sb. Irish Hist. Forms: 5 (?) coynee, 5–6 coygnye, 6 coignye, coynye, coine, 7–9 coigny, coyne, 7 coynie, coigne, (8– erron. coyn, coin). [a. Irish coinnemh billeting, entertainment, one billeted, a guest: OIr. type *condem, whence condmim vb. I billet, condmed vbl. sb., later coinnmheadh billeting, condmedim, coinnmhedhim vb. I billet. (Whitley Stokes.)] The billeting of military followers upon private persons; food and entertainment exacted, by the Irish chiefs, for their soldiers and attendants; an impost levied for the same purpose. Coynye and livery: see quots.
1449. Act 28 Hen. VI. (Bolton, Stat. Irel. (1621), 14). No other man shall any more use any such coynees … nor shall take no pledges from them.
1495. Stat. Irel. (1765), I. 54. [spelling corrupt] This evil custom of coyn and livery.
c. 1575. J. Hooker, Life Carew, 87. The wicked and detestable usages of the Irishry in coyne and livery.
1596. Spenser, State Irel. (Globe), 623. There is also such another Statute or two, which make Coygnye [ed. 1633 coigny] and Liverye to be treason…. It is apparent, that, by the woord Liverye is there meant horse-meate, like as by the woord Coygnye is understood mans-meate; I think this woord Coignye is derived of the Irish.
1600. Dymmok, Treat. Irel. (1843), 8–9. Coynye is … a placinge of men … by a prerogatyve of the Brehon law, whereby they are permitted to take meate, drinke, aqua vitæ and money of their hostes.
1606. Bryskett, Civ. Life, 157. I neede not feare that any such vnlawful exaction as coynie should be required at my hand.
1612. Sir J. Davies, Why Ireland (1747), 31. Maurice Fitz-Thomas of Desmond … bigan that wicked extortion of Coigne and livery and pay; that is He and his army tooke horse-meate and man’s-meate and money at their pleasure.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, III. 218. The damnable custome … of Coigne and Livory.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), III. xviii. 361. The requisitions of coyne and livery … were again forbidden.
1872. E. W. Robertson, Hist. Ess., 109, note. A document in the book of Kells records how the quarterly coigny … was commuted.
1875. Maine, Hist. Inst., v. 128. Coin and livery.
Hence † Coynye, coignye v., trans. to billet upon; also to exact coynye from; refl. and intr. to quarter oneself upon.
1449. Act 28 Hen. VI. (Bolton, Stat. Irel. (1621), 13). They doe coynee them upon poore Husbands and tenants.
1456. Act 35 Hen. VI. (ibid. 24). The sonnes of many men … doe robbe, spoyle, and coygnye the kings poore liege people.
1606. Bryskett, Civ. Life, 157. Their purpose was to coynie vpon me, and to eate me out of house and home.
