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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
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Servitud(e, Servitut(e, n. Also: servytude, serwitude, -ytywde, -ytute, schervitude, servitod. [ME and e.m.E. servitute (Chaucer), seruytude (Caxton), seruitude (1477), OF servitute, servitude (c1180 and c1265 in Larousse), L. servitūt-, late L. servitūd-.]For forms in sch-, see the note to Service n.

1. Slavery, serfdom, freq. in contrast with liberty (Liberte(e n. 1). c1420 Wynt. i 498.
Come serwytywde [W., E. seruitut] and foule threllage 1456 Hay II 14/22.
In … lordschip thare is sa mekle nobles, and in servitude thare is sa mekle subjectioun, bondage and thrillage 1549 Compl. 144/21.
The philosophours … quhen thai discriuit liberte thai fyrst payntit ande dilatit the conditions of seruitude c1552 Lynd.Mon. 1605.
Noye … Gaue Cham his maledictioun And put hym vnder seruytude To Sem and Japhet 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 23b.
Libertie … best is … My sone, from seruitude sie yow thé ay with draw 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 23.
Be quhat way ane man may come fra servitude to libertie 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 98b.
Servitude, bondage or slavery is opponit as contrair to liberty, as ane bondman to ane frie man(b) a1400 Leg. S. ii 866.
[In heaven] Ay lestand lykine with fredome But seruitut or thrildome c1420 Wynt. iv 1878.
Wytht bettyr wyll yhit othir ma In to that brynnand fyre walde ga … Than in to serwytute to be Serwand to the Romanys ay 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 45.
Throw syndry maneris may a man cum to fredome that is in seruitut as … his lorde … may quytclam him fra him 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 45.
He was fre maid & out of seruitut manu admittit 1490 Irland Mir. III 150/29.
Nane suld tak the croune … that … com of seruitute and nocht of a noble linage

b. The condition of living in subjection to a foreign power or victorious enemy; the state of being under the oppressive yoke of (an enemy, etc.). 1531 Bell. Boece I 79.
Thay wald … erar to jeoperde thaim to maist dangerus battall, than to leif in servitude [sc. to the Romans] 1531 Bell. Boece I 250.
Thay [sc. the Picts] had bene fre pepil, nocht astrickit to the Empriouris servitude 1531 Bell. Boece I 250.
Hergest, … thirllit thus to vile servitude in his latter age 1531 Bell. Boece II 71.
Bringand yourself … under servitude of ennimes a1538 Abell 23a.
This king … sufferit sa gret tribulatioun … to ewaid temporall seruitute 1549 Compl. 19/7.
Hie monarchis lordschips and autoriteis [which] … the diuyne sapiens … doune thringis … and garris … fal in the depe fosse of seruitude … ande causis conqueriours … til obeye ther vmquhile subiectis 1533 Boece 247b.
The ȝoke of seruitute preparit to ws be tresoun of the tyran Maximiane quhen we war dispuleȝeit of oure pussance & fulȝeit in batell 1549 Compl. 92/26.
Bot fra tyme that he [sc. the King of England] get dominione of the cuntre, ȝe sal be his sklauis in extreme seruitude 1571 J. Maitland Sat. P. xxvii 97.
Scoitland come newir ȝitt in seruitude Sen Fergus first, Bott euir hes bene fre 1596 Dalr. I 198/32.
The Pechtes now subduet vndir sa sair seruitude of the Romanes

c. Applied specif. to the bondage of the Israelites in Egypt and to their defeat and subsequent slavery and diaspora at the hands of the Romans, a combination of the above senses.(1) c1420 Wynt. ii 537.
Serwytute [C. serwitute, W. seruitude] 1490 Irland Mir. I 31/19.
To … pas to King Pharo of Egipt and charge him to deliuer his pepill of Israell fra seruitute that he held thame in a1538 Abell 5a.
Seruitude of Israel in Egipt wes eftir the deid of Joseph 144 ȝeris 1596 Dalr. I 71/14.
Bocchar Pharao … oppressed Israel … with dour and sair seruitude(2) a1538 Abell 18b.
Aganis him rais Arestobill his brodir be ambition quhilk wes occasion of seruitut of the Jowis to the Romanis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4091.
Out of the land thay did expell All the peple of Israell And for thare gret ingratytude Thay leif ȝit vnder seruytude. Thare is no Iow … Quhilk hes one fute of propertie … . Sum sayis that Iowis … wer thretty for ane penny sald [etc.]

d. Subjection to a tyrannical regime. 1533 Bell. Livy I 296/4.
Throw the fere and dreddoure of seruitute thai brocht thare commoun weill in this present troubil

e. The tyranny of particular circumstances. 1533 Bell. Livy II 142/28.
Nane of ȝow sall haue quiete nor rest in winter … . Ȝe sall be thirllit to sic seruitude that nane of ȝow sall haue liberte to returne hame 1533 Bell. Livy II 143/8, 12.
Nature has ordanit … batallis … to haue rest during the wynter … . Sic inoportune and cruell seruitude … was nocht commandit to ws during the empire of kingis … nor ȝit was sic inoportune seruitude iniunyt to ws be the x men

