▪ I. † purvey, n.
(ˈpɜːveɪ)
Also 6 pervaie.
[f. next.]
1. The provision of a statute; = purview 1.
| 1553 Act 1 Mary Sess. ii. c. 7 §1 Proclamations should have been made, according to the Purvey of the same Estatute. 1565 Act 8 Eliz. c. 8 §1 Promoters..have.. taken away by Virtue and Purvey of the said Estatute from divers poor Men..their Horse. |
2. An arrangement, provision. rare—1.
| a 1535 More How Sergeaunt wolde lerne, etc. 70 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 122 He made a good peruaie For euery whit by his owne wit, And tooke another waie. |
3. The act of providing or supplying; that which is provided or supplied; pl. provisions.
| 1615 Chapman Odyss. xvii. 216 Those that used to furnish that purvey. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. iii. 771 And when y' are furnish'd with all Purveys, I shall be ready, at your service. |
4. A sum provided to meet current expenses: for specific use see quot. 1908. local.
| 1742 Addingham (Cumberld.) Par. Bk., Collected by the Church Wardens..two Purveys thro the whole Parish 2{supl} 7s 0{supd}. 1794 W. Hutchinson Hist. Cumberld. I. 224 The rate assessed by purvey, about 30 l. a year. 1838 Addingham (Cumberld.) Par. Bk., 5 purvays Colected. 1839 Ibid., 8 purvas Colected. 1908 C. C. Hodgson Private Let. 5 Nov., In this county [Cumberland], and it may be in others, the county rate used to be levied by ‘purveys’. A Purvey was a sum of {pstlg}100 and according as {pstlg}100, {pstlg}200 or {pstlg}300 was required the Qr. Sessions ordered one, two, or three purveys to be levied. A certain sum was fixed against each Parish as its contribution to the purvey... This system was found in time to operate unfairly, and in 1810 a special Act of Parliament was obtained abolishing Purveys. |
▪ II. purvey, v.
(pəˈveɪ)
Forms: α. 3–4 porvai(en, -vay(e; 3–5 -vei(en, -vey(e; purvei(en, -vey(en, 3–6 -vai(en, 4–6 -vaye, 4–7 -vei(e, -veye, -vay, (4–5 Sc. -way, -wey), 5– purvey, (6–7 -veigh, -veyghe; 4–6 pourveie, -vey(e; 6 poorvey). (pa. tense and pple. purveyed: in 5 Sc. purvat, -vait, -voit, -ved, -vyde, -vyid.) β. 4 provei, (pa. pple. proveyd, -vyde), 6 Sc. provay, pa. pple. -uuait, -wyd. γ. 4–5 pervei(e, -vey(e. (In all forms before 1620, u was commonly written for v.)
[ME. a. AF. por-, purveier, purveeir = OF. porveeir, -veoir, -veioir (je porveie, porvoie), mod.F. pourvoir, = Pr. provezir, Cat. provehir, Sp. proveer, It. provvidere:—L. prōvidēre to provide, f. pro- for + vidēre to see. The forms in pro-, per-, were assimilated to the L. prepositions. In ME. often stressed ˈpurvey.]
I. † 1. trans. To foresee; = provide v. 1. Obs.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter, Song Moses 42 God gif thai..puruayd thaire laste, that thai myght dye sikyrly. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. v. pr. iii. 120 (Camb. MS.) It by-houeth nedes þat thinges þat ben to comyn ben yporueyid. c 1374 ― Troylus iv. 1038 (1066) Þat god purueieth thynge þat is to come. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 605/36 Provideo, to purveye, or to see byfore. |
† b. To see before or in front of one; to have in view. Obs. rare—1.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xv. 8, I poruayd god ay in my sight..i puruaid him ay in my syght. |
II. † 2. To see to, attend to (something) in advance; to order, arrange beforehand; to foreordain; to bring (something) about by previous planning; = provide v. 3. Obs.
