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

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Dignité, Dignitie, n. Also: -itee, dingnité; dyg-, dignyte, -tie, dignatie. [OE. dignité (a 1225), dignytee, etc., OF. dignité, -eté, L. dignitas.]

1. Dignity in the abstract; high estate or rank. 1375 Barb. i. 175.
Degradyt syne wes he Off honour and off dignite a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 151.
Thai … Ane cheare mad, and thar-in sete Sanct Petir for gret dingnite a1400 Ib. ii. 49.
For Paule wes lese of dingnite c1420 Wynt. vi. 579.
Dignyte wyth-owt wertu Is litill repute off walu ?1438 Alex. ii. 36.
His goddis … That had him send sa gret plente Of honour and of dignite 1456 Hay I. 288/22.
He is the maist excellent and hie in warldly honour and dignitee c1450-2 Howlat 329.
Marchonis … of mychtis most, Nixt dukis in dignite a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2722.
Than efter tham awansit he To riches and gret dignite a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 296.
Scho … merreit with the Diuill for dignite 1533 Boece viii. vi. 261.
That he suld nocht wilfully deiect him self fra sa hie gre of dignite c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4602.
I haif auctoritie, Men tyll exalt to dignitie 1562 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 342.
The said Thomas … hes borne office of dignitie and charge of this guid toune a1578 Pitsc. I. 52/15.
Laborand … to promot all mischevous tyrans to honouris and dignatie 1587 Acts III. 489/2.
The thesaurarie and chantorie of Orknay, and sic vther benefices of honour and dignitie

b. With possessive pronouns or of (a person, etc.). c1420 Wynt. v. 2554.
He jugyd hym-self for to be Deprywyd off his dignyte c1420 Ib. vii. 740.
Off the Papys se … [suld be] sawffyde the dygnyté 1456 Hay I. 24/26.
The dignitee of the empire haldis of the haly kirk 1456 Ib. II. 22/9.
Ellis thair dignitee is nocht perfyte a1500 Golagros and Gawane 416.
It has bene tauld hym … Your dedis, your dignite, and your doughtynes 1513 Doug. ix. Prol. 34.
The treis, quod he, Suld conform to that mannis dignyte a1540 Freiris Berw. 295.
I will thame haif be Goddis dignite 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 66.
I … for vphalding of my dignitie, Was maid Legate 1560 Rolland Seven Sages Prol. 53.
I am cum with the for to ressoun, … Tuitching my stait, honour and dignitie

c. Of dignité, in a position of honour. 1456 Hay I. 264/12.
All persones of dignitee suld put a campioun for them a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 414.
Euery prince and lord of dignite

2. A position or office of distinction; an honour held by a person. Freq. in pl.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xlvi. 144.
The gret state and dignite I refuse 1456 Hay I. 291/36.
He … redis the ewangel at the messe, the quhilk is a grete dignitee c1450-2 Howlat 164.
A college of cardinalis come … With red hattis on hed in haile takynnyng Of that deir dignite 1482 Edinb. Chart. 155.
The archbischoprik of Sanctandrois, or … quhatsumeuer vther benefice, dignite, or priuilegis c1500-c1512 Dunb. lx. 48.
He … mekle mair cuning be sic thre Hes to posseid ane dignitie(2) c1420 Wynt. vi. 130.
In cas … Sum hethyn man, or heretyk, Mycht … wyn and joys swylk dygnyteis 1456 Hay I. 16/2.
Gudely clerkis … , the quhilkis had the grete dignities in haly kirk 1490 Irland Mir. I. 12/22.
Accumilacioune of honoris, digniteis, riches, … and happines 1533 Bell. Livy II. 71/20.
The grete officis and digniteis of the ciete 1542 Acts II. 419/2.
The said Iames restorit … to his gude fame, … honoris, digniteis, offices [etc.] 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 20/11.
Lordschips ande digniteis hes incressing, declinatione, ande exterminatione a1578 Pitsc. II. 126/22.
He sall resawe the crowne with all honouris and digniteis perteining thairvnto 1596 Dalr. I. 109/7.
Thay … war than promouet … to haue sik vthires ample dignities in the land

b. A dignitary. c1450-2 Howlat 690.
Denys and digniteis as I eir demyt

3. With specification of the dignity. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 1290.
The haly gast hes callit thé Of bischape to the dignite c1420 Wynt. i. 498.
Off Iaphet … Fyrst come knychtys dignite 1456 Hay I. 24/28.
Sa dois the dignitee imperiale [derive from] the dignitee papale 1456 Ib. 252/35.
The dignitee royale a1500 Bk. Chess 232.
Riall dignite in a king c1515 Asloan MS I. 315/21.
Thair was … gevin to the sonnis of Hely pontificale dignite c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 147.
Imperiall birth, honour and dignitie 1533 Bell. Livy I. 106/25.
The pepill thoucht to haue deprivit him fra his sete and dignite riall 1551 Acts II. 485/1.
Ane barrone or beneficit man constitute in dignite ecclesiastick 1562-3 Winȝet II. 34/26.
Quhen … he wes promotit to the dignitie of preistheid

4. Distinction or worth of a thing. ?1438 Alex. ii. 2147.
He sall swere ȝow be … the dignitie Of his lufe and his lemmenis bounte ?1438 Ib. 2227.
For the dignite Of this play and ȝour bounte 1490 Irland Mir. I. 102/22.
In hir crovne was a precius stane of gret dignite 1551 Hamilton Catechism 20/2.
Of the preeminens and excellent dignitie of the Pater Noster 1596 Dalr. I. 112/24.
This name … appeiris til ws … sa gret dignitie to conteine