sb. 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. sb. 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. trans. 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, trans. 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, negotiation. 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. Daus, trans. 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. Lucy B. Walford, Dick 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.
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, Lett. to J. Warton, 8 March, 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. Shaks., 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 & Honour, II. i. The gentle Treaties, Sir, of love are fit For hours more happy.
† 5. Treatment, usage; behavior. 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. trans. 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, -breaker, -money, -right, skill, -stipulation; treaty-breaking, -making sbs. and adjs.; treaty-bound, -sealed adjs.; treaty coast, shore, a coast on or along which some foreign nation has certain rights guaranteed by treaty; 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).
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. Tucson Citizen, 3 Jan., 7/2. Japan had inquired of Great Britain, her treaty-bound ally, as to the meaning of the transfer of the American battleship fleet from Atlantic to Pacific waters.
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.
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, Lett. to U.S. Ho. Repr., 30 March. The *treaty-making power.
1763. Scrafton, Indostan, iii. (1770), 102. Demanded security for the payment of the remainder of the *treaty-money.
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.
Hence (nonce-wds.) Treaty v., intr. to make a treaty; trans. (with advb. extension), to bring or get (into some specified condition) by a treaty; Treatyist, one who frames or is bound by a treaty; Treatyless a., having no treaty.
1862. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XIV. ii. (1873), V. 152. In spite of treatyings innumerable.
1882. Freeman’s Jrnl., 15 Nov., 4/7. No parallel really existed between the cases of the occupation of rich and treaty-bound France and beggared and treatyless Egypt.
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 April. 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 [France and Spain] in almost as helpless and ridiculous a plight as unhappy and treatyless England.
