Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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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.

Love, †Loue, Low(e, v. Also: lov; loive; loave. P.t. and p.p. lovit etc., p.p. also loven. [ME. (? chiefly north. and north midl. in this sense) love, loove, e.m.E. (Coverdale) loave, to praise, ME. (midl.) loven, e.m.E. (Palsgrave) love, to offer (wares) at a price, OE. lofian (ON. lofa) to praise: cf. Lof(e v. (and Lof n.).ME. and e.m.E. also had a verb low, lowe, loouwe, (north.) lu (14th c.), to approve of, sanction, receive with approval, OF. loer, louer to praise: cf. also Allow v. and Lowe v. If this verb existed in Older Sc. it would be to some extent indistinguishable in spelling and in meaning from the verb love, OE. lofian, i.e. in the spellings low-, lou-. (Also the common early spelling lov- shown below may conceivably in a few instances be editorial for an original lou- or even low- : see the note to Lovabil(l a.).But if such a verb low, phonetically [lū], existed at all, it would appear to have been very much less common than love, phonetically [lōv]. Confirming the latter, we have the evident preponderance of the spelling lov- in early MS. spelling practice, as against lou- which is common only in original printed texts, the unambiguous variants loive, loaue and Lof(e, and occasional rhymes with the word gove to stare. In contrast, rhymes confirming a verb low [lū] appar. do not occur, although words offering a suitable rhyme were very much more numerous (but cf. Low v.⁵), and also the spellings low, lou for the uninflected verb are rare (and certainly much less common than lowe and loue).]In several of the quotations given under sense 1 below (see espec. 1 c), there is ambiguity with love Luve v. 1.

