Forms: 4–6 specyalte (5 -allte), 5–6 specyaltee, 6 -alt(e)y; 4–5 specialte, 5–6 -tee, 4–7 -tie, 6–7 -tye, 6– specialty (6 -allty); 5 spetialte, 7 specielty. [ad. OF. (e)specialté, f. (e)special SPECIAL a.: see -TY, and cf. SPECIALITY and ESPECIALTY.]
I. † 1. Special affection, attachment or favor.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 5281 + 15. For grete luf & specialte he toke with him sir Androche.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VII. 246. Quhat is he That garris ȝow haue sic specialte Till men that traualis?
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., 527/75. Drauȝ vppon þe no specialte Of Mon þat is of gret dignite.
1435. Misyn, Fire of Love, 28. Þerfore bettyr I trow þere specialte to wante þen in þer handys to fall.
c. 1450–60. in Babees Bk., 330. Thorow affeccion to personys or by specialte.
† b. For or in specialty, as a special mark of favor or esteem. Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), ii. 13. That was ȝoven to me for gret Specyaltee.
c. 1460. Emaré, 176. For gret loue he ȝaf hyt me, I brynge hyt þe in specyalte.
† 2. Particularity or detail in description or discussion. Chiefly in phr. in specialty. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 513. But, to discende doun in specialte, fful mane articlis of reulis of siche sectes ben openly contrarie to þe apostlis reule.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xx. 130. The othere bokis … schewen the same in specialte.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 9. After that we shall entreate in a more specyalty … ye holy lyfe of religyon.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., IV. 47. Before that we beginne to discourse of euery one of these in specialtie.
1577. Knewstub, Confut. (1579), 5. He hath dealt wisely, to leaue the other chapters without anie specialtie.
3. In (also † by, † of, † with) specialty, in a special or particular manner or degree.
1451. Capgrave, Life St. Aug., 32. O þing I pray ȝou of specialte.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 253. Hee sheweth also, by specialtie, wherein it is good to bee exercised.
1659. W. Brough, Sacr. Princ., 284. The body for which (the specialty) He gave His blood.
1711. Fingall MSS., in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 122. The episcopal Protestants in specialty triumph the most.
1865. Bushnell, Vicar. Sacr., ii. (1866), 65. Taking them as clients in specialty.
4. Special or particular character or quality; a special feature or characteristic.
(a) 1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 25. Whear the specialty of the sport waz, to see, how sum for hiz slakness had a good bob with the bag.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., I. iii. 78. The specialty of Rule hath beene neglected.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 32. All shall bee then taught by God, which once was the specialty of Prophets.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. IV. iv. A man living in falsehood, and on falsehood; yet not what you can call a false man: there is the specialty!
1861. Dickens, Gt. Expect., III. 181. The specialty of the occasion caused our talk to be less dry and hard.
(b) 1609. W. Sclater, Threefold Preserv. (1610), E iv b. A specialty in it belongs to them, that labour in the word and doctrine. Ibid. (1628), Three Serm. (1629), 36. Yet who … is not readie to conceit some singular specialtie in their degree and measure of sinning.
1838. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., 849. There were specialties, however, in the case.
1846. Grote, Greece, II. II. v. 453. The Laconian dialect contained more specialties of its own than any other variety of the Dorian.
1887. Ruskin, Præterita, II. 265. The house itself had no specialty, either of comfort or inconvenience, to endear it.
(c) 1598. Marston, Sco. Villanie, I. iv. 186. If he were once but freed from specialty.
1848. Bailey, Festus, Proem (ed. 3), p. ix.–x. Of Him who … one human heart With equal power and specialty inspires.
b. The quality of being limited or determined by special cases or circumstances.
1619. W. Sclater, Exp. 1 Thess. (1630), 64. Such the Specialtie of Gods fauour in the distribution.
1623. Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., XX. 6. Looke how much more specialtie there is in the charge of God, so much more danger is in violation.
1683. J. Corbet, Free Actions, III. xxxvii. 55. There is always a specialty of Grace towards the Elect.
1859. S. Wilberforce, Sp. Missions (1874), 186. One … who is beckoning me by the specialty of my position to take up … the work which he so nobly began.
1874. Finlayson, Divine Gentleness, iv. 80. Any special duty … tends, by its very specialty, to brace us for the doing of it.
c. Special knowledge; tendency to specialism.
1868. M. Pattison, Academ. Org., v. 158. An electoral body which shall be competent to look out for and select true eminence in specialty.
1868. Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869), 141. The favorite charge against the academies is their ‘one-sidedness’ or specialty.
II. † 5. A thing specially belonging or attached to one person; a special possession, distinction, favor or charge. Obs.
1388. Wyclif, Ex. xix. 5. If ȝe schulen here my vois,… ȝe schulen be to me in to a specialte [L. peculium] of alle puplis.
1451. Capgrave, Life St. Aug., 46. I wil þat no man ȝyue to me so precious cloþis whech þat I, as of a specialte a-boue oþir, schuld wer.
c. 1491. Chast. Goddes Chyld., x. (Caxton), 26. Some desire … myracles or vysions or reuelacions or some other specyalte.
1628. Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., XIX. 1300. Not without some specialty from God doth Elijah follow the campe.
