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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.

Optene, Opteyn, v. Also: opten, opptene, oppetend, opteyne, -teine, -tin(e, -tan(e, oup-, owpten(e, -tan, upten(e. [Late ME. (c 1425) and e.m.E. opteyne, late ME. optyne (1425), e.m.E. optaine (1526), varr. of Obtene v.]

1. tr. To obtain, procure, get; to attain to.(a) c1420 Wynt. v. 3402.
Gyve that he Mycht ewyre opteyne and wyn that gre Ib. 4760.
Optenyd 1432 Lamont P. 13.
Quhat tym … the said Robert … may … opten the Kyngis grace … and gudwyl … tharto 1437 Cop. St. A. 133.
Wythout leif of the said prioure askit and optenit c1450 Craft of Deyng (S.T.S.) 59.
Optenis 1456 Hay I. 262/1. Ib. II. 4/20.
That he had optenyt that gude … unlefully 1466 Acta Aud. 4/2.
Quhil scho optene the benefite of absolucion 1489 Acts II. 219/1. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 56/33.
And traist thou weill thou sal be graciuslie herd and optene thi … asking 1494 Loutfut MS. 20 a.
The aigle foull royall quhilk optenis the lordschip amang all foullis 1513 Doug. vi. Prol. 119. 1520 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 60.
The quhilk hors the said Williem optenit be his gret atht 1522 Grey Friars II. 74.
Sen the said George was reconsalit and optenit our souerane lordis remission 1523 St. P. Henry VIII IV. i. 16.
[He] trestes to God to oppetend his causis right weill 1524 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXVIII. 62.
All uthir thing that scho may haif or optene to hir sustentacioun be the law 1525 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 76.
Ay and quhill sho [a cow] be rychtlie optenit of hyme 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 100.
Opten 1551 Hamilton Cat. 102.
Optenit Ib. 208.
Opteine 1564 Inverness Rec. I. 116.
Optenit(b) 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 329.
And thairupon upten the said Erle of Huntleis confirmatione … of the said gyft 1484 Grant Chart. 36.
Ony landis … at thai hapine eftirwart to cheiwis and ouptene

b. To obtain by legal action (against, at the expense of or from (upon or on, also off, in contrare of and fra) another).(1) 1443 (1450) Reg. Great S. 86/1.
The quhilk some eftir lauchful processe maide, the foresaide Gilbert optenit and wan lauchfulli befor us in jugement 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 261/2.
To optene ane sentence thairapon according to the said decrete 1513 Ib. 383/2. 1518 Peebles B. Rec. I. 46. 1531 Rec. Earld. Orkney 214.
And hapinis to oupten the samen be ony just titil of lawe 1532 Linlithgow B. Ct. 15 Nov.
To mak maister Dauid Hamiltoune payment of the sowme of xx s. that was opptenit in thair tymes 1533 Acts Sederunt i. 20.
To the persoun or persounis in quhais favour thai ar optenit 1540–1 Elgin Rec. I. 57.
Gif the said larde of Alter optinis the samyn betuyx this and this day viii dais befoir ony jugis 1541 Ib. 63.
John Bayne … protestit in jugement for all costis, expensis, schaithis optenit be the lard of Alter … concernyng ane goldine tablet 1542 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 498. 1574 Inverness Rec. I. 236.(2) 1469 Acts II. 96/2.
That quhar ony sovmes ar optenit be virtu of the said brefe vpon the lord awnare of the ground 1471 Acta Aud. 22 (Jam.). 1486 Mill Mediæv. Plays 133.
The quhilk some was optenit apon the said John … be the said aldirman 1489–90 Rec. Earld. Orkney 198.
The quhilk [land] I … optanit in the umbouth off the King off Mawnis off Corgyllis aris 1496 Acta Conc. II. 10.
Of the soume of twenti pundis yeirely … optenit be the saidis abbot [etc.] … apone the sade Robert Aysone be the decret of the lordis of consaile 1497–8 Ib. 149. 1501 Ib. III. 22.
The sade act and decret optenit be the sade Thomas apone the sade Andro 1529 Bk. Carlaverock II. 2.
Scho hes optenit our lettres on ȝou in the ferd forme 1533 Wigtown B. Ct. 290 a.
For to raleif hyme … that the for-said men optenyt one hym in the borrow court of Vygton 1535 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. 33.
All costis skaithis and expensis … safar as the said Robert may ouptene on him ordourlie be the law thairfoir 1556 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 2.
Ane decreite uptenit be us upoun the hale burrois of this realme 1562–3 Rec. Earld. Orkney 113.
Tua melis malene was wyne and owptenet fra hyre be law 1570 Inverness Rec. I. 197.
Conforme to the decreit optenit his contrar for the oxe … slane be the wolf in his deweit

c. To be optenit, to be found, to be (in someone's possession). 1562–3 Rec. Earld. Orkney 116.
And in quhayis handis the landis schansis to be owptanit

2. To gain by conquest, to conquer. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 323/23.
In this age Romanis optenit Grece Syria [etc.] … be thair capitane Pompeye a 1540 Misc. Bann. C. III. 41.
And syne come the Franckis and optenyt Gallia c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1988.
The Grekis, thridlye, with swerd and fyre Perfors optenit the thrid impyre

3. To gain (victory). b. intr. To be victorious, prevail. 1494 Loutfut MS. 113 b.
Quhill the tane had optenyt the victory c1500-c1512 Dunb. vii. 66.
Thow … That did so mony victoryse opteyn 1513 Doug. v. ii. 58.
Lat euery man … mak hym reddy agane the sammyn day Fortil opteyn and bayr the pryce awayb. 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 48.
And gif the woman be batal aganis the ayr has optenit than [etc.]

4. a. intr. To be successful apon or agayne some institution or person, to get the better of it or him. b. To attain or succeed to do something. c. To prevail on (at) a person or obtain from him by request (that something should be done). 1456 Hay I. 17/35.
That he mycht nocht optene apon the faith to put abak be thir foresaid … herisyes c1475 Wall. vii. 1278.
In Jedwort wod for saiffgard he had beyne Agayne sotheroun full weill he couth opteyn 1513 Doug. vii. v. 73.
That I may nocht optene From Latyn land thame to expel al clene 1533 Boece v. x. 183.
He optenit be ambassiatouris at Pape Victoure … that vertuos man … suld be send in Scotland to purifie him … with … bapteme

d. To succeed in proving, to establish by legal action (that something is so). 1491 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 65.
That geve it sall happin at Thomas Kennidy [etc.] … optenys and recoverys be law that my said place acht ane hale merke of annuell yerely [etc.]