† ˈrialty Obs.
Forms: 4–6 ryalte, 5 -tee, 5–7 -tie, 5 -tye, 6 -ty; 4–6 rialte, 5 -tee, 4 riaulte, 5 riolte, 6 rialtie.
[a. OF. *rialté, var. of realté realty1.]
1. Royalty; regal state or dignity; royal pomp or splendour.
| c 1325 Song of Yesterday 88 in E.E.P. (1862) 135 Hit were wel bettre forto se..Þen a fest of Rialte. c 1350 Will. Palerne 5057 No clerk..ne kowþe nouȝt descriue..Þe richesse ne þe riaulte. c 1400 Destr. Troy 3464 Double fest..was holdyn, With all þe reuell & riolte þat Renkes couthe deuise. 1470–85 Malory Arthur v. xii. 182 [Arthur] was crouned emperour..with all the ryalte that coude be made. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. Wks. 1209/2 If a manne kepe richesse aboute him for a glory and ryaltie of the world. 1557 Malory's Arthur (Copland) iii. i, So they roode freshly with great ryalte..til that they came nyghe unto London. |
b. A royal or magnificent feast or ceremonial.
| a 1470 H. Parker Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) iii. xvii. 152/2 In ryaltees as playes and daunces that are used in grete festes & in the sondayes. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxxx. 243 He saw neuer ne herd suche solempne feestes, ne ryaltes holden ne done without payng of gold or siluer. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 53 At that ryallty was made sir Edward Semer..duke of Somerset. |
2. Royal power; sovereignty.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xx. 132 Robert Stiward suld be Kyng, and brwk all the rialte. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 379 So þis man had neuer so grete cause to fle & to hide hym self as whan he was callid to þis rialte. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 148 Ryaltee wythout wysdome and cvnnynge ne may not endure. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 253 It was determynit..that never women suld succede to the ryaltee of Fraunce. |
b. A royal estate; a kingdom.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 117 Nabugodonosor regnede in Babilon ten ȝere. He putte moche more to his fader realte [v.r. rialte]. c 1440 York Myst. xvi. 3 The clowdes..Raykand ouere my rialte on rawe me reioyses. |
c. Sc. A district directly under the king, as opposed to a regality1 (sense 2 c).
| 1432 Sc. Acts Jas. I (1814) II. 21 Gif he happynis to fle in þe Regalitie oute of the Rialte, the schiref sal certify þe lorde of þe Regalite. 1545 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 6 All Sheriffis Stewartis Ballies alswele Regalitie as Ryalte. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 160 Inquisition sall be made alswell within Regalitie as Ryaltie anent malefactours. |
d. = regality1 2 a. rare—1.
| 1552 Richmond Wills (Surtees) 73 My chief house with all the rialties and ayrelomes founded by my predecessors. |