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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.

Lafe, Laif, n.² Also: laf, -ff(e; lauf; laeff(e; laif(f)e, layf(e, -ff(e; lef; leif(e, -ff, leyff; leaf, leawff. [Var. of Lave n. (OE. láf).] The remainder, the rest.

1. Absol. a. The remaining persons or animals, or things, of the group or class specified or implied in the context; the others, all the others.(1) 1375 Barb. viii. 507.
The constabill and all the lafe [E. laiff] That war thair-in, bath man and knaf, He tuk a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 135.
He thame gafe Playne poware oure the laffe To bynd and lois Ib. i. 182.
[Peter] luffit Criste mar increly Than the laf did 1473 Acts II. 105/2.
[That] thar be a buke maid contenand al the lawis of this realme that sall remain at a place quhar the lafe may haue copy c1500-c1512 Dunb. liii. 30.
Than cam in Maesteres Mwsgraeffe, Scho mycht heff lernit all the laeffe(b) 1424 Acts II. 8/1.
A wyse man … the quhilk sall be haldyn dekyn or maister man oure the layff 1375 Barb. xvii. 734 (E).
Fele of thaim war woundit sar, And the laiff [C. layf] sa fast trawaillyt war [etc.] c1460 Thewis Gud Women 185.
Quha defamyt war … Wald al the laif war to thaim lyk c1450-2 Howlat 446.
With lordis of Scotland, lerit and the laif 1490 Irland Mir. I. 24/15.
Thocht He gowerne all creaturis, ȝit the laif he gouernis generally as seruandis, and ws specialy as his propir childer a1500 Bk. Chess 1961.
In his left hand thre dys to playe the laif 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 94.
For throu the secrete stretis fast I ran Befor the laif Ib. viii. ix. 29.
A gentill steyd excedand all the laif c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 819.
To that falt is na grace, Bot eirdit quik, to the laif exemplair 1570 Sat. P. viii. 4.
In spyte of thé and all the laif c 1605 Black Bk. Taymouth 40.
[M'Gregour] himself wes mountit abone the laiff as said is(c) 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 130.
Becaus the leife consent thairto, my apoyntment was to give him xxij s.(d) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1488.
All the leaf(2) c1420 Bute MS. fol. 174.
The wyndas is haldyn for to restor the fryst skath [of goods] and the lafe sal be partyt betwx thaim of the schip 1457 Peebles B. Rec. 119.
A maskyn tub with the laf that langis it(b) c1420 Ratis R. 161.
Sic odore … may mak syk recomforting Tyll hed and hart and al the laif c1475 Wall. i. 239.
A roussat goun … Apon his weyd, at coueryt all the layff 1508 Treas. Acc. IV. 21.
To mak the lest link of it [a chain] equivalent to the laif 1522 Grant Burgh Schools 56.
Thir four [pronownes] hes the vocatiue cais, and al the laif wantis it 1533 Gau 20/3.
Sweirnes is aganis the thrid comand and alsua aganis al the laiff 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 398.
To warkmen for bering and valinge of thame [joists] fre the laife, vj s.

b. The rest or residue of something, the remainder (of the thing in question).(a) c1420 Wynt. vii. 2166.
[As] ȝhe sal here eftyr son, Qwhen al the laf to that is don 1461 Peebles B. Rec. I. 140.
The laf [of the work] the said Andro to mak suffyciand 1564 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 23 b.
The vallis abut beigit with stane and clay … and the laf aboue that to be bigit of stak and clay(b) c1420 Wynt. i. 1122.
Affryk, … That thryde part of the erde sulde be Qwhen al the laif is delt in thre 1510 Rentale Dunkeld. MS. 87.
Twa chales with siluer cop, the laif coppir ourgilt 1524 Carnwath Baron Ct. MS. 12 b.
Jhon Copland to preif pament quhat he hes pait & the laif to gyf to his aith 1551 Hamilton Cat. 99.
That the kepar of the said benefice sall haif bot ane sober pensioun that the giffar of that benefice may get in the laif to thame self(c) 1538 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 18.
All the south pairt to be property to Chapiltoun … and all the lef … to lye in commonty

c. Common in adverbial phrases with certain preps., as amang or amangis, with the lafe and abufe, abone, atour or outour, before, by, our the lafe.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 351.
Paulis hed that thar wes hyd A-mange the lafe a hyrd has tane c1475 Wall. ix. 1944.
Maistir Jhon Blayr … In Wallace buk brewyt it with the layff c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 45.
I see that makaris amang the laif Playis heir ther pageant 1538 Treas. Acc. VII. 24.
Gevin to othir twa servandis quhilkis war forȝett amangis the laiff quhilkis servit the Kingis grace, iiij cronis c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 44.
He suld haue place amangis the laif Ib. 221.
Amang the laif, this ȝoung squyar Was with him richt familiar 1540 Id. Sat. 4472.
I think na schame … To be ane fuill amang the laife 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1917.
Amang the laif he knew his maisteris voce a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxix. 114.
Thocht God hes nocht apointit thé To bruik honouris amange the leiff [: saiff, etc.] Ib. xxx. 170.
To brouk … honour with the laif(2) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 472.
Thane wes I fule or the lafe Ib. xxxviii. 540.
Scho faire wes abeof the lafe c1420 Ratis R. 936.
Quharfor a wyf gyf thow wyll haf, Tak lyklynes atour the laif c1475 Wall. ix. 1390.
A gudly gyft to Wallace als scho gaiff, A hundreth pownd and mar, atour the layff a1500 Bernardus 296.
Gyf … a falow thow luffys our the laffe a1500 Seven S. 710.
He sperit quhat medicyne he gaf; Beif watter, said he, our all the laif 1513 Doug. vii. iv. 123.
This was the cheif dyademe our the laif Arundel MS. 284/189.
O Johnne … amang all the laife maist belouit and … abone all the laif illuminat and maid cleir 1551 Hamilton Cat. 64.
The abhominabil abusioun of the name of God amang al the laif [of sins], ye and apparandlie abone all the laif, … bringis apon us the vengeance of God a1568 Scott ix. 12.
This woundit hairt … is … abone the laif Ȝour faythfull hairt 1570 Sat. P. xxiii. 20.
Ȝit in his lyfe he luifit thé by the laif a1585 Maitl. Q. xcv. 20.
With vertew weill defended As Justice, Temperance, and Pacience by the laif 1603 Philotus xxviii.
Of Pareis wark wrocht by the laif, Ȝour fyne half-cheinȝeis ȝe sall haue

