A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Secrecie, Secresy, Secretee, n. Also: secresie, secreacie, -ye, secricie, secracie, -asie. [Late ME secretee (Lydgate), e.m.E. secretie (1517), secresie (1573), secrecie (1590); Secret(e adj. and n.] Secrecy.Also in, under, grete secrecie.(1) 1559 Knox VI 94.
Touching secreacye, which ye requyr, I dar promes for som, and for my self 1586 Jurid. Rev. XXXVIII 313.
To keip mwtuall lufe secrecie and kyndenes with him 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 159/2.
A prince can neuer uithout secrecie do greate things 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 170/7.
Secreacie [W. secrecie] 1658 Tayler Hist. Fam. Urquhart 57.
By which means we may regulat the bussinesse with secracie 1674 Argyll Justic. Rec. 34.
The said John McAulay and Fingwell NcDowgall (of whom he took ane oath of secracie)(b) 1583 Wemyss Corr. 101.
Of all thing leivand secrasie is the best c1610 Melville Mem. 332.
He wald declaire the matter vnto the constable, vnder promyse of gret secresie 1666 Laing MSS I 353.
Secresie was recommended to us 1669 Old Ross-shire I 381.
Ye stick your own business for want of secricie 1671 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 2 Oct.
As also the haill foirnamed deacones gave thair solempne oathes of secrecie 1676 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 27 Sept.
Thair oathes for being faithfull counsellors … and to keepe secresie in all the tounes affaires(c) c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 97.
Stude at the dure Fair-calling hir vschere … And Secretee hir thrifty chamberene(2) 1559 Knox VI 86.
This staff … was schawen unto me in great secreacye 1676 Dunbar Social Life 180.
What ye know not, I pray you, in as grytt secresie as can be, inform yer sellff 1699 Douglas Corr. 288.
And let all this be done under great secresy
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Secrecie n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 30 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/secrecie>