1. tr. To praise, extol, honour; also, to esteem, value highly a. God, Christ, or a deity; also, God's acts, b. a person, or a nation, c. a work, act, virtue, or the like, and d. absol.Also const. of or for the act, deed, virtue etc., which calls forth the praise, or noun-clause.Also parenthetically in the ejaculation love God!, lovit be God! etc., = praise God! praise be!Freq. in opposition to Lak v. 3, q.v. for further examples.a (1) 1375 Barb. vi. 314.
Than lovit thai God fast all-veldand That thai thar lord fand haill and feir Ib. viii. 377.
Thai ar towart thair innys gane Fast lovand [E. lowand] God of thair veillfair Ib. xii. 171 (E).
Lordingis, we aucht to love [H. loife] and luff All mychty God that syttis abuff That sendis ws sa fayr begynnyng Ib. xiv. 311. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 497.
Passis one quytly away & lovis God & sancte Nicholas ?1438 Alex. ii. 34. c1450-2 Howlat 755. 1456 Hay I. 159/13, II. 10/9. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1028.
Gromys … Lovit Criste of that case c1460 Consail Vys Man 180.
Love thi God onis one the day 1490 Irland Mir. I. 160/4.
That all … honorabile persone gretlie has lovit and honorit this haly name Jhesus 1513 Doug. xiii. ii. 38.
The remanent of the cumpany Of the goddys thai name … With hie vocis … Lovit and born vpheich abufe the skyis c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 252 b/40. a1570-86 Maitland M aitl. F. xvii. 43.
Sen ȝe love God in thingis outwardlie, In fyris and processioun generale, Sua in ȝour hartis love Him inwardlie(b) a1500 Gol & Gaw. 581.
Thai louit God and Sanct An, The king and his knightis c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 67.
He bad me … loue and thank His greit mercie Fra syn and hell that sauit me 1551 Hamilton Cat. 63.
Thai that luffes nocht and louis nocht the name of God Ib. 255. Arundel MS. 253/429, etc. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 129/12. 1567 G. Ball. 25, 52, etc.(c) 1375 Barb. iv. 515 (E).
Syne lowyt thai God off thair meting a1400 Leg. S. v. 568.
Lord Jhesu Abufe althinge I lowe thé now … That [etc.] Ib. xxii. 521.
Al the crystine … Fastyt that day … Lowand God of al his lane Ib. ii. 228, xviii. 1368, xxvii, 439, 1451; etc. c1420 Wynt. v. 4213.
He … lowyd hyr [Our Lady] mony wys Ib. 4867.
Thai … lowyd ma goddys than nature Or onu wertu mycht comprys c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1772.
Gane To lowe God in ane tempill of Diane a1497, 15.. Gray MS. vi. 82.
Low 1533 Gau 14/11.
Lowe Ib. 20/14.
That ane man lwffis nocht God ower al thyng and thankkis and lowis hime nocht(d) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 136.
Loive thow the Lord, O my saule, and all that is within me loive his haly name(2) 1375 Barb. xix. 297 (E).
Schir, lowyt be God … That we haiff sic a capitayn a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 1.
Jhesu Cryst lowyt thu be That [etc.] ?1438 Alex. i. 1255.
Now louit be God eschaipit am I Ib. 1257.
Louit mot God be For now [etc.] Ib. 1262; Ib. II. 6393. c1475 Wall. vii. 1251.
Ay lowyt be our lady off hir grace a1538 Abell 124 b.
Lowit be God, I had neuir women by my marit wife a1540 Freiris Berw. 414 (M).
Now God be lovit, heir is aneuche sufficiance c1590 Fowler II. 14/29.
My honour farder, louit be the Lord, is aduancit 1591 Crim. Trials I. ii. 234.
Quhairfore I thank ȝe Lord of this; And all ȝour hallowaris lovit beb (a) 1375 Barb. i. 406.
The quhethyr in his time sa wrocht he That he suld gretly lovyt be Ib. 476, xvii. 918. a1400 Leg. S. x. 385. c1420 Wynt. v. 4322.
Men off gud dyscretyowne Suld excuse and love [v.rr. loif, loyff] Huchowne That cunnand wes in literature 1461 Liber Plusc. 384. 1456 Hay I. 83/25.
Bot ilke man wate that a knycht is mare lovit and prisit to assailȝe wele na to byde wele Ib. II. 51/20.
That he be lufit, lovit, prisit, honourit and doubtit with the prince, lordis [etc.] Ib. 67/36.
And that he be lovit for his noble dedis a1500 Bk. Chess 610. 1513 Doug. i. ix. 84.
This ilk Tewcer hys ennemys of Troy Rusyt and lovit Ib. xii. Prol. 247.
The larkis … Lovys thar lege with tonys curyus 1533 Bell. Livy I. 98/12.
It happynnyt that Seruius was loving gretumly the said pepill Ib. 112/9.
He had lovit thame gretumlie for thare punycioun takin on Turnus 1600-1610 Melvill 15.
Ther was nane of his rank … that was sa honored and loven as he(b) ?1438 Alex. (c 1480) ii. 1721.
The King of Grece thame saw and louit [: gouit] Ib. 2004, 3454, etc. c1460 Wisd. Sol. 754 (E.E.T.S.).
Now is louit mar the mychty man na the wysman 1461 Liber Plusc. 388.
Think how scho … Baith luffit and louit with God and man has beyn c1460 Thewis Wysmen 89.
The wysman … louis al men that hyme blamys, Swetly argowis and nocht hyme schamis 1533 Bell. Livy I. 151/16.
I suld command thé to be louit of maist provin vertew 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 84/2.
[The reformers] extolling and louing men for lucre and profit(c) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 1141.
I … lowis hym gretly for he wes [etc.] Ib. x. 361.
A quhyle noys he mad, The apostil lowand alway Of that that he had harde hym say Ib. xxxvi. 1191.
That thu seruit of Cryste lowit to be & he alsa lowit of thé Ib. xxvii. 390. c1420 Wynt. i. 3.
In honowre of the ordrys nyne Off haly angelys, the quhilk dywyne Scrypture lowys Ib. v. 4216.
For the gud dedys he oysed to wyrk He is yhit lowyd [C. loffit] in haly kyrk c1475 Wall. x. 725.
Mer thaim [the Scots] anys, I sall, quhill I may leiff, Low [1570, Luif] yow fer mar than ony othir knycht a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxvii. 1.
Maist loyall lord ay for thy lawtie lowit [: promowit] a1578 Pitsc. I. 380 h. of ch.
Hou the queen exaulted and lowit the realme … of Scotland(d) 1596 Dalr. I. 224/16.
The peple loiuing him [L. populi illum … laudantes] with al thair harte thay imbrace him with al cheritiec (a) 1375 Barb. viii. 106 (C).
Thai prisit hym so gretumly And alsua lovit [E. lovyt fast; H. loued meekle] his cheuelry 1456 Hay II. 10/34.
The quhilk buke the king lovit mekle and prisit … and helde it rycht dere c1460 Wisd. Sol. 753 (E.E.T.S.).
Quhar-fore he lovis that [prudence etc.] mare na a gret mycht of princis c1460 Thewis Wysmen 43.
Fore wysdome luvis al at it lovis And fleis fra thaim that it raprevis Ib. 30. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 74/9.
And suppos his [Chaucer's] … langage be … sueit in metire … , ȝit in gret sentens this maner of speking is mare lovit and acceptabile Ib. 164/12. 1513 Doug. Æn. Exclam. 14.
Quhat is weill said thai love not worth ane ace 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 184/4.
Lugtacus … quhais corruppit maneris was na les odius to the pepill than his faderis dedis wer lovit [1821, his fader was luffit for his vertew] Id. Livy II. 73/27.
O Servilius, I loye thi curage and provin vertew [L. macte virtute](b) c1490 Porteous Noblenes 100 (Ch. & M.).
The end makis al thinge to be louit [Asl. lovit] 1528 Lynd. Dreme 484.
Loue 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 194/1533.
Yet ought thou justlie loue and like My painefull trauels bent 1587-99 Hume 21/143. 1635 Lundie 9.
A svain Leich loues and yet Leich is not lou'd again. This constancie, deir Leich, I can not loue it, Yea, all the Muses iointlie disaproue it Ib. 13.(c) 1375 Barb. x. 285 (E).
Lawte he lowyt atour al thing a1400 Leg. S. iii. 1067.
Thane all that in the hall were Lowit the pilgrame answere And sad [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. i. 306.
The commowns, as thai one thame gowyt, Attour all thing thar hawyng lowyt(d) 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 13/3.
When I like to loaue [: Joue] The ioyes that do in Elise field excell Ib. 94/13.
Rather loaue my meaning and my panis Then lalk my dull ingyned. c1460 Consail Vys Man 345.
Love and reward fore curtasy Eftyr thi powar thankfully Ib. 373.
Lak nocht quhar thow has louit mekle c1475 Wall. xi. 1460.
Low 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 55.
[Fortune] now lowis, now defyis 1549 Compl. 130/6.
To repreif vitht out iniure and to loue vitht out flattery 1596 Dalr. II. 474/21.
Gif tha loue, praise ouermekle or commend

2. To offer (wares) at a price; to set a price on, to price.This sense survived into mod. Sc.: see Jam. s.v. Loave, Low. Cf. e.m.Flem. and Du. loven in the same use, and Lof n. 2. 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Liceor, to lowe for so meikle, to cheape 1604 Inverness Rec. II. 26.
Sex bollis meill quhilk com in be sey quhilk suld bein first lovit to the toune 1550-1746 Wemyss in Sc. Diaries 128.
The colles was well loved att Leith & since thorrow all sea ports in Scottland