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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.

Qualité, Qualitie, n. Also: qualitee, qwhalité, qualyte(e, -ytey, qwalité, -yté, quallaté; quality, -ytie, qualitie, -ity, qual(l)ietie, qualetie, quallatie. [ME qualite(e (c 1290), e.m.E. -itie, F. qualité (12th c.), L. quālitāt-.]

1. Of persons: Character, nature, disposition, temperament.Also, one's character as manifested in action or behaviour, one's worth. c1420 Wynt. i Prol. 1.
As men ar be thare qualyteys Inclynyd tyl dywersyteys c1420 Wynt. iv 1815 (C).
Othir seyr … regnande our the Scottis haile, As coursse made and qwhalite Ayris wareande to be c1420 Ratis R. 858.
Fyrst is misterfull to thee To sper and knaw thi qualyte Tuichand the dispocisioune … That thow inclynis to throw kinde Ib. 1623.
Blindyt … With warldly corrumppit qualytee Ib. 933, 1185. a1500 Henr. Fab. (O.U.P.) 2844.
This difference in forme and qualitie Almychtie God hes causit Dame Nature To prent [etc.] 1528 Lynd. Dreme 484.
His [Saturn's] qualite I can nocht loue 1530 Id. Test. Pap. 314.
Thare sall thov fynd boith gude & euyll report Off euerilk prince, efter his qualytie 1540 Id. Sat. 247. c1552 Id. Mon. 1075.
Off Eue, thay tak that qualite, To desyre soueranite Ib. 454. 1562–3 Cal. Sc. P. I 684.
[I pray you let him have] sic favouris for my saik as for his qualite I may justly requyir a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvii 57.
Remembir first ȝour former qualitie, And wrak na virgenis with ȝour wilfull weir a1578 Pitsc. I 10/19.
Knawin of wemen the facultie, That thay are nocht constant in thair quallitie 1591 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 161.
[Bothwell lacks the] qualetie, conditioun, humeur and moyen that ar mordent in amibitious breists 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 196/8.
For it becummis best (as kyndliest) euerie aage to smell of the auin qualitie 1644 Moray Synod 70.
A list of such able men of guid qualitie … as sall be thought most fitt for [trying witches]

b. pl. The attributes, traits or habits which go to make up one's character. a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxvi 7.
Sic quallateis thay [women] vse mair & les 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 397.
As the qualiteis, habites, & dispositiones of the mynde a1578 Pitsc. I 163/1.
His brother was far different from his qualitieis and complexeoun, for he … lowit sollitarnes [etc.] Ib. 291/22.
And not knawand the naturis and qualieties of thame 1580 Inverness Rec. I 284.
Being ydoneus and indowit wyth gude qualiteis c1590 J. Stewart 205 §22.
Vith monie guidlie qualiteis repleit 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 110/3. 1616 in Rollock II 8.

c. A characteristic or attribute of a person, considered as qualifying him for an office; hence, ? a qualification. 1582 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 587.
To summond before the Presbytrie of Edinburgh such persons foresaids as shall be judged unapt for their functiones, to give tryall of their doctrine and qualities there; and, if they be found inidoneous, to deprive of their offices 1603 Conv. Burghs II 157.
That na commissioner be derectit … bot sic as, by and attour the qualyteis mentionat in the former actis, sall haue this qualitie ioynit thairto, to witt, that he be sic ane persoun that may tyne or wyn [etc.]

2. Natural inclination towards sex, sexual appetite. c1420 Wynt. ii 1488.
Bot sum men thai [the Amazons] gert sauffyd be In tyme to cule thare qualyte [v.rr. qwalite, qualite]

3. One's social condition, place in society, station or rank. c1420 Wynt. ix 1942.
All his liegis of alkyn greis, Conditiounys, statis, and qualiteis, Lerit, and lawit Ib. i Prol. 104. 1456 Hay I 160/31.
Ilke man suld be jugit … efter his estate and qualitee c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiv 88.
The rest of craftis gryt aithis swair … Ilk ane into thair qualitie 1549 Compl. 7/19.
That none of the subiectis durst cum in the presens of ther kyng bot gyf tha brocht sum gyft … efferand for ther qualite 1556 Acts II 604/2.
The names … with the qualitie & habilitie of euerie manis person, and quantitie of thair substance & gudis 1558-66 Knox II 74.
To menteyne … ony Scottismen of what qualitie so ever thay be of 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 21.
It may seame … that I … pas myne estait being of sa meane qualitie 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 65/4.
To punishe or pardon … according to the circumstancis of the turne & the qualitie [1599 quallity] of the comittaire 1665 Montgomery Mem. 328.
She … not marying beloe hir aune qualitie 1666 Binns P. (S.R.S.) 54.
To command ten companyes … in the quality of colonell thereof 1673 Laing MSS I 387.
Mor then men off the meanest qualetie 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 773 (21 June).
[For educating them] as bairnes of the lyk qualitie 1674 Ib. 188 (11 April).

b. High or noble rank, (high) standing in society. In of (any) qualité. 1600 Misc. Maitl. C. III 108.
To be followit with the maister houshold, gentilmen of the chamber, and vthir gentilmen of qualitie 1645 S. Leith Rec. 64/2.
Those people who are of any qualitie … to resort to Bessie Cookes killn to kill thair clothes

