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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Subtilté, Sutelté, Subtil(l)ité, n. Also: subtiltee, -tilty, -til(l)tie, -telty(e, -tie, sutylte, suttil-, sutteltie, sut(t)eltee, subtilitee, -ie, subtillite, -ie, subtil-, -tyl-, subtel(l)yte, -tility(e, -tellitie, sut(t)ellite, subtlety, (subtilityte), (subtialtie), (subtely). [ME and e.m.E. sutilte (Rolle), subtilte(e, subtilite (all Chaucer), sutilite (Wyclif), subtylte (a1395), suttelte (1526), subtillitie (1589), OF sutilitet, subtilité (both 12th c. in Larousse), L. subtīlitāt-, f. subtīlis Subtil(l adj.

I. 1. Cunning, craftiness; guile; treachery. a. Without article.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2329.
Vlixes with subtilte Come vpon nycht to his cite 1460 Hay Alex. 1386.
On na wyse thai mycht Strike on the vangard for subtiltie nor slycht c1460 Thewis Wysmen 123.
With wykitnes na subteltee Na wrang wylis nocht delys hee a1500 Henr. Fab. 1812.
The awner of ȝone lint ane fouler is, Richt cautelous and full of subteltie c1526 Misc. Spald. C. II xxxiv.
Hector wes greatlie offended, to sie the chyld by subtiltie taken from him a1540 Freiris Berw. 17 (B).
Subteltie 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 44.
Scho being ane lady of greit prudence could not defend hir self from subtilltie(b) 1375 Barb. i 172.
Throuch gret sutelte and ghyle … He was arestyt syne and tane a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 340.
That his ourmen be sutelte … He wald ourecume 1456 Hay I 164/6.
With all maner of suteltee and engyne … that my wit can devis a1500 Henr. Fab. 2713 (Bann.).
The wolf betakynis fals extorceneiris, And oppressouris of pure men, … Be violens, be craft or sutelte c1475 Wall. i 108.
Full gret slauchtyr, … Off trew Scottis oursett with sutelte c1475 Wall. vii 5.
Suttelte 1551 Hamilton Cat. 103.
Sutteltie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 691.
Hir minde … and hir thocht In sutteltie, and all with malice wrocht a1570-86 Arbuthnot in Maitl. F. 56/40.
And blak falsheid is namit sutteltie(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 817.
Gif the dekine Eschapit … Thru miskepyng ore subtilite c1420 Ratis R. 1283.
Thar wndirstanding falȝeis, Quhen subtilyte hire oucht assalȝeis 1456 Hay I 188/33.
Usuris and barat, subtilitee and trechery a1500 K. Hart 32.
Subtilitie ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 130.
Strenthis and castellis of our cuntre Ȝe gat throw ȝour subtilite 1513 Doug. i xi 48. 1535 Stewart 30695.
Subtillitie a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 312/11. 1596 Dalr. I 102/20.
Thay ar of sik subtilitie, that verie sindle thay lat the pray be takne frome thame 1657 Dunkeld Presb. II 426.
The next challenge is of subtility, as if the Synod had dealt with him(d) c1420 Wynt. viii 6764.
Hard was wictoure for to wyn Forowtyn sutellite or gyn

b. With definite article.(a) 1602 Three Reformers 140.
It came to passe through the subtelty [pr. subtely] of the serpent, or rather the Divel abusing the subtelty of the serpent(b) 1549 Compl. 91/17.
Vald ȝe maturly consydir the subtilite of Inglismen, ȝe sal fynd them aperand faithtful and humain in thair aduersite bot … in prosperite, … ingrat tirrans and cruel abuf al vdir natione 1565–6 Reg. Privy C. I 426.
Sic hes bene be the craft and subtillitie of the traffiquaris of the saidis wynis 1567 G. Ball. 99.
Defend me from the fals subtellitie Of wickit men(c) 1653 Binning Wks. 347.
Believers who are incident to be surprised through the suddenness of sin and … the subtlety of Satan

c. With possessive pronoun.(a) a1540 Freiris Berw. 407 (M).
He may be callit ane man of grit science … that all this purviance Hes brocht ws heir all throw his subtilte 1567 G. Ball. 10.
To saue vs … Fra Sathanis subteltie and slycht(b) 1375 Barb. iv 267.
Throu his gret sutelte, He callit hir deir, sone till dissaf 1375 Barb. x 38 (E).
The king … Persawyt rycht weill thar sutelte a1500 Henr. Fab.2721 (Bann.).
O man of law lat be thy sutelte With … frawdis interkat(c) a1400 Leg. S. ii 751.
Thai … A padok gert hym drink … And syne throw thar suttellite In his wame gert it fosterit be(d) 1490 Irland Mir. I 167/18.
Lest that the feynd throu his subtilite, … Me … ourecum with his trechery 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 739.
I dred me … That Venus suld throw hir subtillitie In till sum bysning beist transfigurat me 1549 Compl. 87/10.
Be there austuce and subtilite thai furnest vitht money baitht the parteis aduersaris 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3444.
How thay had causit the pyat for to lie, Throw thair falset and greit subtilitie

