Purveaunce

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Archaic term for foresight, or the careful planning that provides for future needs ; the act of supplying or procuring provisions, especially for a royal household
2. An old word for prudent foresight and providence ; the gathering and supplying of food and goods, historically for a court or army
3. Foresight that makes provision ahead of time ; the historical practice of obtaining and furnishing supplies, particularly for a monarch's household

Etymology: Purveyance comes from Old French "porveance," a noun built on "porveoir," meaning "to foresee" or "to provide," which joined the Latin prefix "pro-" ("before") to "videre" ("to see"). The English word is a close relative of "purvey," and the sense of foresight came first: to provide for something was to see it coming. The same Latin root gave English "provide" and "providence," and the Old French verb's sense of making provision for later use is what allowed the word to narrow into a specific task. That narrowing happened in royal households. Medieval kings and great lords travelled with their courts and needed food, fodder, and supplies wherever they went, so officials called purveyors bought or requisitioned provisions ahead of the court's arrival. Purveyance became the name for this practice, and it was often resented, because purveyors could take goods from ordinary people at prices set by the Crown rather than by the market. Because "purvey" survived in English for supplying food and goods, the older meaning of foresight is now rare and mostly appears in historical writing.