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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Oportunité, Opportunité, n. Also: oportwn-, opertun-, opertwn-, opertoun-, opartun-, op(p)urtun-, oppertun- and -itie, -ittie, -ity, -yté, -ytté, -etie, -atie. [ME. and e.m.E. oportunite (Chaucer), oportunyte (Wyclif), e.m.E. opportunitie (1581), fitness, competency, occasion, chance, opportunity, L. opportūnitas, fitness, fitness of time, an advantage, F. opportunité (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]

1. a. ? Convenience or suitability for something (here, for being seen or being readily accessible). b. ? Fitness, propriety. c1420 Wynt. v. 3788.
Wyth-oute [the church] hys bad to ma He set hym and for to se The byschopys oportwnyte Ib. ix. Prol. 8.
Poetry nowel quha wil red Thare may thai fynd quhow to procede In al matere that suld be Tretit wyth oportunyte

2. Convenience of time or circumstances for some intended action; time, occasion.(1) 1375 Barb. v. 523.
He … vatit oportunite [E. opertunyte] For to fulfill his mawite c1420 Wynt. iii. 749.
Opertunytte [v.rr. oportunyte] 1549 Compl. 158.
Quhen thou hes na lasȝar nor oportunite to remede thy abusion 1551 Hamilton Cat. 226.
Opportunitie a1578 Pitsc. I. 17/7.
Spyand oportunitie and tyme to fullfill hir purpois Ib. 50/22.
[Douglas] tairrieit wpoun opertwnitie of tyme to be revengit Ib. 51/8.
He had suffiecient tyme and oppertunitie to [etc.] 1586 Cal. Sc. P. IX. 150.
Opportunetie(2) 1572 Black Bk. Taymouth 416.
To find oportunitie and tyme inserving for edifying and bigging of ane kirk(3) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 845.
& socht opartunyte How that best mycht thane be(4) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 1000.
Waitand bot lasare quhen he Mycht purches oportunite c1400 Troy-bk. i. 210.
Thai thar shype gert hastely Be herbreyt at oportunyte Ib. ii. 688 (C).
And when that he Saw tyme and oportunyte And persaved Troyiens slepand … He shold [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 1676 (Bann.).
The differens off tyme and ilk seasoun Concordand to oure oportunitie [H. oppertunitie, Bass. opurtunitie] 1533 Boece viii. iv. 257.
Gif he fand oportunite Ib. ix. 268 b.
Sum ar present in Londoun to awate thé at all passage and oportunite with slauchter 1549 Compl. 177/22.
There for I vil conteneu our querrel and ald fede til ane moir oportunite 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 7.
Ane eg … or ane heryng eftyr the season and oportunite a1578 Pitsc. I. 45/5.
And opertunitie serwant 1562-3 Winȝet II. 4/5.
Fra he had obtenit ony tolerance and opportunitie makis he to without delay 1666 Glasgow Chart. II. 107.
And efter that tyme as Dumbartowne fand opertunatie they did increase ther incroatchments [etc.] 1696 Annandale Corr. 319.
Oppurtunittie

b. To get opportunity of, to obtain the means of getting at, to get advantage of. 1662 Soc. Ant. X. 229.
That Janet Paton in Cruick of Devon thought to have gotten opportunity of his body but could not prevail in that

3. An instance of this; a chance or occasion of doing something; an opportunity. c1420 Wynt. v. 2094.
Quhen he Saw his oportunyte He sayd [etc.] Ib. vi. 1224.
Twa men he bad in prewete To wayt ane oportunyte And steyle that barne Ib. ix. 3282. 1561–2 Laing MSS. I. 18.
I might haif the better oportunyte to rander thayme 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lvi.
I had not the oportunitie to have communicate … the mater uith your lordship my self 1654 Fam. Innes 176.
Opertounatie 1659 Maxwell Mem. I. 369.
I finde myselfe … to have misemproven good oportunities of Christian fellowship ? 1690 Dunlop P. III. 63.
Opertunity

4. ? The taking of occasion to approach or apply to another, or ? erron. for: Importunity. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xv. 23 (M).
He that makis all his maist seruice He may it tyne with crakis and coyis [sic] In fuliche oportunitie [B. inoportunitie]