Obs. Forms: 4 anciente, 5 -yaunte, aunciente, 5–6 -yente, -ientee, -ientye, -yauntye, ancianitie, 6–7 aunc-, ant-, ancientie, 6–8 ancienty. [a. Afr. ancienté for OFr. ancienneté, f. ancien ANCIENT, cogn. w. Pr. ancianetat, It. anzianità, Sp. ancianidad. (Of Romanic formation: if the word had been L., the OFr. would have been ancienté: see -ITY.)] The erroneous association of ancien(t) with ppl. forms in -ent, finally caused ancienty to be corrupted to ANCIENCY. Only in Scotch did the regular ancianitie (cf. christianity, etc.) appear in 16th c.] gen. The quality of being ancient, ancientness, antiquity.
1. Remoteness in past time; distance back from the present.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 25. The Romans whyche of grete ancyaunte were of grete apporte.
1563. Pilkington, Burning of Pauls (1841), 586. We know what ancienty and authority they be of.
1579. W. Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 281. No one writer of like auncientie sayth it is not the verie bodie.
2. The time long past; the ancient or olden time; antiquity.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of Armes, III. v. 175. That the lande were bounde so to doo of auncyente.
c. 1525. Skelton, Ph. Sparowe, 767. These poetes of auncyente.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, 236. Their Wooll … hath (from all auncientie) beene transported, without paying Custome.
3. concr. The people of old times; the ancients.
1556. Veron, Godly Saiyngs (1846), 15. We do synne no lesse … than the auncyauntye dyd synne in the Arke of the Lordes covenante.
4. The quality of having existed since a remote period, or of extending back from the present to a time long past; old standing.
1524. Suppl. for Beggers (1845), 12. For the … auncientie of your kyngdome whiche was bifore theyrs.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 281. The ancianitie of the blood of my Hous.
1592. Greene, Quip for Upst. Courtier, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), II. 228. To preach, and shew the antiquitie and antientie of his house.
1623. Sanderson, Serm., Ad. Mag. ii. 106. We may not deny them the ancienty of their descent;… semen serpentis, the spawn of the old Serpent.
5. The quality of being aged; agedness, oldness.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 252. A gret stane … That throw the gret anciente Was lowsyt, reddy for to fall.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 426/1. He, fylled with benewred auncyente of dayes … rendred hys sowle.
1569. T. Newton, Cicero De Senect., 17 a. My gray heares, and my auncientie of yeres.
6. Seniority; priority of birth or appointment.
1549. W. Thomas, Hist. Italy, 39. The Cardinalls bestowed themselfes after their auncientee in certaine stalles.
a. 1604. Hanmer, Chron. Irel., 194. For the eldest can demand … the chiefe mease by reason of her auncienty.
1775. Ash, Ancienty (a law term), Seniority, priority of birth.
