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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.

Potent, adj. (n.²⁾ Also: -ente, -entt; -aint. [In early use as adj. only Sc.; e.m.E. potent noun = a power (1512), adj. = powerful (Shakespeare, 1598), L. potens, potent- pres. p. of posse to be able.]

1. Of a person or a group of persons: Having great power, authority, influence or resources, mighty; ? very wealthy.Freq., coupled with nobill, michty, and other more or less synonymous expressions, in complimentary formulae applied to persons of high rank.To be potent (to do something), to have the power or authority or the means or resources.(1) c1420 Wynt. ix 1329.
Schyr Anton … A famows lord and a potent; He lord wes off the oryent a1500 Prestis of Peblis 205 (Ch.).
Than come he hame a verie potent [A. ane mychti riche] man 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 80.
Byrdis … Confessand ȝow [May] maist potent and louabill c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxvii 65.
O potent princes, pleasant and preclair 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 64.
The potent prince … Contrair that bailfull bribour had no micht 1549 Compl. 5/4. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3650.
As for this potent empriour Allexander Ib. 4289.
With vther potent patriarkis Ib. 3655, 4261, etc. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 57.
He is ane mychty and potent juge to quhais powar and will na creature may mak resistence 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 333.
Be the gret potent kyng of kyngis 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 160/36.
Iesus Chryst oure potent prince Ib. 160/28. 1562-3 Winȝet I 33/34.
The potent spirit of God mot humyll ȝour hertis Ib. II 4/8.
Without respect of the micht … of his potent aduersar a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xvi 44.
Sen that ȝour quein hes chosin hir ane feir, Ane potent prince for to mantein ȝour croun Id. Ib. xcvi 17.
Quhat is the caus of all this grit confusioun, Bot the diuisioun of lordis maist potent? a1578 Pitsc. I 8/23.
He [Cochrane] held that potent prince so inclosit That [etc.] 1581 Sempill Sat. P. xliii 64 (see Pottar n.). 1596 Crim. Trials I ii 397.
Sa potent ane aduersar as the Maister of Orknay 1596 Dalr. II 356/10.
The aduersaris, quhome he had monie and potent(2) 1500 Montgomery Mem. 59.
Bindis and oblesis me … til ane rycht noble and potent lord 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 81.
Befoir ane nobil[l] and potentt man Schir Wilyeam Synclair 1549 Compl. 3/10.
The maist illustir potent prince of the maist fertil & pacebil realme 1552 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 277 (see Nobil(l adj. 1 (1) (c)). 1566 Rec. Earld. Orkney 375.
Before the maist mychtty potent lordis of the cunsall of the realme of Sco[t]land 1576 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 50 (see Lord n. 6 c).Ib. 53 (see Lord n. 6 d). a1578 Pitsc. I 131/18.
Maist invincibill and potent prince 1580 McNaught Kilmaurs 348.
Be the vmquhill mychtie and potent lordis 1586 Misc. Spald. C. IV 235.
A noble and potent erle George erle of Huntly 1604 Murray Kilmacolm 33.
That the said right noble and potent ladie will not compeir in Paisley before them 1625 Brechin Test. IV 214.
Be ane potent and michtie erle Johne Erle of Kingorne 1632 Cullen B. Rec. MS 14 Oct.
The actione and caus persewit be ane noble and potent James Lord Deskfoord 1637 Dumbarton B. Rec. 53.
Ane nobill and potent Prince James Duik of Lennox 1642 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 37.(b) 1581 Nugae Scoticae 37.
Potaint(3) a1500 Colk. Sow ii 41.
It semis thai war of kynreid full potent 1513 Doug. vi xv 61.
O goddis abufe, the Romanys blude and kyn Semyt to ȝou our myghty and potent 1533 Boece 96.
To be … fallowis with that potent pepill 1596 Dalr. I 78/1.
Sa baith pissant and potent thay grew Ib. 81/24.
Ay and quhill thay war invadet be that potent natione of the Peychtes Ib. 88/14.
Vthiris maist potent natiounis(4) c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 178.
Beir thé euin, Thocht with thy prince thow be potent a1578 Pitsc. I 14/12.
Alexander Erle of Douglas beand potent in mair kine and freindis than contempnit all the kingis officairis(5) 1554 Old Dundee II 120.
He hes twa tenements … brunt … and is nocht potent to big and repair them 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 6.
That … thair be tane wp of euere swerar … quhilk is potent to pay siluer, for euere falt ane hardheid 1562-3 Winȝet I 101/17.
Bot potent to exhort and teche in helthful doctrine and potent to repreue and conuict the gainsayaris of the samin c1590 Fowler I 291/4.
And potent is als well to hail as thow ar bent to spill? ellipt. 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 6.
Gif thai be potent sall pay for ilk falt xii d.

b. absol. as noun. 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 7.
We see dalie the pure mair subiecte to sic calamitie nor the potent 1596 Dalr. II 261/20.
For the pure opprest with the potent he helpet ay 1603 Philotus xlv.
Ane of the potentes of the toun

2. In various transf. applications.(1) 1513 Doug. i viii 67.
Ane nobill land, richt potent in bataill(2) 15.. Clar. iii 2340.
Ane goune … weill furrit with potent rich armyne Ib. iv 437.
All that hir pertinit for to weir … Was wrocht with stone and pearle rycht potent Ib. 2586.
Them rewairdit with giftis richt potent [: content](3) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2080 (B).
My potent pardonis ȝe ma see(4) 1567 Sat. P. iii 127.
To pull ane king fra his hie potent gloir 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii 546.
Thy glore now … Is kend, o potent God, In schawing … Thy potent power abrod(5) 1580 Hume Promine 75.
Sappie subtil exhalatiounis Quhais potent pithie inspiratiounis Makis treis [etc.]