Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Plente(o)us, Plentu(o)us, a. Also: -eouse, -eows, -ewous, -ious; -uos, -wus; -us; -uis, -wis. [ME. plenteous(e (Wyclif), -ius (c 1400), -ious, plentuous(e (16th c.), also plaintius, -iose (both c 1400), earlier plentifous, -evous (both a 1340), etc., adj., also adv. (c 1400), OF. plentivous (c 1220 in Godef.), plentevous, -veus, -vious, extended forms of plentif, f. plenté Plenté n. and a.] Plenteous, in the usual senses.a. Existing in abundance; plentiful, copious. b. Bearing or yielding abundantly; fertile in, productive of. c. Having abundant possessions; rich, wealthy. d. Given abundantly; generous.a. (a) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 426.
[C]orne thane … Wes nocht so plentus in lande As it is now Ib. xxvii. 1067.(b) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1378.
O plentuos plesans c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v. 12.
For your mede is plentuous in heuenis 1533 Bell. Livy I. 22/22.
He lay doun in ane halesum and plentuus gers(c) c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Cor. ix. 11.
Plenteouse 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 198.
Be plenteows prechyng 1580 Hume Promine 143.
Indewit with the giftis plenteous Of bodie [etc.] … to thé lentb. (1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 11011.
Thare men mycht find … plenteous land a1500 Seven S. 311.
The tre … So plesand and so plentuos 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 159.
Plentewous Id. Livy II. 181/30.
Of quhilkis the landis ar mare fertill and plentwis than ony vthir land 1536–7 Sc. Hist. Rev. VII. 359.
Beir that the said landis payit of befoir quhen thai war plentuis(2) 1513 Doug. i. viii. 68 (Sm.).
Ane … fructuus grund, plenteous [Ruddim. plentuos] of victall 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxvii.
This firth [of Forth] is richt plentuus of coclis, osteris [etc.] 1547 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale I. App. cviii.
A cuntree plentuous of cornes and bestyall c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1279.
Plentuous 1577–95 Descr. Isles 437.
This ile is plenteous of woodis — 1533 Boecex. iii. 352 b.
Paris … in wynis plentwus — a1500 Henr. Fab. 1332 (H).
Off all plesance that place was plentiousc. 1513 Doug. xi. vii. 99.
Of moblys rich and plentuus was hed. a1568 Bann. MS. 26 b/55.
He hes … fosterit … With gudis and plenteus larges Thame that [are] … indigent