† b. Of or with a specialty, especially, particularly. Obs.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, I. xviii. 118. The Wind may Change we know, every Hour, but with a Specialty upon the Hour of the Suns leaving us.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xlvii. Lady Robertland, whilk got six sure outgates of grace … in times past; and of a specialty, Mr. John Scrimgeour, minister of Kinghorn.
6. A special or particular matter, point or thing.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xxxv. 83. Iustyces of the countrees somme for pees some for other specialte owen to see the gouernaunce of the Countre.
1450. Rolls of Parlt., V. 194. The Joyntour of the office of forein Apposer is comprisid under this generaltee, with the specialtee above rehersed.
1502. in Lett. Rich. III. & Hen. VII. (Rolls), II. 108. No specialties of our communicacions, but only the generalties.
1550. Bale, Apol., 32. God commaunded certen specyaltees to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
1588. J. Harvey, Disc. Probl., 64. What should I argue the case any farther,… or heape vp more particularities, and specialties, which are so infinitely innumerable?
a. 1619. M. Fotherby, Atheom., II. xiii. § 3 (1622), 352. By all which specialties, this Conclusion is proued.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 418. The Sect of the Pharisees tendered and recommended … to the people many specialties … to bee observed.
1782. Monro, Compar. Anat. (ed. 3), 42. We go on to consider the specialties in the viscera of each kind.
1820–30. Coleridge, Lit. Rem. (1838), III. 21. Judgment, solid sense, invention in specialties,… in these we can shew giants.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. viii. Amid these specialties, let us not forget the great generality.
b. A special or separate proviso or article in an agreement, etc.
14[?]. Master of Game (MS. Douce 335), 72 b. If thei haue ony specialte of a certeynn nombre of swynn to go in the forest, ye shul do vs to wete whether thei be rynged or no.
1636. Earl Cork, Diary, in Lismore Papers, Ser. I. (1886), IV. 199. There is an Indented receipt … wherin all the particuler specielties ar expressed.
7. Law. A special contract, obligation, or bond, expressed in an instrument under seal.
c. 1482. in Cal. Proc. Chanc. Q. Eliz. (1830), II. Pref. p. lxiii. Yor besecher can have noo remedy by cours of the comen lawe, for asmoche as he hath noo specialte in writyng.
1483. Cely Papers (Camden), 134. To receyve yn thys martt all syche specyalltes of yowrs payabull yn thys martt.
1528. in Lett. Suppress. Monast. (Camden), 3. Certen munimentes, evidencez, and specialties, tochinge and apperteynynge unto our monastery.
1594. West, 2nd Pt. Symbol., Chancerie, § 120. He neither tooke any specialtie or securitie of him,… nor provided any witnesses to be present.
1621. Galway Arch., 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 470. Those persons whoe have neglected to produce theire said evidences, grauntes, and specialties, to bee looked into by the Maior.
1644. Howell, Twelve Treat. (1661), 238. There’s no legall Instrument, no Bond, Bill, or Specialty can be writ but upon his seal’d paper.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 154. Where the debt arises upon a specialty, that is, upon a deed or instrument under seal.
1781. M. Madan, Thelyphthora, III. 309. Marriage-settlements, mortgage-deeds, and specialties of various kinds.
1856. H. Broom, Comm. Common Law, II. i. 274. A specialty … is distinguished from a simple contract in writing by certain solemnities attendant on its execution—viz. by sealing and delivery.
1883. H. G. Wood, Limitation of Actions, 64. All instruments under seal of record, and liabilities imposed by statute, are specialties within the meaning of the Stat. 21 James I.
fig. 1606. Daniel, Queen’s Arcadia, II. iii. I … had secur’d her of my constant truth, Vnder so many faithfull specialties.
1640. Fuller, Abel Rediv., Junius (1867), II. 187. She was bound by the specialty both of nature and grace to provide for her children. Ibid. (1650), Pisgah, III. xi. 436. But can an Acquittance of humane [1662 human] tradition, be valid, against a debt of Specialty by Gods command?
attrib. 1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), II. 176. Legatees are entitled to stand in the place of specialty creditors.
1875. K. E. Digby, Real Prop., v. (1876), 249. Debts … secured by deed (called specialty debts).
8. A special line of work or business; a special manufacture or product (characteristic of a certain firm, place, etc.); an article specially dealt in or stocked. (Cf. SPECIALITY 5 c.)
1860. Sat. Rev., X. 737/2. Mr. Lovell Reeve … has a specialty—to use a neologism of the day. It is to illustrate books with stereographs.
1873. Leland, Egypt. Sketch-Bk., 246. His specialty was inlaid work of mother-of-pearl and ebony in little diamonds, squares, and triangles.
1883. Eng. Illustr. Mag., Nov., 89/1. The brass work of Birmingham has long been one of its specialties.
1891. Daily News, 16 Feb., 2/7. The better classes of fancy tweeds, choice serges, and specialties.
b. A special subject of study or research.
1861. G. D. Gibb, trans. Czermak’s Uses Laryngoscope, ii. 10. Physicians … who do not intend to make a speciality of laryngoscopy.
1861. Sat. Rev., 7 Dec., 591. Mr. Aris Willmott’s specialty (to use a very current piece of slang) is with the sacred poets.
1873. Morley, Rousseau, I. 150. There is a constant tendency on the part of energetic intellectual workers … to concentrate their energies on a minute specialty.
1883. M. Pattison, Mem. (1885), 70. He had selected as his specialty currency and finance.
