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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.

Practician(e, -isian(e, n. Also: -itian, -icien, -isien, preticiane. [Obs. F. practicien (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), F. praticien, e.m.E. practicien (1558), practitian (1609).]

1. A practitioner, esp. a skilled one, of an art or craft; an expert, freq. in medicine or the law. a1500 Colk. Sow Proh. 62.
For quhich, knawing myne vnsufficience To be comprysit preticiane with prudence a1568 Dunb. Bann. MS. 109 a/41.
In madecyne the most practitianis, Leichis [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece I 196.
He wald dite fastar than sevin practicianis micht suffice to write 1549 Compl. 62/25.
Ptholome, Auerois, Aristotel, Galien … var expert practicians in methamatic art c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1536.
He was ane richt courticiane, And in the law ane practiciane 1551 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 610.
Practiciens a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxiv 27.
Guid cuning men … , Practicians guid and to that senat meit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 107.
I sall send for … My practicianes quhilkis ar suttell and slie 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 44.
He dissauit the cardinall of Lorayne quha ontill that day thocht him self not onelie auld practicien bot als maister … in sic materis of negociatioun c1550-c1580 Art of Music 68.
Quhilkis ar extract furth of the varkis of dyvers practicians of music 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (S.T.S.) 31/37.
As an old practisian, he [the devil] knowes … what humor domines most in anie of vs, and … can subtillie [etc.] 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix. c1615 Chron. Kings 179.
This paraseid … at this tyme wes ane practitian of the law 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i i 4 (1678) 9.
Yet is generally concluded by the practicians of all nations, that [etc.]

2. One who engineers or has engineered something nefarious; a schemer or conspirator. 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 59.
It may be suspected that sum practisiane of the kingis murther was there c1610 Melville Mem. 343.
To the gret discontentement of Mester Wotton and his practisiens, wha durst not kyeth, bot wald not suffer his maieste to be present at the banket