A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1438, 1513
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(To-cleve,) v. P.t. and p.p. to-claif. [ME and e.m.E. to clæf p.t. (Orm), to-cleue (Piers Plowman), OE tócleofan; To- prefix2 and Cleve v.1] tr. To split asunder. — ?1438 Alex. i 1490.
He … hit him on the helm of steill, And all to-claif it 1513 Doug. ix ix 139.
Meȝentius … Arcens … Hes … with a ledyn pellok slane Hys harn pan and forhed al to claif
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"To-cleve v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/to_cleve>
