treaty, n.
(ˈtriːtɪ)
Forms: 4–5 tretee, 4–6 trete, trety, 5 treetee, tretie, -ye, (tretty); traitee, -ie, -ye, traytee, -ye, (traytte, -ye, 6 Sc. treittie), 5–7 treatye, 6 -ee, 6–7 -ie, 6– treaty.
[ME. trete, tretee, a. AF. treté, OF. traité, traitié, ppl. n. of traiter treat v., and:—L. tractātum tractate.]
† 1. a. The treating of a subject in speech or writing; (literary) treatment; discussion. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Ezra Prol. 32 But that to short tretee I come [L. sed ut ad compendium veniam]. 1483 Caxton Cato 3 The second partye pryncipal is the trayttye and alle the maner of this present book. 1552 Huloet, Treaty of any thyng, dissertatio. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 87 It followeth..that.. I handle such particular places..as are mentioned in hystorie: in which treatie, I will observe this order. 1619 J. Dyke Caveat Archippus 10 That a full Treatie of the particulars..should come within..one houres discourse. a 1663 Bp. Sanderson in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xix. 13 Such a presumptuous sin as we are now in treaty of. |
† b. A work in which some subject is treated of; a treatise, dissertation; in early use, a story, narrative, written account (
= treatise 1, b, c).
| c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 90 The tretee folwand in þe whilk we sall determyn of singuleryte. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 901 As witnes weill in to the schort tretty Eftir the Bruce, quha redis in that story. 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe heading, Here begynnys ane littil tretie intitulit the goldyn targe compilit be Maister Wilyam Dunbar. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xv. 16 Villegaignon in his treaty which he hath made of the warres of Malta. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. ii. iv. 80 Sir Kenelme Digby in his excellent Treaty of bodies. a 1715 Burnet Own Time an. 1672 (1823) I. 567 In some sermons, and in some printed treaties, they charged the judges with corruption. |
2. The treating of matters with a view to settlement; discussion of terms, conference, negotiations. Now
rare or
Obs. exc. in
phr. in treaty.
| c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 491 At after soper fille they in tretee [v.r. trete]. c 1450 Brut 491 Þe Frensh men..labored to haue A traitie with þe King of Englond. c 1470 Henry Wallace vii. 1267 Dunde thai gat sone be a schort trete. c 1500 Melusine xx. 113 In long treatee lyeth somtyme grete falshed. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 159 After a long treatie, albeit they coulde not throughlye agree, yet a trewce was made. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 234 A litle boate with a flag of treatie..to agree for the redemption of captiues. 1625 in Foster Eng. Factories Ind. (1909) III. 57 This was but yett in treatie. 1683 Pennsylv. Archives I. 70, I was in Treaty about your yea and nay going for an Oath. 1788 Franklin Autobiog. Wks. 1840 I. 163 The treaty was conducted very orderly. 1881 L. B. Walford D. Netherby x, It appears he is in treaty for a place in the North. |
3. † a. A settlement or arrangement arrived at by treating or negotiation; an agreement, covenant, compact, contract.
Obs. exc. as in b and in
phr. private treaty: see
private a. 7
f.| 1427 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 318/2 My Lady of Gloucestre so be pourveyde fore be way of traitee or in other wise. 1469 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 23 Sir John Malevera gave me a chalenge for him, & said he was outlawd under my trety: I told him I treted never; I bare your message to him. 1552 Huloet, Treaty or agreament, pactio. 1753 Johnson Let. to J. Warton 8 Mar., in Boswell, For descriptions of life, there is now a treaty almost made with an authour and an authouress. |
b. spec. A contract between two or more states, relating to peace, truce, alliance, commerce, or other international relation; also, the document embodying such contract, in modern usage formally signed by plenipotentiaries appointed by the government of each state. (Now the prevailing sense.)
| 1430–31 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 371/2 In ye Tretee of ye Pees, made nought longe agoo. 1545 Elyot, Fœdus.., a treatie of peace, or league betwene princes. 1622 Bacon Hen. VII, Wks. 1879 I. 760/1 A peace was concluded..being in effect rather a bargain than a treaty. 1671 Evelyn Corr. 31 Aug., The..height of the Warr.. to the conclusion of it in the Treaty at Breda, 1667. 1776 Adam Smith W.N. iv. i. (1869) II. 24 By advantageous treaties of commerce, particular privileges were procured in some foreign state for the goods and merchants of the country. 1841 Haydn Dict. Dates s.v., The first formal and written treaty made in England with any foreign nation was entered into at Kingston between Henry III and the dauphin of France..11 Sept. 1217. 1874 Bancroft Footpr. Time viii. 195 A treaty of alliance with France. 1888 T. E. Holland in Encycl. Brit. XXIII. 530/2 A treaty is a contract between two or more states. The term ‘tractatus’, and its derivatives..began to be commonly employed, in lieu of the older technical terms ‘conventio publica’, or ‘foedus’, from the end of the 17th century. In the language of modern diplomacy the term ‘treaty’ is restricted to the more important international agreements, especially to those which are the work of a congress, while agreements dealing with subordinate questions are described by the more general term ‘convention’. |
† 4. Entreaty, persuasion, request.
