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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.

Pretty, Prety, adj. (n.) Also: prettye, -i(e, pretie. [e.m.E. prety (c 1485), -ie, prettie (1577), -y, preatie (1542), superseding ME and e.m.E. praty (see Prat(t)i(e adj.). Cf. also Prit(t)y, Prottie.From the outset much the commonest Sc. form: cf. obs. Du. prettig sportive, humorous and ON prettr n. trick (whence Icel. prettugr tricky, deceitful).]

1. Cleverly or artfully devised or executed; ingenious, skilful; neat, apt.Said of tricks, stratagems, speeches, verse. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2583 (C).
Sa rad ȝit wes I neuer, As thow hes maid me with thy prettie play 1567 Sat. P. iii 139.
Than sall I wryte in prettie poetrie, In Latine leid, in style rethoricall [etc.] 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 397.
It cummis to my memorie ane prettie trik 1568 Charteris Lyndesay Pref. Adhort. (S.T.S.) 404/33.
With prettie problemis, and sentences maist sage a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 869 (L).
Sic prettie reassonis and replyis, On ewerie syd thay schew c1650 Spalding I 210.
The confedderat lordis … devysis a prettie slicht to draw the horssmen fra the brig Ib. II 295. 1668-9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 42.
Pretty

2. Of things, also of animals: Cleverly, artistically or daintily made; pleasing to the eye or ear or to the æsthetic sense; beautiful, delightful.Also conjoined depreciatorily to litill and appar. not said of grand or imposing things. c 1453–4 Bishop Kennedy's Testament in Coll. St. Salvator 158.
A prety mess buk notyt a1500 Henr. Fab. 1358 (C).
Ane inkhorne, with ane prettie gilt pennair c1475 Wall. vii 133.
The prety wand … Assignes rewlle and cruell jugement a1500 Seven S. 330.
This litill prety pynula c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii 16.
The pyet with hir pretty cot 15.. Sym & Bruder 26.
Sanct James schellis on the tother syd sleuis As pretty as ony pertane ta 1549 Compl. 37/16.
I beheld the pretty fische a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvi 57.
My pretty pynnege a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1550 (Wr.).
So likewise doth this river flow Foorth of a pretty spring 1600-1610 Melvill 169.
We rowit in within a prettie lytle holl betwix the mean and the head 1611 Reg. Panmure I xcv.
Ane prettie work efter the forme that browdinsters do vse 1637 Black Bk. Taymouth 79.
Ane great pendit vtter ȝett of prettie weill hewin and engravit aislar work 1650 Nicoll Diary 13.
Ane prettie cassik put on upone him 1683 Martine Reliq. Divi Andreae 184.
[The chapel] had to the west a prettie turret Ib. 185.
Of these pinnacles two stood on the west gavell … and were pretty and handsome

b. Applied to a non-material thing or event. a1578 Pitsc. II 247/8.
Ane carmisching [which] … was verie prettie to behauld

3. ? Passing into: Possessing the qualities desirable in things of the kind; fine, excellent.Also applied to an animal. a1500 K. Hart 97.
Dame Plesance had ane pretty place besyd … With bulwerkis braid [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 2013.
His fals wyf that ettillit ay For till vndo this prety py a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx 65.
Now filthie speche is thocht purpois maist meit And hurdome haldin is ane prettie sport 1600-1610 Melvill 42.
My eam … wha … haid … conquesit a prettie roum within a lig to Genev

b. Applied to literary works as a (sometimes meiotic) term of appreciation. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1386 (C).
Ȝe wald not disdayne to tell ane prettie fabill c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 78.
Deliuer thame this pretty small missiue Id. Seven S. 6961.
And he belyue red ouir this prettie bill 1567 Sat. P. iii 154.
Now all the wois that Ouid … Into his pretty lytill buik did wryte 1581 Bann. Memor. 328.
[The Earl of Morton] having in his hand a prettie treatise of the meditatioune of death … gave it to Mr. James Lowsone

c. Of an example or an emblem of anything; Excellent, fitting. a1578 Pitsc. I 39/4.
As ane prettie exampill of administratioun of equitie and justice 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 48.
A pretty embleme of the diversity thats betuixt the humeurs of thess 2 mighty nations

4. Applied to young people and young women: Of attractive or pleasing appearance, comely, bonny. a1500 Colk. Sow ii 11.
Cokelby saw resort Ane auld blind man with a pretty maid Nocht twelf ȝeir hold Ib. iii 108.
Littill Hen Pen his pretty paramour is a1500 K. Hart 359.
That ilk prettie las c1500 Fyve Bestes 142.
This litill prety child 1558-66 Knox II 288.
The keyes war delivered unto hir by a pretty boy 1567 Sat. P. vii 71.
Our prettie prince, the peirle of all this land 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 20.
Granting euerie kirk man his prettie vinche c1590 J. Stewart 156/1. 1661 Crim. Trials III 601.
The deivill apeired vnto her, in the liknes of ane prettie boy in grein clothes 1661 Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 133.
Because shee was ane prettie woman

b. absol. as noun.Unless there is a copyist's omission. 1616 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. in Misc. Maitl. C. II 188.
The man with the plaid said to her she wes ane prettie And he wald lerne her to [etc.]