| [1292 Britton i. v. §2 Qe il eynt tens de purveer lour respounse.] a 1300 Cursor M. 8311 (Cott.) Þis wark..þou sal it puruai [other texts, deuise, ordaine] in þi thoght, Thoru salamon it sal be wroght. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxvi. (Nycholas) 977 He gert purway..A mangery with glad chere. 1485 Caxton Paris & V. 40, I shal pourueye somme Iewels and money for our necessyte. 1513 Douglas æneis x. ii. 54 To mak reddy for weyr, Purvay thar schippis, provyde armour and geyr. 1521 Irish Act 13 Hen. VIII in Bolton Stat. Irel. (1621) 73 According unto the statutes in that behalfe purveyed. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 131 b, What vitale was purueyed for this greate enterprise. |
† b. absol. or intr. Obs.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 115 After þis God schal purveie [L. providebit Deus]. 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. xi. 51 To horsbak wente all the hoost, as Arthur had afore purueyed. |
† 3. intr. To take measures, arrange, or prepare beforehand. Const. inf. or that. Cf. provide v. 4.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 74 Þe Norreis [Northern people] purueied, to do him a despite. c 1440 Gesta Rom. i. 2 (Harl. MS.) How þat his wif was a strompet, and which purveith in þat day that hire husbond shuld be ded. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. vi. 5 Than the quene secretly dyd puruey to go in to Fraunce. a 1533 ― Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) K v b, The good emperour pourueyed, that all they of his palais shoulde depart. 1604 Drayton Owle 1187 In mercy, let thy mightinesse purvay, To ransome from this eminent Decay. 1612 ― Poly-olb. iii. 213 So nature hath puruai'd, that during all her raigne The Bathes their natiue power for euer shall retaine. |
† 4. intr. To make provision or adequate preparation for some event or action, or for the supply of something needed. Const. for, of (against, to). Cf. provide v. 2. Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 11700 Full prestly þe prest hase puruayet þerfore. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 6788 But the maryner vp yede To purvey of that thei had nede. 1475 Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.) 75 That it may be purveied for by so dew meens that [etc.]. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxi. 77 Yf I had well thoughte to haue fallen in [this] inconuenyent..I wolde haue purueied therto. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 291 The Chaunceler..entendyng to puruey there ayenst. 1573–80 Baret Alv. P 889 To Purueigh for things necessarie. 1658 Whole Duty Man Pref. 3 'Tis forward to purvey for pleasures and delights for us. |
III. 5. trans. To provide, furnish, supply (something); = provide v. 5. a. Const. † to a person, etc., or with dative. Obs. or arch.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 348/97 Heo porueide hire riȝt feolonliche A poysun, strong i-nouȝ, For-to ȝiue þis ȝongue child to slen him. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 1739 Þis false man..porueiede hom gode ssipes & in to þe se wende. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 5566 Ther whiles the clerk Merlin Hem hadde y-puruaid a riche in. 1382 Wyclif Gen. xxii. 8 God shal puruey to hym, my sone, the sacrifice. c 1485 E.E. Misc. (Warton Cl.) 42 To purway the a plas In heywyn to dweylle. 1519 Four Elements in Hazl. Dodsley I. 25 Go, purvey us a dinner..Of all manner of dishes. 1820 Scott Ivanhoe xliii, Get thy wounds healed, purvey thee a better horse. |
b. (simply.) Now in reference to articles of food, and as the act of a purveyor: cf. sense 9 and purveyor 2.