2. a. The remainder of certain persons or animals, or things. Also with ellipsis of of.(1) 14.. Acts I. 331/2.
The names of the balȝeis ande of the laff of the officiaris 1478 Reg. Cupar A. I. 213.
Fredom of pasture to aucht kattale gangand quhar the lafe of the katal pasturis of the toun 1514 Prestwick B. Rec. 47.
The said Jhone makand haynyne … in sik lyk as the lauf of gud towne dois 1518 Aberd. Trades 306.
Thomas Levinginstoun [etc.] … flessaris … to shaw the laff of thair craft [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. II. 110/11.
Monsr Dosie witht the laf of the Frinchemen to pase to the Insche and win the samin(b) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 793.
The layf of the noble wemen war then In … teres c1475 Wall. ix. 904.
That all the layff off ws abayssyt be 1484 Acta Aud. 135/1.
To kepe him scaithles at the hands of the laif of executoris Ib. 142/2.
Payand … gersum … like as the laif of the contre pait 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 82.
The kirk-mastir and the laife of the masteris of the talȝour craft within this burgh 1532 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) 5.
The laiff of the said assis present ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 568.
Think als quhat our lady and the laif of the marteris hes tholit a1538 Abell 14 b.
Sche intimat it to the laif of hir nychtburis 1551 Grant Chart. 104.
I sal defend the laif of my kynnismen, in ony just accione … thai haue ado a1578 Pitsc. I. 166/31.
[The king was] ewer inquirand at Couchrane and the laife of his wnworthie consallellipt. a1500 Colk. Sow ii. 115.
Dame Adria … Best belouit … Our all the laif the ladeis that thair ware(c) 1506 Orkney & Sh. Rec. I. 250.
Gif ony of my soneis or dochteris of myne discessis wythout airis … thar part to be devidit amange the leife of breder and sisteris 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 82.
Alexander Fyrsale and the leyff of the neboris of Toop 1552 Reg. Privy C. I. 131.
Gif ony of thir portioneris … has ane ebill … man … , that man sall be taikin, and the leif of the portioneris sall contribuitt for the furnisching of his gere(2) 1443 Ayr Chart. 28.
The sade commissaris of the lafe of the burghis thare present 1445 Chart. (Reg. H.) No. 311.
In the lafe of the poyntis befor expremit 1459 Rep. Hist. MSS., Varr. Coll. V. 81–2.
The punctment … of the partesyng of the laff of the landis that was unpartyt 1501 Stirlings of Keir 274.
Al and hail the saidis landis of Balquhomry, togidder with the laf of the landis and annuel rent(b) c 1456 Edinb. B. Rec. MS. (Reg. H.) 2.
To preis the thrid quarter [of yarn] & the laif of the gudis contenit in hir bil 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III. 274.
The laif of ribanes were left of the tua cradilles 1522 Reg. Cupar A. I. 303.
Thaj sal sell the laif of the fych that thaj ma get to the place 1533 Bell. Livy I. 185/3.
The wame … nurissis all the laif of the membris 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 351.
Candilmes, Pasche [etc.] … with the laif of the Sundayis of symmer a1578 Pitsc. I. 251/23.
Hir artaillȝe … was werie great and costlie to the King by all the laif of hir order(c) 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 99.
The leif of the Kingis graces jornais ar in Sanctandrois 1551 Hamilton Cat. 49.
Amang all the leife of the benefitis of God, this is nocht the leist(d) c1550-c1580 Art of Music 14 b.
The leawff of the small figuris

b. The rest of something. 1391 Floors Indenture 23 June.
The laff off payment ... at the termys efter foluand 1427 Acts II. 15/1.
The quhilkis commissaris sal haf … power of al the laif of the schirefdome 1472 Peebles B. Rec. I. 169.
Fra the march dik est with al the laf of the ester hyl 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 245.
To be falkyte in othir halydayis in the layffe of the forsaid tyme, ix dayis 1495 Liber Aberbr. 289.
The laif of the said mater continewit til the schireff court 1532 Glasgow Prot. IV. 46.
Geff tha analie the laeff of ther place and yard a1568 Gyre-carling 36.
The laif of the story to morne To ȝow I sall tell 1570 Boyd Fam. P. No. 59. Mar. 14.
I leyf … my best cloyk to Jonet Boyd … and for the layf of the rest of my gudis and geir I leif it [etc.]

c. Appar., used adject., = the remaining, the other. 1505 Edinb. Hammermen 53.
For the ekin furtht of the laif trentall iiij s. viij d. 1523 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 107.
Thair wantit … the laif inlaikit expenssis