Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Portra(y, v. Also: portura; Porture. P.p. also portrait. [ME portrey(e, purtreye (Chaucer), pourtreie(n (Gower), p.t. purtrayed (14th c.), p.p. purtraied (c 1330), purtrait (c 1330), portreide, -traid, -trayed (14th c.), ppl. adj. purtrayd (c 1340), e.m.E. pourtraye (Caxton), portray, etc., also p.t. portreweden (1450–80), vbl. n. portrewynge (14–15th c.), OF pourtrai-, pourtray-, stem of pourtraire (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), f. L. protrahere to draw forth, reveal, etc., in med. L. also to draw, portray, paint.] Only in earlier verse. a. To represent (an object, scene, story, etc.) by drawing, painting, carving or the like; to depict. b. P.p. Shaped, formed, fashioned, ‘built’ (see Portratur(e n. 4 b).a. 1375 Barb. x 743 (E).
In till hyr chapele Scho gert weile portray [C. be portrait] a castell, A ledder wp to the wall standand [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xi 78.
The face Sa ferly schenynge in it wes, For-thi, … To portra it he had na slicht Ib. xxiii 473.
The emperoure … gert portura thare the story Of the sanctis that thare cane ly c1420 Wynt. v 5412.
He sawe Grawyn in fyne marbyr law Off the cors a takyn welle Portrayid [v.rr. -trayd, trayit, A., E.², Au. porturyt] at poynt ilk delle 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1857.
Of planeitis all the coniunctiounis … War portrait [v.r. porturyt] thairb. Brus (C) (see Portur(e v. 2). 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 41 (E).
The vmbrate treis that Tytan about wappit War portrait and on the eirth yschappit Be goldin bemis viuificatiue