1682 A. Behn City-heiress i. i. 5 Sir Anth. Hum!.. a man can begin no discourse to you, be it of Prester Iohn, but you still conclude with my Nephew. Sir Tim. Good Lord! Sir Anthony, you need not be so purty.

1829 G. Griffin Collegians II. xxiii. 177 Dhrinking away! Wisha, long life to you says I, if that's the way; a purty fruit the tree bears in you, says I.

1851 G. Thompson Diary 28 Jan. in N. E. Eliason Tarheel Talk (1956) 138 I would not send her an ugly [valentine] for a pirty.

1860 C. M. Yonge Hopes & Fears viii. 312 To be shure, an' it's not such a purty young lady as yourself that need be taking the trouble.

1883 J. C. Harris Nights with Uncle Remus xxx. 175 He got sump'n in dar w'at he wont take a purty fer.

a1911 D. G. Phillips Susan Lenox (1917) I. ix. 155 ‘Never mind, hon,’ said he... ‘My, but you're purty!’

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. viii. [Lestrygonians] 160 Three Purty Maids from School.

1996 Rip Mar. 43/1 Never thought we'd see such a purty sight.

1797 G. Crockett Let. 2 June in K. Miller et al. Irish Immigrants in Land of Canaan (2003) 112 Land here..is not reckoned so good as upon the westeren waters away by Cumberland and Caintuckey but there it is got to be purty high.

1844 ‘J. Slick’ High Life N.Y. I. i. 1 Purty much alone.

1898 J. D. Brayshaw Slum Silhouettes 50 I can hear you purty well.

1926 J. Black You can't Win (1927) vi. 67 I'd take fifty cents of it purty pronto.

1938 R. E. Bass in B. A. Botkin Treasury Southern Folklore (1949) iii. i. 461 Them things was purt' nigh as handy as the eggs from them hens.

1977 Time Out 28 Jan.–3 Feb. 17/3 Lawdy lawdy Miss Linda Lewis sings real purty.

1991 ‘William Least Heat-Moon’ PrairyErth 73 He was purta near all crippled up and couldn't ride.