2. fig. or in fig. context. a. In relation to spiritual bondage, the tyranny of sin, the Devil, etc.(1) 1490 Irland Mir. I 116/1.
Sene now is cummyn the tyme of grace, haue piete, and deliuer thi auld seruand fra hevy presoune, distres, seruitut & captiuite 1549 Compl. 73/35.
My mortal enemeis purchessis to raif my liberte ande to hald me [sc. Dame Scotia] in ane miserabil subiectione bot ȝe hald me in ane mair seruitude be ȝour disordinat neclegens ande couuardise 1567 G. Ball. 78.
Christ come rycht sweit as ane seruand Of seruitude to mak vs fre And broken hes the Deuillis band(2) 1490 Irland Mir. I 120/5.
That he mycht be deliuerit fra … the dyrk, gret and hevy seruitute of the auld serpent a1538 Abell 23a.
Quhat suld we Christin men and wemen do to keip ws fra the seruitude of syn 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 158/29.
That we mycht obtene … redemptioun fra the captiuite and serwitude of the devill 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 172/6.
The peple of Israell quha leiffit vnder the bondage and seruitude of circumcisioun 1596 Dalr. I 245/8.
Brocht frome the seruitude of gentilitie … vnto the libertie of the Evangel

b. Applied to control or constraint of the body in spiritual or other circumstances. 1533 Gau 95/21.
Giff vs grace to dant our bodis and to subiect thayme in seruitut and to mortify the ewil desiris of thayme a1568 Scott vii 18.
Thocht this belappit body heir Be bound to scheruitude and thrall, My fathfull hairt is fre … to serf my lady

3. Subjection to feudal overlordship; vassalage, passing into b. Subjection to some other situation or state of affairs. 1456 Hay I 195/19.
Thare is a maner of bondis … under certane condicioun of bondage to mak certayne labourage on the felde … and nocht ellis. And … thai may nocht be constreynit to pas in weris. For … men may nocht mak new fassoun of servitute na subjectioun langand syk kynde of men 1456 Hay I 212/36.
The emperour fred thame and callit thame franche men, that is to say free men fra all subjectioun, and servitute of truage, the quhilk thai payit of before to the empire a1578 Pitsc. I 89/16.
The Erle of Douglas … socht and perswadit all men vnder his opinioun and seruitude … to ryd … with him a1578 Pitsc. I 157/5.
The Scoittis … wan … money vthir castellis and townis and brocht thame againe to the seruitud of Scotland 1698 Fountainhall Decis. I 825.
If you want a boat then I am free to go and serve where I please; and it is a direct manumission from the servitude when you [sc. my master] have no work to give me a1721 Wodrow Hist. (1829) III 245.
‘To restore these very masters and landlords to their just rights over these their tenants and servants, which they so justly lost by suffering them to frequent field conventicles … '. What rights they have over them to servitude and civil claims by their tacks, I am not here to debateb. 1456 Hay II 13/35.
Ilke man … takis thare a grete honoure, maryte with a great servitute; that is to say a grete thrillage … to be thrall to the condiciouns [etc.] … that appertenis to the said ordre 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I 369.
The defunct mortifier his will can hardlie be violat … bot [etc.] … I hoip also that thie lords will not offend the guid towne to inforce any perpetuall servitud on them

4. (A) legal burden on a piece of land restricting the proprietor's use of the land, and/or obliging him to allow another certain rights in regard to it.For many further examples see 1681 Stair Inst. II Index of Matters, s.v. Servitude.For discussion of servitude as a legal term see Bell Dict. Law Scotl. and Morison Dict. Decis., s.v. Servitude. 1506 Liber Aberbr. II 370.
Na possessione … nothir grunde rycht nor seruitute c1575 Balfour Pract. 356 marg.
Servitude of passage may be provin be writ or witnessis 1592 Acts III 609/2.
Exceptand and reservand the seruitude … constitute and imposit vpoun ane tenement of land now pertening to Mr. Johnne Nicolsoun a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 249.
Seing that Jhone Somerveill's tenement wes not oblist in ane seruitude to the uther perteining to Alexander, that he might laufulie big 1678 Lauder Notices Affairs I 189.
He had no way to the sea but throw Sir A's ground, that he could not lay out his boat but upon his private harbory, and he had not as yet præscryved a servitude in ather 1679 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 191. 1680 Edinb. B. Rec. X 392.
A servitude of a conduct and watter draught for convoying the leaden pyps that bring the watter from Toddies well into the toun 1680 Galloway P. ? April.
[They are] to be lyable for the vsuall servitods & presence of the land now peyed 1681 Acts VIII 425/2.
To the said burgh of Selkirk and inhabitants thereof free ishe and entrie up and down the said Holmesyd … secluding them alwayes from any priviledge of pasturage or other servitude whatsomever 1681 Stair Inst. ii vii § 5 (1832) 294.
To descend now to the kinds of servitudes: There may be as many as there are ways whereby the liberty of a house or tenement may be restrained in favour of another tenement 1683 Lauder Notices Affairs I 416.
The neighbouring gentlemen having conterminous and adjacent lands, might præscryve … a right of commonty, and a servitude of pasturage, throw the samen 1695 Acts IX 476/2.
The Dean of Guild [sc. of Edinburgh] doth appoynt visitations … upon the ground where all the heretors of nieghbouring tenements have liberty to be present and to object against the new building or to produce or found upon any right of servitude competent to them

b. transf. In other contexts. 1693 Cramond Kirk S. III 11 April.
That he might use the same as ane extraordinarie entry to the communion table and to meet with the session which servitude Cramond is still willing to allow to Barntoun 1695 Stirling B. Rec. II 77.
He is endeavouring to bring a servitude upon the tounes fisherie most unjustlie

c. fig. An oppressive burden; an imposition. 1730 Stirling B. Rec. II 211.
[The] intertaining strangers and giving burgess tickets and treats … throw the solicitations of the burgers for their freinds and acquaintances … is become a servitude and most uneasy to the magistrats