treatise, n.
(ˈtriːtɪs, -ɪz)
Forms: 4–5 tretis, -ys, -ice, (4 -es, -esse, -yss, -ies, 5 -ise, -yce), 4–6 tretyse, (5 treetise, -ys); 5 treatis, 5–6 -ys(e, -yce, 6 -es, -esse, -ice, -ize, 6– treatise. β. 6 tractise, -yse; traictise, treactise.
[a. AF. tretiz masc. (one instance c 1250 in Godef.) representing an OF. *traitëiz, f. traitier, F. traiter, treat v. The forms tract-, traict-, treact- were 16th c. ‘etymological’ spellings after L.]
1. a. A book or writing which treats of some particular subject; commonly (in mod. use always), one containing a formal or methodical discussion or exposition of the principles of the subject; formerly more widely used for a literary work in general: see also b, c.
| 13.. Cast. Love Introd., Her byginnet a tretys..Þat bisschop Grosteyȝt made, ywis. a 1375 Lay Folks Mass Bk. App. iv. 1 Her techeþ þys tretys þenne Hou mon scholde here hys masse. c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. Prol. 1 To lerne the tretis of the astrelabie. c 1400 Cursor M. 27548 (Cott. Galba) Here will I tell a schort tretice Made of þe seuyn dedly vice. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 236 Here endyth the tretyse of Physnomye, and begynnynge the tretyce of gouernance of helthe. 1493 Dives & Paup. (Colophon) Here endith a compendiouse treetise dyalogue of Diues & paup. 1526 Tindale Luke i. 1 For as moche as many have taken in hond to compyle a treates off thoo thynges which are surely knowen amonge vs. ― Acts i. 1 In my fyrst treatise (Deare frende Theophilus) I have written off all that Jesus began to do and teache. c 1530 Crt. of Love iv, That she, my lady, of her worthinesse, Accept in gree this little short treatesse. 1530 A. Baynton in Palsgr. Introd. 14 Whiche compendious tractyse..Whiche brefe traictise. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. E.'s Pref., This present treactise. 1588 Marprel. Epist. (Arb.) 27 In my next treatize, I shal proue the matter to be cleare. 1633 in Verney Mem. (1907) I. 76, I remember 'tis a letter, noe treatise, I have in hand. 1741–3 Wesley Extract of Jrnl. (1749) 15 Turretin's history..(a dry, heavy, barren treatise). 1869 Farrar Fam. Speech iv. (1873) 107 You will see it stated in many modern treatises. |
† b. A story, tale, narrative (spoken or written).
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 642 (670) The whiche tale a-noon right as Criseyde Had herd, she..Ful bysily to Iuppiter by-soughte Yeue hym myschaunce þat þis tretis broughte. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 226 To rehearse an olde treatise of an auncient Hermitte [etc.]. 1605 Shakes. Macb. v. v. 12 The time ha's beene..my Fell of haire Would at a dismall Treatise rowze, and stirre. |
† c. A descriptive treatment, description, account (of something). Obs.
| 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 151, I will here conclude the treatise of Dover. 1601 Dolman La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1618) III. 686 The circles of the sphere,..the treatise whereof I refer to you. |
† 2. a. Negotiation, treating, discussion of terms; arrangement of terms. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 36 (64) Whan Calkas knew þis tretys sholde holde In Consistorie a-mong þe Grekes soone. 1375 Barbour Bruce xix. 145 The scottis messingeres thar he fand Of pese and rest to haf tretise. The kyng wist schir yngerame ves vise. c 1440 Partonope 1336 Better..to dye Than in tretyse trust her curtesy. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xx. xix. 831, I shalle sende a messager vnto my lord Arthur a treatyce for to take, for better is pees than allwayes warre. 1529 Rastell Pastyme, Hist. Brit. (1811) 216 By the treatyse of the Countess of Henaude..a meane was made for a truse. a 1641 Bp. R. Montagu Acts & Mon. iv. (1642) 253 Antony and Octavius were reconciled;..both ready and willing to yeeld to treatise, as standing in feare, the one of the other. |
† b. A treaty; = treaty n. 3 a, b. Obs.
| 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. (Rolls) 216 Thanne [1354] was the town [Oxford] put under interdict..tyl a tretys was mad thus. c 1475 Harl. Contin. Higden (Rolls) VIII. 442 A tretys was made at Brugges. 1489 Barbour's Bruce xx. 47 (Edinb. MS.) And monymentis and lettrys ser, That thai off Ingland that tyme had,..In-till that tretyss wp thai gaff. 1530 Palsgr. 282/2 Treatyse bytwene two princes, traicte, trete. 1544 A. Cope Scipio & Hannibal 133 b, Also graunted in that treatise of peace. |
† 3. (?) An entreaty; = treat n.1 2, treaty 4.
(But the quots. may possibly belong to sense 2.)
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur iv. xxv. 153 They asked herborow, but the man of the courtelage wold not lodge them for no treatyce that they coude treate. Ibid. vi. xv. 207 Syr launcelot leue that swerd behynde the, or thou wil dye for it. I leue it not sayd syr launcelot for no treatys. |
4. Comb., as treatise poem, a didactic poem of the eighteenth century.
| 1936 C. S. Lewis Allegory of Love vi. i. 233 In our Augustan period we find a form which has not yet been named and which is only less dominant than satire. I mean the long Treatise Poem (if I may risk the invention of a name where one is badly needed) as practised by Thompson, Armstrong, Young, Akenside, Cowper, and the like. 1980 Times Lit. Suppl. 1 Aug. 863/3 The eighteenth-century treatise-poem of Akenside and the rest. |
Hence † ˈtreatise v., trans. to make a treatise on, to treat or write of; † ˈtreatising, writing of a treatise, treatment of a subject.
| 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) v. vii. 413 Y⊇ dampnacyon of the body that hath ben the meane of synne hath ben fyrst treatysed. 1605 Hieron Short Dialogue 15 Some..will..distast this your froothy and wordy treatising. |