Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Lift, v. Also: lifte, lifft, lyft, lyfft, luft, luift, left, leift. P.t. and p.p. liftit, lyftyt, etc. Also (Douglas) infin. lifting, lyften, -yng, p.t. lift, lyft. [ME. (? orig. north. and north midl.) lift(e, lyft (Cursor M., Rolle), (midl. and south.) lefte(n (14–15th c.), p.t. lift (Cursor M.), lifte, lyft(e, (midl. and south.) left(e, and lifted (Cursor M.), p.p. lift(e, lyfte (14–15th c.), and liftid (Rolle), ON. lypta (Sw. lyfta, Da. løpte). Cf. also Lif v.²]Senses 4–7 are chiefly or only Sc.

1. tr. To lift or raise, in the usual physical sense. Also with adv. complements, esp. up. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 677.
Thai lyftyt vpe the mantil-lape & fand the child at the pape Ib. 801.
With angelis … Vpe in the ayre scho lyftyt was c1420 Wynt. vii. 3121.
Hyr body to rays thai had na mycht Na lyfft hyr anys owt off that plas Quhare scho that tyme lyand was Ib. viii. 6247.
Than nane but hurt mycht lyfft his hand ?1438 Alex. ii. 1889.
He liftit his hand-axe hie c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 63/18.
He that may nocht lift ane birding, and first eikis als melkle and trastis to lift bath … may be jugit to ws gret foly c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 187.
He dois as dotit dog that … liftis his leg apon loft, thoght he nought list pische 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 82.
To four werkmen … lyftand the skaffalting on fute … to the wyndois upputting a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii. 129.
Thay luift thair goune abone thair schan[k] 1567 G. Ball. 44.
That prince on croce thay lyftit on hicht 1597 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. MS. 646.
To the wark men for helpin to lift the greit ledder in ovir and out ovir the vyne iyle a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 75.
He cawsit his man to lift off the lentell 1607 Rogers Social Life III. 298.
I lift this stoup in the name of the Father [etc.] … to do guid for thair helth for quhom it is liftit

b. In passive, To be raised or borne up, to rise. 1456 Hay I. 8/30.
The frost … is liftyt abune the aire … be fors of cald

2. In certain phrases, chiefly biblical: To lift, or lift up, a. one's eyes (also, one's eye) or visage, = to look up.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i. 89.
Thane lyftyt he his ene to hewin, And one Crist callyt 1513 Doug. vi. xi. 97.
Anchises baith hys eyn twa Gan lyftyng [Sm. lifting, R. lyften] vp and toward hewyn behald 1560 Rolland Seven S. 434.
The childe … lyftit vp his ene into the sky Ib. 6949.
He liftit vp his ee, In her windo this lady can he se(2) c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1271.
To heuin he liftit vp his visage, Cryand to God [etc.]

b. one's hand, fist, or arms (to strike another).(1) a1500 Seven S. 1635.
He liftit his hand & stud na aw And to the ymag he gaf a blaw 1568 Edinb. Skinners in Bk. Old Edinb. Club VI. 59.
Geif ony sarvand sell happen to left wp hes hand to stryk hes master(2) 14.. Acts I. 8/2.
Gif wythin gyrth … ony man … lyftis his neff to stryk an othir(3) 1590-1 Bruce Serm. 309.
They that lifted and heased their arms the night before and provoked God as it were to the singular combat … have their hands to seek

c. one's hands (to heaven, in supplication). c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 24/21.
Liftand thi handis & thi eyne to hevyne 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 16.
Anchises … blyth and glaid Lyft [v.rr. Lift] eyn and handis to hevyn a1538 Abell 44 b.
Moyses liftit wp his handis to the hewin

d. fig. To lift up one's heid, the head: To raise one's head (in defiance, against another); to regain confidence or boldness, be emboldened. 1567 G. Ball. 104.
And thay quhilk at thé haif mortall feid Contrair thy mycht hes liftit up thair heid 1661 Wodrow Hist. (1828) I. 254.
Now profanity and dissoluteness lift up the head … and keep the crown of the causey

