doughty, a.
(ˈdaʊtɪ)
Forms: 1 dyhtiᵹ, dohtiᵹ, 3–5 doȝti, 3–6 doȝty, 3– doughty, (4 dohty, dohuti, doghuti, douhti, 4–5 douȝti, dowghty, 4– Sc. douchti, -ty, dowchty). Also 3–5 dughti, 4 duhti, duȝty, 6–7 Sc. duchtie; and 4–6 dowtie, -ty, 5–7 douty, 5–8 erron. doubty, 7– doughty.
[The original OE. form was dyhtiᵹ, corresp. to OHG. *tuhtîg, MHG. tühtec, Ger. tüchtig, MDu. and MLG. duchtich, from an OTeut. n. *duhti-z, MHG. tuht ability, capacity, from dugan: see dow v.1 (If this had come down, its mod.Eng. repr. would be dighty.) OE. dohtiᵹ was a later formation, of which the vowel is difficult to explain, unless perh. by assimilation to dohte, pa. tense of duᵹan. It came down in the ME. doȝti, dohty, dowghty, Sc. dochtie, douchtie, to the mod. spelling doughty, of which the expected pronunciation would be (ˈdɔːtɪ): cf. bought, wrought, daughter. Beside it, ME. had duhtiȝ, duȝti, duhti, 16th c. Sc. duchtie; and also from 14th c., dowtie, douty, erroneously spelt (by assimilation to another word of same sound) doubty; whence evidently the current spoken word (ˈdaʊtɪ). The phonology presents many points of difficulty.]
1. Able, capable, worthy, virtuous; valiant, brave, stout, formidable: now with an archaic flavour, and often humorous. a. of persons.
| 1030 Abingdon Chron., Hacun se dohtiᵹa eorl. c 1200 Ormin 113 Zacariȝe..haffde an duhhtiȝ wif..Elysabæþ ȝehatenn. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 592 Edward, that doughty knyght. a 1300 Cursor M. 3555 (Cott.) Sir Ysaac þat dughti [Gött. dohuti] man. c 1314 Guy Warw. (A.) 1480 A duhtti kniȝt and no coward. 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 166 For all his eldris war douchty. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 423 Doȝty men & wiȝt. c 1420 Avow. Arth. xiv, Did as a duȝty knyȝte. c 1440 York Myst. xxxviii. 163 Sir knyghtis, þat are in dedis dowty. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. lxxiii. 55 Kyng Arthur was..bolde and doubty of body. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) I. 42 Lord and knycht..And mony other richt duchtie and conding. 1600 Holland Livy xxiv. xlvi. 541 Certaine Tribunes and marshals, valourous and doubtie good men. 1609 ― Amm. Marcell. xiv. ix. 19 A doutie warrior. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. vi. §50 All the Scotish Nobility (Doughty Douglas alone excepted). 1795 Southey Joan of Arc v. 126 The doughty Paladins of France. 1814 D'Israeli Quarrels Auth. (1867) 263 The doughty critic was at once silenced. 1847 Lewes Hist. Philos. (1867) II. 98 Oxford called upon her doughty men to brighten up their arms. 1848 Dickens Dombey (C.D. ed.) 115 Nor did he ever again face the doughty Mrs. Pipchin. |
b. of actions, and other things.
| [Beowulf 1287 (Z.) Sweord ecᵹum dyhtiᵹ. a 1000 Cædmon's Genesis 1993 Sweord ecᵹum dihtiᵹ.] a 1225 Leg. Kath. 782 Of mine bileaue, beo ha duhti oðer dusi, naue þu nawt to donne. a 1300 Cursor M. 2112 (Cott.) Mani contre þarin es And dughti cites mare and lesse. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. viii. 141 Of thyne douhtieste dedes. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 510 Of his duchtie Deidis and Justice done. 1568 T. Howell Arb. Amitie (1879) 81 Nor men deserue the crowne, and doubtie diademe. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. v. 1 How that doughtie turnament With greatest honour he atchieven might. a 1667 Jer. Taylor Serm. for Year (1678) Suppl. 185 In this doughty cause they think it fit to fight and die. 1733 Cheyne Eng. Malady iii. iv. (1734) 302 Another doughty Objection against a Vegetable Diet, I have heard. 1829 Scott Jrnl. 28 Apr., After this doughty resolution, I went doggedly to work. |
† 2. absol. = Man or men of valour. Obs.
| c 1420 Anturs of Arth. i, Bothe the kyng and the qwene And other doȝti by-dene. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 590 Thair wald na douchtie this day for Iornay be dicht. 1800 A. Carlyle Autobiog. 140, I..was going up the field to tell this when my doughty arrived. |
3. Comb., as doughty-handed adj.
| 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. viii. 5 Doughty handed are you. |