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 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Modify, Modefy, v. Also: modifye, -fie, modefye, -fie, modi-, modefé, modiefie, moddifie; and Modowy and Monefé. [ME. (Chaucer, Gower) and e.m.E. modifye, -fie, modefy, -fie, modyfy, to limit, keep within bounds, to appease, assuage, to moderate, F. modifier (14th c.), L. modificāre to limit, set limits to, to control, regulate.]

1. tr. To assess and prescribe the exact amount of (any payment, price or value), to specify as to the exact sum or amount to be paid.Also, to specify (a certain sum) as the amount to be paid.See also, for further examples, Liquidat ppl. a. b (2), Locality n. 1 b, and Local(l a. 2.(1) 1448 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 18.
A reward for his … labour to be modifiit be John of Fif, alderman, and [etc.] 1466 Acta Aud. 5/2.
Quhill he … pay thare expensis to be modifiit be the lordis 1483 Conv. Burghs I. 543.
Thir ar the names of the burghis beyond Forth … , and the taxt of the samen modifiit be the commissaris of burghs … at Edinburgh 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 6.
Modefiit 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 199.
Modifiit 1534 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 428.
That quhat landis war laid waist be weir suld be liquid and modifiit be the abbot of Halirudhous 1540 Treas. Acc. VII. 336. 1558-66 Knox II. 310.
Thair war appointed to modifie the ministeris stipendis, the Erles Ergyle [etc.] Ib. 312.
That the stipendis of ministeris … aught nott to be modifyed according to the lyvingis of commoun men 1571 Crim. Trials I. ii. 26.
That thairfoir thai may have coists, skaith and expensis modefeit c1575 Balfour Pract. 517.
Amendis for slauchter … sould be modifyit be the judge sumtimes mair sumtimes les efter the state of the crime [etc.] 1579 Acts III. 150/1.
The inlaik of courser gould nor is appointit to be counȝeit beand modifijt 1589 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 244.
That na candil makeris … sell ony candill … quhill the price be modefiat be the counsall 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 148. 1616 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 368.
Moddifie 1619 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 361.
Hir vnlaw modifiet to ten pundis … and fywe merkis to the pairtie dung a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 265. c1630 Scot Narr. 4.
Their commoditie … impaired if so much were bestowed upon the ministery … as was modified by that Book [sc. of Discipline] 1632 Lithgow Trav. 351.
I receiued in compensation … fifty Florentine crownes … , being modified by the duke him selfe 1643 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 4. 1661 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 341. 1662 Decis. Lords G. 20.
For entertainment she craved no more but what the lords should modifie. The lords modified a proportion of what she was provided to by her contract of marriage(2) 1651 Argyll Synod 234.
And modefies for the commun[ion] elements foure boills meall 1664 Justiciary Ct. Rec. I. 94.
Mr. William Innes … having applied to the magistrates … to modifie the assythment … the justices … modifies 400 merks 1677 Stitchill Baron Ct. 81.

b. To appoint or prescribe authoritatively (the amount of cargo permitted to a ship). 1547 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 129.
[Skippers] to heir and se thair frauchting modefeit as efferis for the tyme of peax Ib.
And inhibitioun put to thame to resave mair fraucht nor is modefieit

c. To assess and prescribe to be paid, to award (a payment), (to) someone. 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 262.
Sufficient levingis and stipendis salbe modifiit appointit and assignit to thame be the … bischop … of every diocie 1580–1 Ib. III. 358. 1583 Ib. 598.
[The lords therefore] modifiis to hir the sowme of twentie schillingis to be paid to hir 1588–9 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 6 Jan.
Bot as plesis hym to modifye to the said Willem be his discrescion 1612 Peebles B. Rec. I. 360.
The counsall … modifeis thame for thair fea, viz., the best men scheiraris xxx d. [etc.] a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 223. 1640 Argyll Synod I. 22.
And for equivalency of his suspension a beneficio it is modified to him to the quantitie of fourtie marks 1642 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VII. 185.

d. In various other constructions. 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 8.
The baillies … declarit, modifeit and decernit ilk buyth to paye [etc.] 1600 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 960.
Power … to modifie how mikle of his stipend salbe modified [sic] be the said Mr. Robert and how mikle be the saids parochiners a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 196.
Albeit the paines of lawburrowes wer arbitrarie … to … judges, … they wer not in use to modifie heigh enoughe

2. To determine and decree the nature and extent of (a penalty or punishment). 1457 Acts II. 51/1.
That all thar tenandis plant woddis [etc.] … vnder sik payne and vnlawe as the barone or lorde sall modify a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 299.
My counsall is that ȝe Refer ȝow to the hiest planeit … And … the lawest of degre, The pane of Cresseid for to modifie 1538 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II. 88.
Ane Agnes Wricht being convict for trublance, assythment is modifiet and decernit be the baillies and counsale that scho be putt in irnis at the croce 1539 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 160. 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 194.
To modife ane amendis for wrang done to the said prouest 1570 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 367.
Modefeyt 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Schireff. Id. Reg. Maj. ii. 2.
The schiref suld … accuse him … and may taxe and modifie quhat harmes and skaeth he please vpon him 1612 Inverness Rec. II. 99.
Ordanis him to satisfie the pairtie and the leich as salbe modifiet be the judges 1628 Justiciary Cases I. 86.
To underly the law for the saidis crymes under sic panes as his lordship pleissit modifie 1702 Boharm Kirk S. 5 July.
Grigor Grant payed £10 Scots for his trelapse in fornication modified by the session

3. a. ? To determine, decree, appoint; to arrange, regulate. 1513 Doug. iv. vi. 121.
Gif the fatis … At my plesour sufferit me lyfe to led, At my fre wil my warkis to modyfy [L. componere curas] Ib. vi. xv. 16.
The peax to modefy [L. pacisque imponere morem] and eik manteme

b. To regulate, control with moderation, apply a moderate regimen to. a1568 Bann. MS. 87 b/57.
Aganis gluttonye: Be mesouire ay thy daylie fude thow tak Be honest dyett thy croce to modefye

4. To abate, make less severe or exorbitant (a charge or penalty).As in mod.Eng., e.m.E. and ME. (Chaucer). 1671 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 158.
Recommendis to the baillies … to modiefie the fewdewties of the candlerig … in respect the samyne is over dear 1681 Stair Inst. (1693) iv. iii. § 1.
Where the judges of the court of common pleas judge all according to the rigour of law and so they cannot modify the most exorbitant penalties nor give remead but by the tenor of their known brieves