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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.

Lefe, Leif, Leve, a. (n.). Also: lef, leife, lewe. Compar. Levar. [ME. leof, lef, lefe, (north.) leif, leef, inflected leve, leove, OE. léof.In this positive form, only in (chiefly early) verse: cf. Levar compar.]

1. Beloved, dear; agreeable, acceptable, preferred. a. Used in addressing a person. b. Used of a person. c. absol. as n., a beloved, a sweetheart. d. Of a thing.a. a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 427.
Allace! lewe sone, that I gat thé c1420 Wynt. v. 4947.
Put off, … leve [v.rr. leif] swne, That clethyng on the body dwne a1500 Seven S. 259.
Thai come & said, Leif lord, allace, Quhar is ȝour wit in to this case? 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 131.
Move thé nocht, … Myne awyn leif brother Ib. vi. 105. Ib. ix. Prol. 85.
I sal help to smore ȝour falt, leif broder a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxvi. 17.
Ȝit ladye leif, o ladye myne, Not thou but I deseruis the pyneb. 15.. Black Bk. Taymouth 152.
Conspiracie, Inwy and Fals repoirt Wer my priue counsalouris lewe and dearec. ?1438 Alex. ii. 10637.
Idorus, Betys is thy leif [: mischeif]d. a1500 Seven S. 698.
He fed the child fra thin with beif And watter was his drinke mast leif

e. In predicative use, chiefly with the verb to be, in various constructions. Leif is (leifis, levis) me, see also Leis(e me phr.(1) ?1438 Alex. (c 1580) ii. 4524.
Sum meynis hir sone that was hir leif [: theif] a1500 Prestis of Peblis 999.
To the King and Quene he was full leif [: cheif] 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 27.
All ledis langis in land to laucht quhat thame leif is [: releifis, grevis, myscheif is] Arundel MS. 260/25.
The theif Quhilk hang besyid Thé … To Thé his saule wes leife(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 116.
Quhene nane sal vthir relefe Hou-euire to thame thai be lewe(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 8222.
Thow art to me baith leif and dere a1500 Henr. Fab. 89.
To grit lordis thocht thow be leif and deir [etc.] Id. Orph. 401 (Ch. & M.).
Lef and dere 1513 Doug. i. i. 40.
For the Grekis, to hir leif and deir Ib. xii. xi. 51.
Quhame nane mair leif and deir 1535 Stewart 26085.
That sic ane man … [was] with thair King haldin so deir and leif [: mischeif](3) ?1438 Alex. ii. 3463.
To talk with ȝow me sall be leif [: myscheif] a1500 Seven S. 1344.
Als leif thairfor war me to lye By a stok of a widderit tre 1513 Doug. xiii. vii. 54.
So that alsso, quhidder me war loith or leif [:greif], … Constrenyt I was [etc.](4) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 28 (M).
Full leifis [B. leis] me ȝowr gracles gane 1513 Doug. iii. vii. 37.
O leif is [v.rr. levis, levest] me! the lykast thing levyng, And verray ymage of my Astianax ȝyng

f. To have as lief do one thing as another. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 389.
Bot I treu he had als lef be ded As lef his wyf but remed

2. Pleased, willing, glad (of or for something, to do something); also, inclined (to some kind of conduct).Appar. only in the poems cited: cf. also Leful a.²This use, also ME. (c 1325–c 1500), appar. arises out of 1 e (3) above, him is lefe becoming he is lefe. — c1420 Ratis R. 1731.
For lytil blytht, for lytil wraithe, For lytil leif, for lytil laithe c1460 Thewis Wysmen 406.
Of vtheris menis scaith thai ar ay fayn, And leif to se an-vthir in payne c1460 Consail Vys Man 378.
Suer neuir bot thow compellyt bee For leif to suere is leif to lee c1460 Thewis Gud Women 121.
Nocht leif to wantone giglotrys, Kep feris of women at are wys Ib. 161.
Be leif of prayer quhen scho may And her mes one the haly day