Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pureté, Purté, n. Also: puretee, purtye. [Late ME pourte (once, c1420), e.m.E. poorety (once, 1589), otherwise appar. only Sc., AN poreté (c1240 in Wartburg) (also mod. F. dial. pōrtę, pôretai, etc., in Wartburg): cf. Pur(e)teth and Poverté.In the mod. Sc. dial. as puirta etc.]

Poverty. = Poverté n.Also personified. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 766.
Purte me in sic assay Has set that [etc.] 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 59.
At the sellar of that land sauld it thru cause of purte c1460 Regim. Princ. 182 (Marchm.).
Pure folk … levand al, for purte may nocht bide a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1314 (Harl.).
Sen weill and wa here, riches and puretee [: occupye, aduersitee, estymye; Asl. purete] … bayth slydis as ane slumber 1490 Irland Mir. I 46/33.
Contempland the purete and wrechitnes of this waurld a1500 Seven S. 877.
Quhill of his gudis he maid ane end And fell agane in gret purete Ib. 2692, 2730. a1568 Bann. MS 81a/47.
Thay passit by with handis plett With purtye fra I wes ourtanepersonif. a1500 Bernardus 217.
A wyfe he sal hafe, purte til hir name, And a sone als callit scorne and schame