A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1622-1674
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0]
Positive or Positivé, adv. [f., or, repr. L. positīvē, f. as Positiveadj.] a. Expressly, explicitly, without reservation. b. By explicit statement (? in writing). c. Affirmatively. (Cf. Affirmative adv. and also Negative adv.). — 1622 Criminal Trials III 514.
It is affirmet positiue, that this seiknes was laid on be the pannell vpone Cuthbert Greg, be hir sorcerie a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 231.
[Promise of a liferent tack] not to be admitted bot quhen it is alleadgeat positive [supra Tacks set for lyfetyme cannot be proven bot be wrytt] 1674 Stitchill Baron Ct. 74.
William Hoggard … deferred the truth of his debt to the said Robert Lillie his oath who deponed positive
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Positive adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/positive_adv>
