Forms: 4–5 comunete, comounte(e, -ynte(e, 4–6 -onte, 5 -ontee, -unte, -ownte, ente, -entie, (comnaunte, couenaunte), 5–6 comontie, commontye, -entye, 6 comontye, -enty, commente, -ti, -tie, -ty, commonte, -tie, 6–7 Sc. commounty, -tie, 7 comonty, 7– commonty. [a. OF. comuneté (comm-):—L. commūnitāt-em common fellowship, society, n. of state f. commūn-is COMMON, social, etc.; in med.L. and Romanic extended to the notion of ‘common citizenship,’ and a ‘community’ or ‘body of fellow-citizens.’ The OF. form has in Eng. diverged in two directions: first, associated with the adj. COMMON in all its varieties, it assumed this trisyllabic form: secondly it remained of 4 syllables, and was assimilated to the original L. type as COMMUNITY, q.v.]
† 1. The body of the common people, commonalty, commons. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Acts xvii. 5. Takinge of the comune [v.r. comynte, 1388 comyn puple] summe yuele men.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 115. Þe comounte [plebem] of Rome.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, 91. The thynges of the comunete. Ibid. (1483), Gold. Leg., 323/3. Grete oppressions and Importable charges among the comonte.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., V. vi. (Arb.), 86. The nobilitie … With all the whole commontie.
1559. Sackville, Mirr. Mag., Compl. Dk. Buckhm., 61. Let no prince put trust in commontie.
1600. Heywood, 1st Pl. Edw. IV., Wks. 1874, I. 69. The King wants money, and would haue some of his commonty.
† 2. A community; a commonwealth. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 350. Ellis þe comynte wolde not stonde.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xvi. 87. Euery kingdom or comounte dyvidid in him silf schal be destruyed.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), V. xxii. 226/2. Euery man is a parte of the comonte.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cxl. 167. The kyng … thought and ymagined euer to kepe ye commentie of Flaunders in frendshyppe.
† 3. ‘Community, common possession’ (Jam.).
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5212. With hem holdyng comunte Of alle her goode in charite.
1606. Sc. Acts Jas. VI., c. 2. All common Kirks, perteining of auld to the saids Bishoppes, and their chapter in commountie.
4. Commonage, common of pasture, etc. (see COMMON sb. 6). Sc.
1540. Sc. Acts Jas. V. (1814), 379 (Jam.). With … commounty in the saidis muris, myris and mossis.
1818. Scott, Br. Lamm., xii. Their huts, kail-yards, and rights of commonty.
1849. Blackw. Mag., LXVI. 660. The agricultural labourer … had, moreover, rights of pasturage and commonty … which have long ago disappeared.
5. Land held in common; ‘a common.’ Sc.
1600. Sc. Acts Jas. VI., c. 5 Diverse persons, hes riven out … great portions of the samine commonties, without any right.
1754. Erskine, Princ. Sc. Law (1809), 321. Commonty … in our law language, and in charters, frequently signifies a heath or moor.
1806. Forsyth, Beauties Scotl., III. 158. Strathaven … possessed an extensive commonty, all of which has long since been converted into private property.
1874. Act 37 & 38 Vict., c. 94 § 35. A decree of division of commonty or of common property or runrig lands.
1883. Scotsman, 23 July, 5/7. The commonty of Harray has all been divided between the heritors.
† 6. The liberties of a borough; ‘jurisdiction or territory’ (Jam.). Sc. Obs.
1575. Sir J. Balfour, Practicks, 54 (Jam.). Gif he wes takin within the commountie of the burgh.
† 7. Commonty (commenti) fire: app. the name given in the 16th c. (at Cambridge) to a fire provided at the common expense of the fellows of a college in the room of one of them, and to the social meeting round this fire after dinner: the origin of the later commonfire-room, common-room, or combination-room (see the latter).
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden Soc.), 4. After dinner and supper, at commenti fiers … I continuid as long as ani, and was as fellowli as the best. Ibid., 5. At a commenti fier in M. Jacksuns chamber this last year.
¶ Humorously, as a blunder for comedy.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., Induct. ii. 140.
