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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lafe, Laif, n.¹ Also: laf, -f(e; laife, -ff(e, layff; leif(f; leaf(e, -ff. Plur. lafis, laffis; laif(f)is, leiffis; lavis, -es, lawis; laives; lewis, -es; leavis, -es, leawes. [North. ME. laf (1363–4), layf (1440–1), midl. lof, loof, plur. ME. lafess (Orm), lofes, loves etc., OE. hláf (ON. hleifr).]

1. A loaf of bread. Also attrib. with baxtar.Also Kirk-lafe n.sing. (a) a1400 Leg. S. xxii. 590.
He saw … In his awne hoyne, that wes nocht het, A laf quhyt as snaw 14.. Acts I. 312/2.
The halfpeny lafe … sal wey sex markys, … the symnel laf … sal wey les na the wastel … , the lafe of the retrayt sal wey twa wastalys … , the laf of al maner of corne sal always wey twa quachetys Ib. 364/2.
Giff ony be tane with the laff of a halpenny in burgh he aw throu the tovn to be dungyn c1420 Wynt. vi. 1986.
The spensere A laffe hym gawe till hys supere 1463 Peebles B. Rec. 150.
Of ilk miche wantand of the wecht of the lafe vj laffis to be tane and delt to pur fouk c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark viii. 14.
Thai had nocht with thame bot a lafe in the boot(b) 1470 Prestwick B. Rec. 17.
[Inhabitants to sow peas] vndir the pane of a galoun of aile and a laife to the communite 1518 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 178.
That the iiij d. laif of quheitt breid sawld be the said vnfremen sall wey iiij vnces mair than the iiij d. laif baikin within this burgh 1529 Ib. II. 17.
At thai keip the wecht and pais of the ij d. laif and iiij penny laif of quheit breid of the wecht of Leith Ib.
At the penny laif [of oat bread] … wey the penny laif wecht and thrid part wecht of quheit breid 1529–30 Selkirk B. Ct. 143 b.
Quha that breikis the pais … ve ordand … ane penny laif to the dussone 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 208.
For the quhilk and his seruice, he sall haue dailie … ane ait laif 1548 Banff Ann. I. 23.
That the tua d. layff be of xviii unce wy[ch]t 1560 St. A. Kirk S. 43.
That he suld hallow ane laif and ane pynte of aill 1558-66 Knox II. 51.
Ane poore craftis man … haid brocht for his victuallis ane gray laif 1571–2 Lanark B. Rec. 66.
[She] taikeing ane laif out of my creill and kaist douin the saming in the fouill myr 1625 Peebles Gleanings 75.
The quheit laiff to be sufficient stuff of sextene unce wecht(c) 1575 St. A. Baxter Bks. 23.
To mak ane leif to serue the bailȝeis and ane vther of grit dimensioun to the pure 1597 Elgin Rec. II. 52.
The minister sall gif her ij plak leif and watter 1618 Inverness Rec. II. 154.
Leiffattrib. 1540 Elgin Rec. I. 48.
The candillmakars, the leif baxtaris, and the lynaris of land(d) 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 175.
Having gottin a leaff in the place of Fedderet, thow tackis that leaff, and efter thy devilische inchantmentis … laid theron, thow send the same [etc.] a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 437.
Of weasters … He hes not a pennie to buy his dog a leaf 1600 Crim. Trials II. 198.
It wes ane evill halff leaff and ane drynk ȝe gaiff ws this day 1624 St. A. Baxter Bks. 86.
For na vther fault … bot for baiking of ane our mekill leaf 1664 Ib. 130.
It is statuit … that quhat sumeuir brother … sall … giue ane leaff to the dusson or ony wther commoditie in recompens thairof sall pay fyue pundplur. (a) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 891.
Twa lafis & ane half but mare c1520-c1535 Nisbet I. 12.
Jesus feade fyfe thousand men with fyue beare laiffis 1527–28 Selkirk B. Ct. 134 a.
All burges vyfis that ar baxtaris to geif na mair to the dussen bot ii d. laiffis, vnder tha pane of viiis. 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 280.
That na … caik baxteris haif ony quheit breid or yit ait laifis except hors breid to sell in thair houssis 1626 Edinb. Test. LIII. 205.
Of baiken breid ane batche extending to sexteine scoir leiffis(b) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 839.
I … bocht thre lawis to my fud c1520-c1535 Nisbet I. 7.
Christ fedis five thowsand menn with v lavis and tua fische 1538–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 249.
x bollis benis & vi bollis peis … for baiking of the samyn in lawis xiiij s. x d. 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 12.
The said brether of the baxteris are dischargeit to sell ony aitt laives(c) a1570-86 Dunb. Maitl. F. xxxii. 40.
The bakstar sayis [etc.]; The dewill said … With thy licht lewis cum wnto me 1583 St. A. Baxter Bks. 35.
That na freman … baik nane of thair braid callit braid nekit or snekit lewes 1598 Ib. 63.
That quhatsumewir servandis … sall tak vpon hand to baike baikes, or faiges, or bread leawes, to gang to the sea sall pay [etc.] 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 293.
Christ be his blessing multipliet the fyue leaues 1622 St. A. Baxter Bks. 85.
That at na tyme heirefter any brother of craft baik ony tua pennie leavis within this ceitie 1638 Stirling B. Rec. 179.
That the baxteris … furnes the toun with aitt breid maid in leaves or bapes of the wecht … sett doun … in this counsall buik

2. A loaf of sugar. Also attrib. in laif-succar (cf. ME. (c 1440) lofe sugre).(1) sing. and coll. 1553 Old Ross-shire I. 264.
Twey laiffe cannered suicre thrie punds suicur cande 1561 Admir. Ct. Bk. 212.
[That] he had just caus to persew for his suker libellat ilk laif thairof weyand xij lib. 1611 Inverness Rec. II. 86.
Ane leiff succour candie(2) plur. (a) 1560 Admir. Ct. Bk. 183.
Thre sucker kistis and xviij sucker lavis quhilk makis foure kistis and foure lavis 1572 Edinb. Test. 244 b.
Tua litill sucker lavis(b) 1567 Edinb. Test. 20 b.
Four leiffis of sucker ilk leif contenand pund wecht Ib. 81.
Laiffis 1586 Ib. XVI. 354 b.
Four laifis of quhit suker weyand aucht pund sevin vnce 1615 Ib. XLVIII. 181 b.
Ten laiffis suckar weyand threttie pund weycht(3) attrib. 1615 Edinb. Test. XLVIII. 265.
Threttie pund weycht laif succar at sexteine schillingis the pund