Obs.| c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 3972 A wise womman..whilk turned the prince ire to pece thorgh hire tretee. c 1470 Golagros & Gaw. 1083 For ony trety may tyde..I wil noght turn myn entent. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. ii. (Town & C. Mouse) xxiv, With fair tretie yit scho gart hir ryse And to the burde thay went. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iii. xi. 62 Now I must To the young man send humble Treaties, dodge And palter in the shifts of lownes. 1649 Davenant Love & Hon. ii. i, The gentle Treaties, Sir, of love are fit For hours more happy. |
† 5. Treatment, usage; behaviour.
Obs. rare.
| 1630 B. Jonson New Inn i. i, Host. They call me Goodstock. Lov. Sir, and you confess it, Both in your language, treaty, and your bearing. 1654 tr. Martini's Conq. China 118 To partake of his sweet treaty, rather than of his cruelty. Ibid. 217 They were to expect no better Treaty from this Tyrants hands. |
6. attrib. and
Comb., as
treaty-ally,
treaty-breaker,
treaty-money,
treaty-right,
treaty skill,
treaty-stipulation;
treaty-breaking,
treaty-making ns. and
adjs.;
treaty-bound,
treaty-sealed adjs.;
treaty coast,
shore, a coast on or along which some foreign nation has certain rights guaranteed by treaty;
treaty Indian N. Amer. (now chiefly
Canad.), an Indian whose tribe or band has signed a treaty with the Government; a ward of the Government;
treaty-port, a port opened to foreign commerce by a treaty (
esp. applied to certain ports in China, Japan, and Korea, in relation to commerce with European nations);
Treaty stone, the stone on which the Treaty of Limerick (3 Oct. 1691) was reputedly signed (see
quot. 1866).
| 1904 Daily Chron. 1 Feb. 5/1 It would ill beseem King Edward, the *treaty-ally of the Mikado, to pay a visit to the Tsar. |
| 1908 Westm. Gaz. 29 Feb. 3/1 The French are *treaty-bound to keep the open door. |
| 1706 Prior Ode to Queen xx, Thus the Royal *Treaty-Breaker said. |
| 1723 Blackmore Alfred x. 359 At his Tribunal let them be arraign'd Who *Treaty-breaking Principles maintain'd. 1909 Daily Chron. 7 July 3/1 Any delay in that grant would have led to an accusation of treaty-breaking. |
| 1899 Westm. Gaz. 26 June 7/1 The whole *treaty coast is in a most excited state. |
| 1876 R. I. Dodge Black Hills 139 Every year since the treaty was signed has witnessed more or less pillage, depredation, and murder, by the *treaty Indians. 1936 B. Brooker Think of Earth i. v. 59 He wore the shoddy black clothes, moccasins and red neckerchief which the Treaty Indians of the neighbourhood had affected years before. 1973 ‘M. Campbell’ Halfbreed ii. 18 Grandma Dubuque was a treaty Indian woman. |
| c 1500 Melusine xxviii. 214 For to fulfyll..that he had promysed at *traytee makynge of the peas. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xvii. 210 They did not return: I had read enough of treaty-makings not to expect them too confidently. |
| 1796 Washington Let. to U.S. Ho. Repr. 30 Mar., The *treaty-making power. |
| 1763 Scrafton Indostan iii. (1770) 102 Demanded security for the payment of the remainder of the *treaty-money. 1933 Beaver June 53 Upon the arrival of the Indian agent, the payment of the treaty money is usually first proceeded with. 1956 H. S. M. Kemp Northern Trader (1957) iii. 35 Had he been on the books as an Indian, he would have been considered a ward of the Government, drawn his Treaty Money and supplies, [etc.]. |
| 1863 Times 24 Nov. 9/6 (heading) The Yang-tze-Kiang and the new *Treaty Ports. 1881 J. Hatton New Ceylon iv. 114 With the treaty ports of China and with Hong Kong we exchange annually upwards of twenty million pounds' worth of goods. |
| 1901 Westm. Gaz. 4 Jan. 2/2 The extinction of the rights clearly possessed by France on the *Treaty Shore [of Newfoundland]. |
| 1742 Blair Grave 500 Now vain their *Treaty-Skill! Death scorns to treat. |
| 1842 J. P. Lawson Gazetteer of Ireland 602/2 It is said by tradition that this famous document was signed by both parties on a large stone near Thomond Bridge,..which is locally designated the *Treaty Stone. 1866 M. Lenihan Limerick xxxiv. 271 The treaty is said to have been signed..near the Red Gate... Tradition does not admit that it was signed on what has been called the ‘Treaty Stone’, which has occupied a place on the North side of Thomond Bridge for many years, and which was originally a stone, used by country people for getting on horses when leaving town. 1922 Joyce Ulysses 324 Remember Limerick and the broken treatystone. 1977 Irish Democrat Mar. 6/3 In the breach of death my Donal fell and he sleeps near the Treaty Stone. |
Hence (
nonce-wds.)
ˈtreaty v., intr. to make a treaty;
trans. (with
advb. extension), to bring or get (into some specified condition) by a treaty;
ˈtreatyist, one who frames or is bound by a treaty;
ˈtreatyless a., having no treaty.
| 1862 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xiv. ii. (1873) V. 152 In spite of treatyings innumerable. 1888 Glasgow Even. Citizen 3 Sept. 2/5 China must feel..irritated in having her people ‘treatied’ out of America and our Colonies. 1888 Voice (N.Y.) 26 Apr., A yearly addition of 150,000,000,000,000 of young codfish to vex future treatyists. 1892 Nation (N.Y.) 25 Aug. 137/3 There the negotiations hang, leaving these two high-protection countries in almost as helpless and ridiculous a plight as unhappy and treatyless England. |