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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.

Ley, Le, Lie, Lay, adj. Also: leie, lee, lye, (lea). [ME. leye (c 1330), leie, lay(e, e.m.E. lay, lea, ? OE. *lǽᵹe as in lǽȝ-hrycg Ley-rig, lit. ‘that which lies or is laid’ (sc. untilled or under grass), f. the root of the verbs lie and lay: cf. also ON. -lǽgr lying, as in gras-lǽgr lying in the grass.]

Of arable land: Left untilled and allowed to return to grass, lea.a. Predicative, esp. (of the lands) to ly (also remain, be laid, be etc.) ley, also (of a person) to leif (the lands) ley. b. Attributive; also in Ley-land, -rig. c. transf. Unused, idle.a. (a) 1508 Orkney Rentals i. 84.
And in malt scat an^t ane m. xviij merk jam iiij s. j½ quia the thrid ley. Et in forcop an^t vj d. iij farding jam iiij d. j½ d. ceter ley 1535 Stewart 13045.
Ane rycht small pece [of land] that lang tyme had lyne ley 1546 Elgin Rec. I. 86.
In cais that ony nychtbour leif his greschep land waist and ley 1577 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 58.
Providand that outhir the milnflat or commone aitland beneith the town ly ley quhen the vther part salbe vnder cropt 1578 Aberd. Chart. 344.
[They] ordanis the cuttingis be eist of the towne of Futtie to remane ley and linkis 1627 Ch. in Orkney 94.
This foirsaid rentall … is so highe … that thair is no man abile to pay it … , quhilk oftymes causis the land to ly ley 1641 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 284.
Saxscore aikeris outfeild considering the third part to ly ley 1655 Lanark B. Rec. 155.
The eist end of the muir … to ley leie for a leissour to the cattell nixt soummer 1687 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 145.
It was absolutlie necessar … that the lands should not be left ley 1692 Pitcairn Assembly (1766) 31.
If I had such tenandry in my little interest … I should let it ly ley rather(b) 1607 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 35.
The compleiners rige beand teillit yeirle andthe defenderis lyand le 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 74.
One halfe of their arable land is only till'd yearly, the other halfe … lying lee(c) 1583 Exch. R. XXI. 565.
The said quarter land lay lie in the said yeir fourscoir 1614 Orkney Rentals ii. 121.
This [piece of land] … ever lyis lye, and never pt. dewtie 1659 Lanark B. Rec. 173.
The first yeir to lyme and fauch without payment, the nixt four to be corne and to pay the yeirlie deutie, the nixt tua yeir to ly lie for the cattell a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
The owtfeild land … for the most pairt … lyis lie for two yeires and is falded the thrid yeir and then sowne for thrie yeirs together Ib.
Vhen land lyis lie yett is it profitabl for pasturag of horse sheep and nolt(d) 1628 O'Dell Hist. Geog. Shetl. (1939) 292.
Many lands are laid lay and waist 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 138.
For desertions, I think them like lying-lay of lean & weak land, for some yeers, while it gather sap for a better cropefig. 1585 James VI Ess. 39.
Albeit this subject seame a barren ground, With quickest spreits left leyb. (1) 1423 Haddington Corr. 229.
[(All his lands of Samelstoun, which are called the) ley acris 1543 Soc. Ant. III. 61.]
The landis callit the ley-acris lyand within the schirefdom of Edinburgh, … the saidis landis callit the le-acris(2) 1644 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 705.
The rinland and lie mers on the west 1668 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 226.
[They are] to have ane aicker of the ley yeard at any syd therof they please choyse 1676 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 229 (24 Oct.).
The said Charles intrometted with the halfe of the lay yeard being plewed … and intrometted with the halfe of the thrid cropt yeard being plewed 1689 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 339 (3 May).
[He is to have … half an acre of the fourth crop free from the master's part, the] hakins of the lay and avill braks [and the fourth of the cottman rent] 1708 Stitchill Baron Ct. 161.
[He] has prejudged the ground he possesst in plowing up lie ground which had only lyne for one yeare

c. 1602 Elphinstone Fam. Bk. II. 166.
I feir thay [saltpans] will ly ley except George Bryce will hant ofter to this contrey