d. Const. of.(a) 1456 Hay I 151/24.
Sa that the capitane do it nocht for subtiltee of decepcioun(b) a1400 Leg. S. iii 1028.
Sene ȝe Of sle spekine has sutelte 1456 Hay I 18/1.
The devill … schupe … him to wirk with suteltee of ypocrisy 1456 Hay I 163/26.
[They] suld have thair traist in God anerly, and nocht in suteltee of thair awin engyne 1596 Dalr. II 204 marg.
The sutteltie of Angus his answer(c) 1456 Hay I 101/14.
How with subtilitee of ane enbuschement, he suld begyle thame 1456 Hay I 207/23.
That it war nocht throu subtilitee of malice, but gude faith 1596 Dalr. I 105/6.
Vthiris ascriue vnto our people subtilitie of ingine 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii 62.
Vlysses … excelled all other Greekes in … subtility of wit

e. Const. to do (something). 1456 Hay I 245/1.
It that was wont to be callit law is now callit cautele and subtilitee to dissave his falow

2. A cunning or crafty device; a trick, stratagem.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2379.
Lowrence wes euer remembring vpoun wrinkis And subtelteis the volff for to begyle 1494 Loutfut MS 49b.
Nane may bettir disconfis his innemeis bot to knaw thair condicioun … and with that contrar to desaif thaim and to mete thair subtiliteis 16… Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 395.
Thair subtiltie wes that they and thair creatures … should undertake that matter of so great concernment(b) 1375 Barb. iii 611.
Bot giff we fynd sum sutelte, Ourtane all sone sall we be 1375 Barb. x 535.
Sum sutelte or wile to get, Quhar-throu the castell haf mycht he 1456 Hay I 164/27.
Thare is othir sutelteis ynew that men may us to barate thair inymyes as to lay enbuschis out of trewis [etc.] 1456 Hay I 259/20.
Gif … his wyf … has … devisit his dede, outhir be poysoun, or tresoun, or other suteltee(c) 1456 Hay I 135/16.
Bot had he done ony barat, or subtilitee till have gert the tothir trow that [etc.] 1494 Loutfut MS 28b.
And thair wes na subtillite na fors quharthrow his enemy mycht vencus him c1590 Fowler II 163/18.
In sic dyvers tranes and subtelytes of weir(d) c1590 Fowler II 104/14.
Subtilityteis

3. Cunning or ingenious workmanship. 1375 Barb. xx 305.
Ane cas of siluir fyne Anamalyt throu subtilite a1400 Leg. S. xi 271.
A kyste that wrocht is all With costlyke wark & sutelte ?1438 Alex. i 969.
Throw sutelte Lyons of gold war set thair thre

4. Of a person, or his mental powers: Ingenuity; perspicacity. c1420 Wynt. i 372.
Noe … fand fyrst throucht hys sutylte How wyne sulde growe and wynnyn be a1500 Seven S. 630.
The child … for to ken set all his thocht The prattikis as his master wrocht Quhill that his eme persavit in deid In subtelte he suld exceid 1549 Compl. 181/34.
Ane cordinar … be grit subtilite neurissit tua ȝong corbeis in tua cagis a1578 Pitsc. I 18/24.
I knew the subtillitie sa weill that he hes ane merwellous foirsicht of all kynd of suspitioun 1596 Dalr. II 13/35.
Quha … obscuir questiounis brings to lycht … is called Scotista or a follower of Scotus; as gif nathing war so difficile and obscuir quhilk the subtilitie of sik ane ingin war nocht able to make facile and plane

5. Perspicacious argument; a (legal) nicety; passing into, overly refined or exaggeratedly complex argument. 1456 Hay I 206/27.
It is commendable that a prince fynd lawis of subtiliteis to ger law and resoun be done a1500 Henr. Fab. 2721.
O man of law let be thy subteltie With nice gimpis and fraudis intricait c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 111.
For questionis thair was dialectik In argumentis full of subtialtie

6. The complexity or intricacy of a subject. c1420 Wynt. ii 626.
He kende the men off that cuntre Off wynys the subtylyte 1456 Hay II 108/14.
That a woman coude consaves syk suteltee of naturale science 1460 Hay Alex. 420.
Supois he haid the subtiltie Off artmagik and necromancie 1494 Loutfut MS 130b.
[The] fift [part] is to consider in fechtaris the suttelte and industry of fechting

II. 7. The quality of being ethereal or insubstantial; fineness or delicacy of texture or consistency.Corresponding to the literal, etymological sense of L. subtīlitas, f. subtīlis, lit. ‘woven fine’ (Lewis & Short). Cf. Subtil(l adj. 1.(a) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1438 (Asl.).
Our glorifyet body sall haue agilite And subtilte but sufferans of passioun 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 214.
These bodies be [as] so plyable thorough the subtilty of the spirits, that agitate them, that they can make them appeare or disappear at pleasure(b) 1490 Irland Mir. II 48/28.
Thar was … his blissit body inmortale with gret cleirte subtilite and agilite 1494 Loutfut MS 11a.
The salphir the quhilk excedis of hir beaulte and subtilite mony diuers thingis inuisbilis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6169.
Subtellyte thay [sc. the blessed in Heaven] sall haue maruellouslye