| 13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 7921 (E.E.T.S.) 448 ‘Frende Youn’, seyd þe king, ‘Wiltow fiȝt for mi þing? Oþer y schal anoþer puruay.’ 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. viii. 21 We purueyen goode thingis, not oonli bifore God, but also bifore alle men. c 1420 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 75 Wherfore a remedy puruey in hast. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 228 Being prouident in purueying victuals for her nourishment. 1638 Sir R. Cotton Abstr. Rec. Tower 15 The late Queene, Anno 1567. caused by Warrant of privie Seale a great quantity of Beere to be purveyed, transported and sold to her owne use beyond the seas. 1784 Cowper Tiroc. 619 Such is all the mental food purvey'd. 1868 E. Edwards Ralegh I. xii. 234 The provisions..had been excellently purveyed under Ralegh's contract. |
6. To furnish or supply (a person, etc.) with († of) something; = provide v. 8. arch.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 911 Þe kyng him porueide of poer inou. 13.. Cursor M. 25912 (Fairf.) Ilkan agh..puruay ham wiþ al þing fare. c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 591 But for þat I was purueyed of a make I wepte but smal and that I vndertake. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xiv. 62 Þare he refreschez him and puruays him of vitailes. 1446 in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) I. 339 Vnto such tyme as he be pourveyd of a place. 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 465 Had thai bene prouuait [v.r. prowydit] sa of schote of gvne..but perile thay had past. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. iii. 15 Give no ods to your foes, but doe purvay Your selfe of sword before that bloody day. 1687 Dryden Hind & P. iii. 940 His House with all convenience was purvey'd. 1843 James Forest Days viii, Thence he went back to London, was purveyed with a spy [etc.]. |
† b. Const. for (a purpose, etc.). Obs. rare.
| c 1380 Wyclif Eng. Wks. 386 Þat þe clergy was sufficyently purveyed for lyfelode. 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. iii. 38 Merlin..said Syr ye must puruey yow for the nourisshyng of your child. Ibid. xxviii. 75 Thenne was he [Ryons] woode oute of mesure, and purveyed hym for a grete hoost. |
† 7. To furnish (a person, etc.) with what is necessary, to equip; = provide v. 7. Obs.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxvii. (Vincentius) 77 Bot god þane purvoit þo þat he ferlyt quheyne þat cumyne mycht be. c 1450 Lovelich Graal xliv. 447 We scholen hem fynden most besy, And wers I-purveyed in Eche degre Thanne here Aftyr that they scholen be. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV 205 b, The erle hoped, and nothyng lesse mistrusted, then to be assured and purueyed in that place. |
† 8. refl. (and pass.). To prepare or equip oneself; to take measures, get ready (to do something, for some event); = provide v. 7 b. Obs.
| a 1330 Syr Degarre 481 A morewe the justes was i-set, The King him purueid wel the bet. a 1352 Minot Poems III. 14 He bad his men tham purvay, Withowten lenger delay. c 1435 Torr. Portugal 2264 He purveyd hym anon, To wend over the see fome. 1493 Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 21 b, God sent hym [Pharaoh] a fayre warnynge to purvey hym before that sholde come after. |
9. intr. (or absol. of sense 5 b). To furnish or procure material necessaries or the like; to act as purveyor (see purveyor 2); esp. to make provision for a person, his needs, etc.; = provide v. 9. From 17th c. used chiefly or only of supplying victuals, and fig. from this.
| c 1440 Generydes 5421, I will purvey for you another waye. 1480 Caxton Higden viii. ii. (Rolls) VIII. 525 By lycence of kyng Edward his fader he pourveyed for his ayde and helpe. 1514 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 56 To th' entent that every of them may provyde and purvey for hymselff w{supt}in the said halff year. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 1021, I [Adam] the praise Yeild thee, so well this day thou hast purvey'd. a 1711 Ken Hymnotheo Poet. Wks. 1721 III. 121 This for his lust insatiably purveys. 1872 Yeats Growth Comm. 838 Dantzic reaped great advantages in purveying for the troops during the Seven Years' war. 1888 Goode Amer. Fishes 44 Frequented..by ten or twelve Connecticut smacks, which purvey for the New York market. |
b. Const. to. rare.
| c 1400 Apol. Loll. 55 Þe court of Rome..ordeyniþ..traytors of þis world, þat it peruey to þe temporal lif of sum man. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour C vij b, A good ensample how God purueyeth to them that haue deuocion in hym. 1796 Burke Let. Noble Ld. 4 Their turpitude purveys to their malice. 1878 B. Taylor Deukalion ii. iii, Lute and lay espoused In adoration that purveys to sense. |