie knawin [etc.] a1586 Maitland Geneal. Setoun 8. — 1456 Hay I 174/13.
For he is nocht haldyn to put him self in povertee 1551 Glasgow Masons 4.
Craftsmen … are put to pouyrtie and to utir rewynge throw wanting of ordeure [etc.] 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 99.
Johne Club, quhome thow … pat to extreme powertie — 1531 Bell. Boece II 229.
The landwart pepill be thir weris war brocht to sic poverte … that [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 18/10. 1596 Dalr. I 97/19.
Throuch inuasioune of ennimies daylie thay ar brocht til extreime pouertie 1662 Soc. Ant. XXII 261.
Having indignatione at her son-in-law … she did lay doune … oats … to bring him to povertie — 1562-3 Winȝet I 8/14.
That sum off ȝour houssis hes bene laitlie aluterlie destroyit … and the vtheris deiectit to pouertie(4) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1118 (C).
Inne poverte hyr lyf ledyng c1450 Cr. Deyng 212. 1456 Hay I 33/2.
To haly kirk quhen it was in grete povertee Ib. 44/35. c1460 Dietary 13.
[Be] glad in pouerte a1500 Henr. Fab. 1116 (Bann.).
Abstrackit … In wilfull pouertee, fra … all pryde Ib. 216 (Asl.).
Powerte Id. Test. Cress. 598. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvii 22.
Gif thow standis in powertie … to it consent a1561 Q. Kennedy Brief Tract. (ed.) 126/31.
Quhow cane this man be God … quhilk is in sik miserye and pouerte 1563–4 Rec. Earld. Orkney 272.
I … in extreme darth, neid, and powarte [etc.] — 1562-3 Winȝet I 10/34.
At sic extreme pouertie all we of the clergye [are] that [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II 133/23.
I ame … ane trew serwant of God serwand him witht powertie quhillis gangand to my bede but my supper(5) fig. and personified. a1538 Abell 59 b.
God hes decretit … ws to pray … for our powerte spirituall a1568 Bann. MS 257 b/54.
With riches dar not poverty play 1567 G. Ball. 211.
Ȝe partit with dame Pouertie, Tuke Propertie to be ȝour wyfe(6) proverb. c1460 Thewis Gud Women 247.
For pouertee tynis mony gud woman a1500 Henr. III 174/58.
With passing pouerty pryd is importable a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 166.
Bear wealth, povertie will bear it self a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 296.

b. ? Poverty of character, spiritual poverty, meanness of soul. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvii 8.
Quho had all riches … And wer not satisfiet … With powertie I hald him schent

c. General or widespread destitution or deprivation, dearth. 1570 Leslie 154.
To the greit hinder and povartie of the hole realme 1572 Sat. P. xxxii 3.
Quhat pouertie, quhat derth and tribulatioun Dois ring be Grange 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 212.
In this tyme of pouvirtie and dearthe