5. a. Small; inconsiderable; of some but not great amount or degree; ‘fair-sized’. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7761.
Howbeit it was to hir sum prettie pane, Ȝit vp scho rais and leit him in agane 1577 A. Hay Nobility 11.
An highland and straight contrey … of a prety power Ib. 15.
Their chief dwellinge is within the Stewartrye of Menteith, a pretie contrey, parcell of the Sherifdome of Perth Ib. 19.
[L. Somerville] a noble man of pretie lyvinge; his power not greate c1650 Spalding I 331.
Generall Leslie … passed oure Tueid that day, ane prettie river

b. Freq. of length of time, also of distance: Short; inconsiderable; of some but not great duration or extent.(1) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6030.
It will be day within ane prettie space a1578 Pitsc. I 413/26.
Of thair pretie tyme tak ȝe experience a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii 218.
Pretie 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 185. 1640 Dundonald Par. Rec. 465.
And such as learns Latein wold always prevent the rest a prettie space a1651 Calderwood VII 301. 1670 Mackenzie Affairs 206. 1687 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 170.
Eftir they had sittene a prettie whylle att the deponents fyre syde(2) a1688 Wallace Orkney 11.
Towards the north, at a prettie distance, lyes Sanda

c. ? Mean, petty, insignificant. 1513 Doug. x Prol. 90.
For, mycht thou comprehend be thyne engyne The maist excellent maieste dyvyne, He mycht be reput a pretty god and meyn

6. Applied to men as having the proper or desirable qualities or skills. a. Most freq. with reference to manly or martial qualities: Brave, stout, doughty, ‘good’. 1605 Cramond Fordoun Ann. 38.
Ane verie prettie young man 1614 Crim. Trials III 321.
Denyis, that … he bad his sone prove any prettye man, yf the house come in his handis agane 1616 Haddington Corr. 132.
It is ane pietie of the greitt bowtcharie we mak of prettie men 1617 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 77.
For every man that had ane peice of that … he was callit ane prettie man c 1620 Sutherland Bk. II 354.
Your ablest and prettiest men 1627 Bk. Carlaverock II 91. 1643 Red Bk. Grandtully II 141. c1650 Spalding I 309.
He wes ane prettie soldiour 1650 Thanes of Cawdor 291. 1653 Hist. Clan Gregor II 127. a1658 Durham Commandments 116.
In contemning … prayer, and other spiritual exercises as not becoming pretty men, or men of spirits 1672 Inverness Rec. II 255.
To watch be a sufficent prettie man 1672 M. Bruce Rattling Dry Bones 41.
As many, as pretty and as strong fellows 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 41.
The clan Torkil in Lewis were the stoutest and prettiest men Ib. 113.
Convocats a parcell of pretty men Ib. 379. a1686 Turner Mem. 39, 44.

b. With reference to other qualities or abilities: Good, fine, excellent.Sometimes used ironically. 1587 Carmichael Etym. 6.
Paegnion, a pretie gyser, or dancer 16.. Hist. Kennedy 63.
He was … ane pretty little manne, and werry kynd 1637 Baillie I 8.
The man is godly and a prettie scholar 1640 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 172.
And lykewayes that he [the bishop of Murray] was a prettie dancer 1650 Buccleuch Mun. II 360.
I have spoken with a young man to be your chamberman. He is a pretti man, and a gud taillour c 1660 Sel. Biog. I 296.
Come in, ye prettie foot-ball men 1667–70 Lauder Jrnl. 173.
A pretty physitician himselfe 1668 Lamont Diary 208.
Yow have dedicatt yowr theses to the E^r of Lawderdaill, who, I know, is a very prety man, bot yow have meade a god of him 1672 Dunkeld Presb. I 208.
[The Provost of Perth enquired after] a prettie man [for the vacancy in the ministry] a1689 Cleland 47.
He was well versed in court modes [etc.] … And finally, in all that can Make up a compleat prettie man

c. Said of the actions or attributes of men. 1669 Jus Populi To the reader 8.
Advanced with their whole body of horse, in a full breast, with a pretty gallop 1683 M(ac)k. Deeds 52/654 (21 June) .
Heritors of parish of Crieff having perfyt knowledge of the gud deportment, literatur qualifications prettie and gud educatione of maister Robert M'Grudder [etc.]