3. In immaterial or fig. sense: To raise, elevate, exalt or elate. Also, to lift up. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 45/30.
Ane merwalus sueitnes … that liftis thé aboue all waurldly thingis Ib. 80/33. Ib. 61/13.
The hevinly licht of the godheid lyftyt the wnderstanding … of man to knaw … God Ib. MS. fol. 289.
Carectare … that liftis thame … aboue the laif of the pepil Id. Asl. MS. I. 39/28.
Fasting … liftis the mynd … fra fals and werldly thingis 1560 Conf. Faith in 14.. Acts II. 529/2.
While the flesche … is liftit vp in prosperitie and at euerie moment is … reddy to offend the maiestie of God 1581 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 127/6.
Liftand vp thair myndis to God

4. To take up: to collect or to uplift (rents or dues, fines, tithes, moneys on deposit, etc.). Also to lift up.In the earlier occurrences, usually coupled with rais.(1) 1448 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 114.
That ȝe nothir in tym cumin … lift na rais amersiament na unlaw for the causis forsaid 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 462.
Ane annuall rent of four merkis … to be lyftit and rasyt yerely of his landis of the Hiltoun 1492 Breadalbane Doc. No. 26.
Our full powar … trespassouris to pwnys amerchiamentis to lift and rais 1535 Crawford Mun. Invent. 16 Oct. I. 68.
The berar deit last westit … of xl merkis vsuall mone of Scotland yerly to be liftit and rasit of the gret customes of … Montrose 1537 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 413.
The malys … salbe rasauyt luftyt and ouptane frelie be the commound procuratour c 1549 Ib. II. 308.
Vnlawis eschetis and amerciamentis of courtis to lyft, rays, uptak and inbryng to the propir vse … of the said erle 1593 Reg. Privy C. V. 63.
The fyve hundreth merkis quhilk hes beine already liftit of taxt to the support of the heavin wark 1598–9 Montgomery Mem. 241.
That all thir foirsaidis penalteis be liftit [ed. listit] and tane vp fra the offendaris 1612 Inverness Rec. II. 90.
They sall tak order that all lipper fokis sall be sequestrat ... and sall sett down order for thair intertainment, to be leifted out of the cowntie 1626 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 254.
Unlawes, amerchiaments and escheittis of the said courtis to ask lift and reise 1639 Culross II. 158.
That no girdelmaker sal makr [etc.] … under the paine of sax pund and that to be precislie liftet without farder delay c1650 Spalding II. 375.
This band being maid, and the moneyis liftit, the samen deliuerit to Mr. Robert Farquhar 1661 Decis. Lords G. .
It should be lawful to a compriser … to lift, or not lift, what duties he pleased c 1685 Melville Chart. 184.
To give bond for a certain sume of mony for what Argyle had lifted [infra what mony the Earle Argyle had borrowed] 1691 Cramond Kirk S. III. 3 Dec.
Whither they would keep in Cassills hand that money belonging to the poore of this paroch, or lift the same(2) 1513 Stirlings of Keir 299.
My veray procuratowr … to ask and requir and lyft vp the sammyn dettis, the denyaris to summond and follow 1673 Cramond Kirk S. II. 15 June.
He shall lift up the small teynds of Nether Cramond gifted by John Lord Balmerinoch to the schoolmaster

b. In commissions of procuratory or the like, in the formula instrumentis (Instrument n. 5 c) to (tak), (ask), lift (= obtain, take) and rais. 1492 Highland P. II. 193.
The said James … in the said mater protestacionis till mak, instrumentis and documentis till ask lyft and rase 1547 Liber Coll. Glasg. 138.
And heirapone instrumentis and documents to tak, lift and rais 1688 Irvine Deeds 8 June.
Acts instruments and documents ane or mae theirupon to take ask lift and raise as neid beis

