A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Leit, v.2 Also: leite, lete. [Derivation not clear: cf. north. and midl. ME. lit (Cursor M.), lytyn, lyte, and mod. north. and east midl. Eng. dial. lite, light, to expect, wait, delay, prob. ON. hlíta to trust (cf. Lippin v.); but cf. also Let v. 2 c.] intr. Only in the poetic phr. To leit (= linger, tarry) at luffis or one's lair (Lare n. 1 c) or law. — a1500 Henr. III. 115/34.
At luffis law [M. layr] I think a quhil to leit [v.r. leite; rh. suet, met, beit] Ib. 146/4.
No thing is hard ... Till him in lufe that letis a1568 Bann. MS. p. 25/37.
Leit at my lair gif thow wilt leir The gait quhair glaidnes is a1570-86 Maitl. F. lix. 29.
At luiffis lair I list nocht leit, I lyk best quhen I lig allone
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Leit v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/leit_v_2>