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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.

Plent-, Pleynté, -ie, n. and a. Also: plaint-, playnt-; plant- and -ee, -y(e; plenta. [ME. and e.m.E. plenté (Ancr. R.), -ee, -i(e, -y(e, also plenteð (c 1250), -eth, -ithe, -eythe, -ieth, also pleintith (1464), OF. plentet (12th c. in Oxford Psalter), -ed, plenté, plenteit, pleynte, mod. F. dial. plenté, pleinté, L. plēnitas. f. plēnus full. ME. has also plentez, -es (14th c.).] Plenty, in various usual senses and applications.

A. noun.

1. The state of abounding; plentifulness; abundance. Also proverb.Chiefly, in the phr. in or into (gret) plente.(1) 1375 Barb. v. 600.
Thou sall haf vapnys in gret plente Ib. xii. 241.
Thai … has broucht her … Riches in-to so gret plentee [E. quantite] That [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 1022.
Bath gold & fe Hechtand hyme in-to plente c1420 Wynt. ii. 354.
He ghert … gadryt be Alkyne korne in swylk plente Ib. iv. 2395.
In sic plente Off Rome the tresoure ekyd he … That [etc.] 1513 Doug. viii. iii. 199.
Than ȝong men … wynys byrlys into gret plente a1570-86 Maitl. F. lvi. 42.
Heir wes vertew in greit plainte(2) c1420 Wynt. iv. 687.
Gyff ony wattrys ware Off … sic plente That to thame all thare drynk mycht be 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxi.
In Lorn growis beir with gret plente Ib. xlv.
For ay the mair derth … of vittallis is in Scotland the fische swoumis with the more abundance and plenteproverb. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 241/16.
Plente generis contemptioun

b. Only in Nisbet, after Purvey: The state of being full; fullness; perfection. — c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke vi. 45.
Of the plentee of the hart the mouth spekis Id. Romans xi. 12.
Gif … the making lesse of thame are richessis of hethin men, how mekile maire the plentee of thame

2. A full or abundant supply; abundance (of something); a large quantity or number.(1) 1375 Barb. v. 291 (E).
Off mete & drynk … thai had plente ?1438 Alex. i. 2441.
Men micht sie … Of dede and woundit grit plentie Ib. ii. 35.
His goddis … had him send sa great plente Of honour c1420 Wynt. v. 5192.
Hys wand … Bare off appyllys gret plente 1456 Hay II. 163/24.
Plentee 1513 Doug. Direct. 30.
On the bak … Plente of lesyngis c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts xxii. 6.
Fra heuen a gret plentee of licht schaan about me 1531 Bell. Boece I. 69.
The incredibill plente of fische swommand in thay seis 1596 Dalr. I. 49/30.
Die and Don … excel the rest of the fludes … in Albion … in plentie of salmonte 1632 Lithgow Trav. v. 184.
Scarcity of water and too much plenty of scorching heate c 1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 575.
Salmond … the greatest plentie wherof ar fished at the mouth(b) 1536–7 Sc. Hist. Rev. VII. 358.
Landis quhilkis gaif sik playntie of cornis efter thai war telit a1540 Freiris Berw. 348 (B).
Ȝe sall haif playntie Of breid and wyne(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 168.
Done sat he Of begerys ymang gret pleynte(2) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 596.
And that God wat na falt of flesche haid he The king haid biddin that he suld haue plentie 1567 G. Ball. 67.
Thair is na dedis that can saue me Thocht thay be neuer sa greit plentie

b. quasi-adj. Following a noun used partitively, but with omission of of.Aneuch (eneuch) plente, as much as can be wanted; sufficiency; enough (? and more).(1) 1375 Barb. iii. 400.
He gat schippyne gud plente a1500 Rauf C. 358.
With all kin principall plentie for his plesance a1500 Henr. Fab. 263 (Asl.).
With wittale gret plente c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiv. 93.
He wald serue Sathan … For … gold plaintie 1513 Doug. i. viii. 100.
With armyt men plente Ib. vi. xi. 42.
Baithyng hys face in terys gret plente 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3868.
Gif mannis craft … Micht help my sicht … I wald not cure for to gif gold plentie 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 222.
There was never such a tack of herring seen, so good, so great and such plenty(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 1340.
Thare was gude men and that plente(3) ?1438 Alex. ii. 1750.
Gif I wantit landis … I suld conquer aneuch plente a1500 Henr. Fab. 2729 (Bann.).
Ane vthir kynd of wolffis revanus Ar mychty men haifand annwch plente c1475 Wall. viii. 1039.
Houssis and wod is her enewch plente

c. ? quasi-adv. in plaintie aneuh, ? in large numbers. — 1614 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 238.
Theis quha veris hagbutts shall go plaintie aneuh in the cuntrie

3. Abundance of the necessaries and comforts of life; a condition, or time, of general abundance.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 210.
We ar weschele, bot wele is he That fillis all of his plente 1456 Hay II. 145/31.
A king that regnis in justice … of him cummys plentee and welth in his realme a1500 Seven S. 1545. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxix. 18.
In burghis … Quhair was plesour and grit plentie c1520-c1535 Nisbet Philippians iv. 12. 1533 Boece viii. ii. (heading) 248 b.
Of hungir plente vicis and pest amang Britouns 1535 Stewart 1421.
Plesure and plentie … war in his dais c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1932.
Ryches bene turnit to powertie Plentie in tyll penuritie(b) a1538 Abell 70 a.
Quhen thai habund in rich than we haif plenta(c) c1530-40 Stewart Maitl. F. cxxviii. 72.
Playnte 1570 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) 87.
The greit plaintye that is in this cuntrey(d) c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis .
In our time … we had great peace and plantie

B. adj. Characterised by abundance; fertile, productive. = Plente(o)us a. b. b. Plentie things, things in plentiful supply. c1475 Wall. (1570) viii. 990.
The plentiest part of Ingland ȝe sall seb. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlii. 19.
Plentie things ar prysde to lytill pryce