4. The nature, kind or character (of a thing).Also, the goodness or badness, the worth, of a thing.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2863.
And tald thaim his dreme sone, And bad thaim tell the qualite Of it c1420 Ratis R. 1313.
Gyf thow wyll wyt quhat is bounte Or quhar-of is his qualitee 1494 Loutfut MS 131a.
The way of the cuntreis quhar the host sal happin to pas, the valis, the qualiteis of the wayis, heicht & law passagis 1531 Vaus in Grant Burgh Schools 54.
[The eight characteristics of a pronoun:] qualite, gener, nouwmyr [etc.] Ib.
Pronownes of finite qualite, or infinite qualite 1549 Compl. 57/18.
Oistirs and mussillis, & al vthir schel fysche, grouis and incressis in ther natural qualite, eftir the coniunctione of the mune c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6191.
So all those vesschellis, in one qualitie, May hald no more, without thay be ouir rwn, Ȝitt haif thay nocht alyke in quantitie 1569 Reg. Privy C. I 666.
Meaning na wayis to execute that rigour … of justice, quhilk the qualitie of the cryme meritis 1578 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 45. 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (S.T.S.) 12/16.
These conjurationes must haue few or mo in number of the persones conjurers … according to the qualitie of the circle and forme of apparition Ib. 28/21.
I thinke it … contrarie to the qualitie of a naturall bodie Ib. 36/10. 1500-1699 Herbarius Latinus Annot. cxxxix (Bot.).
Scabiosa & courldodie ar nocht bayth ane albeit in quali[tie] & temperament thai agrie 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 219/15.
The qualitie and quantitie of the oblation 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi 298.
A dromidore and camel differ much in quality 1667 Inverness Rec. II 232.
The dyck to be of this qualitie that no beast quhatsoewer can loup ower the samen(2) 1549 Banff Ann. I 23.
Ilk persoun [sc. of the burgh's fishermen] to gett viii d. for his laubors in the day in caice thair be na fyschis gottin, and geve thair be ony gottin to ony quality, ilk fyschar to gett ane fysche 1549 Compl. 57/21.
Eftir the appositione, thai schel fische dimuneuis and grouis les and of ane var qualite

b. A characteristic, property or attribute (of a thing). c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1678.
Ne of the tyme the qualiteis [: seis] c1420 Ratis R. 427, 429, 449.
The ferd is temperans, I trow, A wertew gretly till alow, And havis gud qualiteis twa … A qualyte of temperans Is ay weil reulyt with obseruans Of [etc.] … Alsua the tothir qualite Of temperans [etc.] Ib. 73, 533. 1456 Hay II 113/20.
The maner of the movementis [of the heavenly bodies] and thaire qualiteis Ib. 137/4. 1490 Irland Mir. I 119/9.
For the contrariete of the foure humoris and fyrst qualite is in concord a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 128/19.
Spirituall bodeis, nocht changit in sprites, bot clede with spirituall giftes and qualiteis Ib. 122/12, 17. a1578 Pitsc. II 4/5.
Werie wyse and naturall men knawand the qualietieis and conditioun of Scottland Ib. I 285/9.
Quallietieis 1580 Skeyne Descr. Well.
Mony disesis … hes bene cuirit be the qualiteis and vse of bathis and minerall wateris Ib.
Aill [brewed] of this watter … sa it being laxatiue [etc.] … it must neidis be of het qualitie 1675 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 1 March.
Quallaties

c. Applied to the four elementary properties (hot, cold, moist and dry) of medieval physiology. 1456 Hay I 76/33, 35, etc.
For the hevynnis … sendis thair constellacionis and influencis in the materis that thir erdly thingis ar compound of and makis the samyn kynde of qualitee that is in thame into the next be thame engendrit be vertu of the four first qualiteis, that is, hate and calde, moyst and dry, the quhilkis four qualiteis makis all the defference and diversitee of all erdly complexioun of creaturis Ib. II 136/29, 33.
For mannis hele consistis in thir twa qualiteis [sc. heat and moisture] and quhen thir twa ar … discordand … than is … all the nature changit, and corrumpit nature in the man makis him till have repugnaunce in his qualiteis 1531 Bell. Boece I viii.
Thir four bodyis elementar, Two hevy and grosse, and two ar licht and pure. Thir elementis … , thoucht thay be richt far Fra othir severit, with qualiteis contrar, Of thaim ar maid all levand creature

5. a. A condition, stipulation or proviso. b. A qualification, limitation, reservation or relevant addition to a statement or oath. = Qualificatioun n. 2, and cf. Qualifyit ppl. adj. 3. These uses only Sc. Numerous examples of b occur at Morison Dict. Decis. 13201 f., but it is not clear whether these belong to the original records of the cases cited or to Morison or his authorities. 1622 Aberd. B. Rec. II 375.
The said Mr. James Ross … acceptit of the said stipend with the qualitie and conditioun aboue mentioned 1671 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 507.
The said discharge … is clogged and burdened with qualities and protestations 1673 Ib. III 7.
The condition and quality was sufficiently purified and fulfilled; in so far as he was present at the marriage 1678 Fountainhall Decis. I 19.
With this quality that he should pay it if he got that precept allowed to him when he came to make up his accompts 1681 Stair Inst. iii v§24.
A renunciation to be heir was not admitted with this quality, excepting to the renouncer certain lands whereinto [etc.] Ib. iv xlvi§5.
But if there be any doubt of qualities adjected, the lords either call the parties, or remit the cause to the roll 1683 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 33.
And 'tis usual for parents, in bonds of provision to their children, to adject a quality, that the money should return, in case of their decease before such an age, or unmarried 1686 Mackenzie Observ. (1687) 452.
Which quality some think was added to seclude the punishment of death 1696 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. IV 312.