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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Riches, n.1 Also: rych-, ritch-, rithc-, rychc-; rech-; ruch-; rach-, ratch- and -es(s)e, -(e)is. [ME and e.m.E. richeisse (c1200), -esce (c1230), -esse (1297), OF richoise, richece, richesse (all 12th c. in Larousse), f. riche Rich(e adj.]There is possible ambiguity between the two main senses, and consequently further instances of sense 2 may have been included under sense 1.

1. An accumulation of worldly possessions, viewed as an abstract unity; wealth, opulence. Also personified.Also, rarely, with pl. infl.(1) 1375 Barb. xiii 754.
Ingland … That in riches haboundyt then
a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv 255.
Haf I [sc. the devil] nocht ryches gewine thé
1456 Hay II 152/22.
Thou may mare conquest bathe of ryches and honour with thair wisedome … na with bataill
a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 495.
Richese
a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 557 (Asl.). c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 193/1.
Than rowmes and ritches sall mak thé na remeid
1531 Bell. 1531 Boece II 345.
The hous of Cumingis war in thir dayis full of riches, landes, and manrent
1540 Lynd. Sat. 2752 (Ch.).
Our bishops … flow in riches
a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 126/16.
And fekill ritches [is] thocht felicitie
c1590 Fowler II 83/3.
Rithces
Ib. 157/37.
Rychces
1596 Dalr. I 53/9.
Because riches … lychtlie corruptes the godlie institutiounis of our elderis
(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 352/14.
They … had great richis and pollacie in the contrie
Ib. 254/15.
Richeis
(c) a1540 Misc. Bann. C. III 37.
Thair folk past out of Egipt with grete richesse and mony schippis
1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 25.
It is not honour richesse nor authoritie that thai stryve for
(d) a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 431/75.
And thowe be brocht till honour & reches
1622-6 Bisset II 198/24.
And fra prosperitie procedis reches
(e) 1590 Crim. Trials I ii 210.
Gif he mareit hir he sould tyne … mekill ruches
(f) c1590 Fowler I 132/166.
Possessionis earthlye, ratches greit and glorye without stay
1596 Dalr. I 80/4.
Quhome the king nocht only promouet … bot decored with gret raches
(2) a1400 Leg. S. x 285.
With the riches ȝe gere mak A mykil kirke
c1450-2 Howlat 937 (A).
The rent and the ritches that thow in rang
c1500 Makc. MS v 20.
For al the ryches thow ma wyne Is na defens
1567 G. Ball. 97.
The lytill of the just is mair commendit … Than is the greit ryches of wickit men
(3) a1400 Leg. S. xli 6.
Na of his riches [is] na mynissing
c1420 Wynt. v 3161.
That he Suld ger that douchtyr maryd be Wyth sum ryche man for hys ryches [: wes]
1456 Hay I 158/28.
And a man had apon him in bataill all his riches in jowellis and harneis
a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 320.
I change … thy pomp and thy riches In mortall neid
a1500 Prestis of Peblis 1269.
Our riches than will stand us in na steid … It sayis ‘fairweill [etc.]’
1535 Stewart 14038.
Ȝour riches thus is waistit
1551 Hamilton Cat. 105.
Mak the puir men … your spirituall freindis be giving of part of your rychis to thame
15.. Dum Wyf 25.
For hir riches and rentes He wedit hir to his wyfe
c1590 Fowler I 115/96.
And charged with raches and with skill his raches he did brooke
(4) 1456 Hay I 233/17.
He … sa[ll] nocht be fortunyt na happy to honour na riches in weris
a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 424.
For na largese my lord noght wil he neuer let, Na for na riches to rigne
a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1409 (Asl.).
All temporale riches comperit to hevinlie blis Is bot a birding
a1570 Misc. Spald. C. II xxviii.
All warldlie riches is bot ane len
a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 38/41.
God will na ryches to ws send
(5) a1500 Henr. Orph. 522.
The god of riches
c1475 Wall. i 299.
A man of gret riches
Ib. iv 204.
As off ryches he held na propyrte
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (S.T.S.) lxxxviii 3.
London, … Of high renoun, riches and royaltie
(6) 1492 Myll Spect. 289/13.
Nane couth juge be quhat waye … this quene grew to sa gret reches of gold
1535 Stewart 27609 heading.
How the Britis, efter lang peax, grew to riches
(7) c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 176.
personified Unto the pres persewit Hie Degree, … Richesse, Fredome and eke Nobilitee
a1568 Bann. MS 257b/54.
With riches dar not poverty play
(8) 1456 Hay I 222/1.
pl. Thame quhilkis levis all richessis and delytis warldly
Ib. II 61/32.
Honoure in armes the quhilk bringis thé richesses
c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke viii 3.
And mony vthiris that mynisterit to him of thare richessis

b. fig. Freq. with reference to spiritual ‘wealth’. a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii 133.
& of the riches he has here Mak hurde in hewine
c1420 Ratis R. 103.
Fore-out that thinge [sc. grace] may na man cum … To honor na to gud riches
a1500 Henr. Fab. 138.
Science … is riches [Bann. the riches] that euer sall indure
c1490 Porteous Noblenes 175/26 (Asl.).
His hie honour … is the gudis and ritches that pasis all vther gudis
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 71/26.
[The king's] graciows countenance In ryches is my sufficiance

2. The money, valuables, possessions, etc. that constitute a person's wealth; (a) riches, an amount of quantity of valuables.(1) 1375 Barb. xii 306.
I pray ȝow … That nane of ȝow … tak of thar riches
c1400 Troy-bk. ii 753 (C).
And all thare ryches preciouse They fond in … house They exponyt in reffe
?1438 Alex. ii 7939.
Lo! the oist of Inde … Quhare mare ryches and treasure is
c1420 Wynt. iv 1040.
Hys pavilyhownys … wes Stuffyd welle wytht gret ryches
Id. ?1438 Alex. (S.T.S.) 1765.
And Alexander … resetit Quhat prisoneris quhat jowallis quhat riches [: ges (= guess)]
Ib. 2497.
The gold the gere the riches away gais
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1915.
War all the buirdis maid of maist riches, Of sardanis [etc.]
Id. Æn. i xii 8.
How Grekis dyd spulȝe and distroy The gret ryches and lamentabill realm of Troy
1533 Boece 432.
Of oxin, hors, and all vthir riches be hereschip thai war dispuleȝete
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 292.
The suddartis … spoulȝeit the tounis … and als wan the houssis of Rysith, quhairin thaj gat greit ritches
1596 Dalr. I 179/15.
His mind thocht of nathing bot to gathir money, and harde vpe ryches
(2) 1375 Barb. xiii 450, 452.
So gret a riches thair thai fand, That mony man mychty wes maid Of the riches that thai thar had
c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1744.
And mony gret ritches [L. diuicias] renowned … thai with thaim had That gredy flude swelled
1456 Hay II 90/26.
He may nocht by it [sc. reputation] agayne for na richesse
a1500 Rauf C. 351.
Ilk rew ryallie with riches thame arrayis

b. ? A large amount or quantity; ? value, (high) monetary equivalent. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 340.
At the quhilk thair wes … grit ritches of mes clothes and bakis [sic] brunt

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"Riches n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/riches_n_1>

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