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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Utilité, -ie, n. Also: -ee, -ey, utilyte, utillitte, -itie, -atie, wtilit(i)e, wtilletie, utelit(i)e, -ete. [ME and e.m.E. vtilite (Chaucer), vtylyte (1514), vtilitie (1528), OF utilitet, -tei, utelite, L. ūtilitāt-.]

1. Advantage, benefit, good (of, for or to a person, community or thing). Chiefly in, to or for (another's) utilite, freq. in collocation with prof(f)it. See Prof(f)it n. 1-4 for further examples.(1) 1437 Cop. St. A. 149.
A certane sowm of silver pait to ws beforhand and in the profite, oys and utilite of oure abbay convertit 1456 Hay I 166/8.
How mony is now in land that settis thair hert … for the utilitee of the commoun proffit! 1475 Edinb. B. Rec. I 32.
Quhatsumeuir vtheris actis statutis [etc.] … thai think mast convenient for the vtilite and proffet of the gud towne 1485 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 138.
Utilitie 1497–8 Newbattle Coll. (Somerville) (Reg. H.).
Vtilitey 1513 Acta Conc. MS XXVI 12.
That our liegis may … be furnist [with weapons] to thair ois and utilite 1519 Edinb. Hammermen 99b.
For twa merk of annuell bocht fra hir to the vtelite of the altar & craft 1524 Reg. Privy S. I 499/1.
To dispone tharone to thare maist utilite as salbe thocht expedient a1538 Abell 86b.
Wtilite c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 216b/23.
Malis of men thai meis and pacefy To saul and bodeis bayth vtilitie 1549 Compl. 46/24.
The quhilk art thai grauit vitht lettris (for the vtilite of there posterite) in tua tablis of stane 1558 Inverness Rec. I 26.
Vtillitte 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4263.
Schir I did it for ȝour vtilitie, And ȝe it takis agane ouir crabitlie 1584 Waus Corr. 309.
Vtillitie 1585 Misc. Spald. C. II 344.
Wtilitie 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 11 April.
Vtelete 1591 Dundee B. Laws 513.
Wtilletie c1590 Fowler II 149/18.
Ane servant … suld … give his wits & thogtis hollilie to the wtilitie & advantage of his maister 1657 Rec. Old Aberd. I 94.
The hundreth merkis … left in legacie be … George Clerk … for the vse and vtillatie of the said cittie 1674 Rothesay B. Rec. 327.
Utelitie(2) 1493 Lennox Mun. 148.
Thair vtilyte and profyttis on athir syde pensyt and prowydyt c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 377.
The first commoditie, The riche rewaird, and grit vtilitie … of thame that ar ingrauit In to Christ Jesus 1583 Sempill Warning xvii.
Giff … ȝour avin vtilitie A mangis ye leiff thir maiteris vald be menditpossess. 1562-3 Winȝet I 24/4.
The mynd of man … submittis not the self willinglie to ony commandar … bot to sick quhome it is persuadit, to command iustlie for vtiliteis cause

b. The general good, the benefit of all. 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 568.
With utheris commissaris of burrowis … quhilkis salbe convenit for the tyme for the utilitie and commoun welth

2. Inherent usefulness, advantageous effect (of an action or thing). 1456 Hay I 88/5.
A grete thing wele cummyn to purpos, suppos it was agayne the commandement of the prince, ȝit for the grete utilitee of the dede … it may be excusit 1513 Doug. ix Prol. 3 (Sm.).
Thir lusty warkis of hie nobilite Agilyte dyd wryte of worthy clerkis, And tharin merkis wisdome, vtilite, Na vilite

3. A particular advantage or benefit; something that will be of use or profit to others. c1490 Irland Asl. MS 39/14.
Fasting … has mony frutis and vtiliteis 1490 Irland Mir. II 81/27.
The faith dois four gret proffitis and vtiliteis 1490 Irland Mir. III 125/7.
I fynd xii gret proffitis vtiliteis commoditeis of pes 1531 Bell. Boece I 34.
Ane convention … in the quhilk war sindry utilites devisit for the weill of the two realmis 1596 Dalr. I 107/16.
Quhen the king, the nobilitie and the commoune people thay [sc. the clergy] with gret vtilities had amplified, in correcteng … offences … confirmeng the gude … feiding the poore [etc.]