5. To raise or levy (troops). Also to lift up, and absol.For likely additional examples, see List v.³(1) 1570 Warrender P. MS. AI. 131 b (= S.H.S., I. 84).
That the King bestow sylwer to lift [sic in MS., ed. list] ane thousand licht horsmen in waiges 1574–5 Cal. Sc. P. V. 109.
[The Scottish company of men-at-arms shall be] lyftit [again] 1587 Waus Corr. 412.
The Justice Clerk … hes liftit ane cumpanie of suldartis … to pas our to Orknay 1592–3 Reg. Privy C. V. 56.
The payment quhairof being daylie luiked for and certane of the horsemen and futmen in that houp lyftit [sic in MS., ed. lystit] 1615 Denmylne MSS. (Nat.
To lift out of his boundes tuo hundreth men Ib.
Lib.) XIV. xxx (= Highland P. III. 250). For lifting … men Ib.
Sua that no man can be lifted there 1646 Baillie II. 347. c1650 Spalding II. 281.
To the effect the 4th man micht be lifted Ib. 290.
To effect men micht be moir eselie raisit and lifted(2) 1643 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII. 34.
They have thoght good that the twelf hunder men appoynted for them be lifted up with diligence(3) absol. 1559 Arran & Lord James in Cal. Sc. P. I. 274.
[The barons are ready to give their substance and lives to expel] thir straingers [and are ready] to lift [on 48 hours' warning. We have ordered the captains] to lyst (sic in pr.) [1000 foot and 200 hors]

6. To take up and remove, to move or take away. 1545 Dumfries & Galloway Soc. 3 Ser. XXXVI. 116.
In defalt of oxin to lift the artalȝe 1596 Dalr. I. 206/15.
Dionethie haueng receiued a gret and wonnderful wound, he is lyfted be his awne and is karied into Cumbirland 1633 Elgin Rec. II. 225.
If it be fund that they have lifted any laire stanes in the kirk or churchyaird 1657 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 167.
The counsell … ordains Thomas Merser, present master of impost and shor, to caus lift the said crook

b. Of the corpse at a funeral: In passive, To be picked up by the bearers before being carried to the grave. c1650 Spalding I. 90.
Thairefter hir corpis wes transportit … to the cheppell on the Castle hill, and vpone the 28th of Junii … scho wes lifted 1655 Lanark B. Rec. 156.
The baillies … allowes to be exactit be the bedell for … gaing out with the bell quhen the corpes is liftit 1676 Dunkeld Presb. II. 18.
The Earle of Northesk's corps wer landed and liffting and the cannons shutting

c. To carry or convey. (a1568 Henr.) Bann. MS. 312 a/161.
God then Sen I and thow wer liftit in my den

d. To carry away (produce, from the field). 1572 Bann. Memor. 245.
We thairfor … agrie that thei whilkis hes the said landis sall not preis to lift up the saidis fruitis and especiallie the cornes, but sall leive the same stakkit in heip vpon the feildis … vntuiched

e. To remove a lamb from its mother. 1650 Boyd Fam. P. No. 196.
Lyk as they obleissis them … not to lifte the lambis quhill the fourteine of May 1655 Ib. No. 216.
That the said lambes sall not be liftit from ther mothir befor the fourtein day of May yeirlie

f. To seize or confiscate (distrained goods). 1620 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 181.
As for the staying of the officier to poind or lift any goods

g. To drive away (cattle) as forage or plunder. c1650 Spalding I. 46.
Thair cam ane company of Hielanderis and liftit out of Frendrachtis ground ane number of goodis

7. To move or strike one's camp (also, one's army), to move one's house, and absol., to decamp, to remove.(1) a1578 Pitsc. II. 165/16.
They liftit thair campis and come to Camrone c1650 Spalding I. 202.
On Wednisday trumpettis soundis … , liftis thair army and beginis to marche south agane Ib. II. 404.
Quhairvpone he liftis his camp(2) c1650 Spalding I. 91.
In the meintyme … the marquess in heiche melanchollie liftit his hous, and flittit haistillie to Strathbogie Ib. 225.
The Bischop of Ross wyf liftis hir houss, haill famelie, goodis and geir, fra Chanonrie of Ross, and be sea saillis to hir husband(3) 1640 Baillie I. 263.
Our Generall mynds to lift speedilie from Newcastle, and draw nearer to Yorlke