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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Behufe, Behove, v. Also: behuffe, behuif(fe, beheuffe, behofe, -we, behooue. Pres. t. (elided) behus, -ws, behuis. P.t. behufit, -ffit (behulffit), be-, byhuffyt, behuifit, -ffit, behueffit, behwffyd, behoifet; behuvit, -id, -yde, behuwyde; behovit, -eit, behouit, behowit, -eit (behowuit), -yt, -id(e, -yde, behoved, -yd; behud(e, behuid, -it, behwyt. [Northern ME. behufe, byhufe, ME. be-, bi-, byhoue, early ME. bihofen, ONhb. behófiᵹa (3 sg. pres. behófes, -as, -eð, p.t. behófade), OE. behófian.]

1. intr. To be necessary for, or incumbent on (a person). Const. with infinitive.In later use frequently with nominative it.(a) 1375 Barb. ix. 725.
Nedlyngis thame behufit be swa Ib. xix. 156.
Thé behufis … say thine avis a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 273.
Thé behofis fayndit be As wes Iob Ib. xli. 79.
Agnes, That hyme behuffit haf til his vif 14.. Acts I. 26/2.
Hy me behofis to haf a party of … thaim ?1438 Alex. ii. 2327.
At hir lyking Me beheuffis be c1450-2 Howlat 754.
Ws help thé behufis 1456 Hay I. 134/18.
Him behufit to sla him Ib. 204/35.
Him behufit to be slayne a1500 Seven S. 892.
Neid force thare behufit him stik c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 386.
Quhen … him behuffit rage 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 445.
Of resson me behufis Excus Chauser Ib. xi. vi. 11.
Behuffyt thame to seik other supplé 1537 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 84.
It behuifit to set ane pairt of thair … mvre c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1356.
Perforce behuifit him than fall doun 1557 Wemyss Corr. 12.
It behuiffit him … to vse medicinis a1568 Scott xiii. 19.
Thus me behuffis my panis to expres 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Sacreborgh.
It behuiffes the persewar to … oblish him(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1172.
Thame behuvyde fle on nede Ib. 1317.
To be thare owte ay him behuwyde c1520-c1535 Nisbet John ix. 4.
It behuvis me to wirk the werkis [etc.] a1540 Freiris Berw. 97.
Thairfore behuvis ws to byd heir still 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 515.
It behuvis hir to gif plane declaratioun of hir mynd a1578 Pitsc. I. 130/13.
Quhom it behuvit to spend thair lyffis(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 548.
Hym that nere it com behowit abyde c1420 Wynt. ii. 1345.
Hym behowyde on nede cum doun Ib. v. 2594.
Lawch downe behowys hym for to lycht 1456 Hay I. 65/27.
He put thame sa law that thame behovit obey c1475 Wall. iii. 82.
That way behowid him for to ride c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 279.
It behovit Christ … to pass vp reallie a1578 Pitsc. I. 26/19.
It behoweit hir to mak hir purgatione 1582 Conv. Burghs I. 156.
Itt behovis thame to borrow the said sovme

b. ellipt. or with subordinate clause. c1420 Wynt. iv. 841.
As nede than hym behuwyd Ib. vi. 907, etc.
As hym behowyd 1456 Hay II. 52/17.
It behufis the knycht … that he be knawin full of gude vertues

2. Without personal object. To be necessary, requisite, or proper. (Freq. with it.) 1375 Barb. vi. 114.
Than behufit, he chesit him ane Of thir twa 1425 Montgomery Mem. 9.
Thar behufys to be a purchas a1500 Doug. K. Hart 431.
At the last befell, and sua behuif c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matt. xxvi. 35.
Thoche it behufe that I dee with thee 1533 Bell. Livy II. 101/17.
Behuffis herefore the mater to be assaleȝete 1562-3 Winȝet II. 52/27.
It behuifis … hæresiis to be Ib. II. 72/12.
It behuiffis that … a1585 Maitl. Q. lxii. 106.
It behuiffit be cheif tratouris to be 1622-6 Bisset II. 242/34.
It behuifis to cast out the guidis to saif the schip

3. To be under a necessity or obligation; to be necessitated or forced.This use arose in northern ME. by the loss of the dative ending in nouns.(a) 1375 Barb. vi. 210.
Quhar Thedeus behufit avay c1400 Troy-bk. i. 498.
That behuffit to be done a1500 Henr. Fab. 800.
This foxe … behufit to be fals c1475 Wall. x. 336.
Wallace … Towart his ost behwffyd for to fle 1478 Acta Aud. 80/2.
He behufit to haue pait it again 1492 Myll Spect. 290/25.
The schiref behuffit allan to walk 1533 Bell. Livy I. 60/31.
The two Iugis … behufit to pronunce the sentence 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 115.
That daye perforce behuffit to be fair 1549 Compl. 131.
Ve behufit fyrst to reueil it 1562-3 Winȝet I. 111/11.
The preistis … quha in that tyme behuifit to haif wyfes a1578 Pitsc. I. 306/18.
He behuffeit to haue that benefice a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 212.
Sa I behuifit to byde them baith 1596 Dalr. II. 220/21.
Thinking … that sumthing thairof behoifet to be 1604 Crim. Trials II. 435.
Quhilk I behuffit to do(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 294.
The Telchyis … Behuwyd on neyde to ta the flycht a1500 Henr. Bl. Serk 60.
He behuvit to de 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 108.
I behuvit to send this boy in falt of ane vder 1576 Orkney Oppress. 42.
The gudman … behuvit to propyne the maister houshald 1637 Kirkcaldy Presb. 112.
He wold be behuvit to leave the cuntrey(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 200.
He be-howyt gret fore pure pitte c1420 Wynt. vii. 3277.
Off fors thai behowyd to tak land Ib. viii. 1988.
That behowyd off fors to be 1456 Hay I. 165/25.
The King of Fraunce behovit … to geve him bataill c1475 Wall. iv. 15.
Schir Ranald Crawfurd behowide that tyme be thar c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 114.
He behouit for till depart 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 165.
The saidis lordis behovit to doe the samin 1600 Misc. Bann. C. I. 175.
I behouit to prepair myselff c 1614 Melrose P. 599.
He behowit to have beivis for … his soldiouris 1676 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 295.
Some expedient way behoveit to be fallin wpon

4. (Examples of contracted forms.)(a) 1461 Liber Plusc. 397.
Haif him behuse [v.r. behuys] c1450 Cr. Deyng 26.
Sen vs behwys all de o neid a1500 Lanc. 2342.
To pas nedis me behus 1562-3 Winȝet I. 78/21.
Quhilk ȝe behuis to do 1583 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 171.
Ane vther [candle] behuis to be had(b) a1500 Seven S. 2564.
Thaim behude Pas our the sey c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 334.
It hepit so huge, quhill it behud out 1513 Doug. viii. ix. 54.
That he … thrys behwyt to the ded be dicht 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1/17; Ib. 3/16, etc.
Thay on force behuid to make homage 1596 Dalr. II. 444/30.
He behuit to be hail … 1600-1610 Melvill 32.
They behud to leave them