A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1475-1614
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Edify, -fie, v. Also: edefy, eddiefie. [ME. edifie (1340), edefie, OF. edifier.]
1. tr. To build, erect, construct. 1475 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 30.
With power to edify, big, reparell, and put it … to polesy 1490 Irland Mir. I. 116/11.
Thi hevinly palice, that is ordanit to be erekkit, maid & edefied to thi honour 1500 Lennox Mun. 167.
Leife to edify and big the hous in the mure 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 230.
On the self ryver of Towyr … Eneas dyd hys cyte edify 1533 Bell. Livy I. 78/32.
Ane presoun was edifyit in myddis of the toun 1572 Satirical Poems xxxiii. 100.
Ilk ane his awin hous seikis to edify 1597 Marischal Coll. Rec. I. 78.
To edifie and big vp collegis
b. To make up, compose. c1530-40 Stewart Bannatyne MS 216 b/63.
War all the erd papir and perchmyne, … All wer to small ane buk to edify For to contene of ladeis the honouris
2. To instruct, enlighten. 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 302.
With exempyll of thare lyfe To edefye man, maid, and wyffe a1578 Pitsc. I. 385/31.
That God may be gloriefied and the pepill edefieit thairwith
b. absol. To impart edification. 1614 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 422.
His slaunderous lyfe … , quherby … he is not meitt and sufficient to edifie at the kirk of Killillen
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Edify v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/edify>
