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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Law, adv. Also: lawe. Also anglicized variant: low. Compar. lawar, -er, lauer. [North. ME. law(e, midl. and south. lowe, loȝe, early laȝe, lahe (13th c.), f. Law,a. and n.⁴ Cf. also Lach, Laich, and Lauch.]

1. In or to a low position; also, (lurking etc.) low, in hiding.Freq. b. to lig or ly (also to lour) law, = prostrate on the ground (also prostrat law) or in the grave, and c. to lay (also to bere, bet, kast, smite and to bery, bygrave) law, by striking down or overthrowing, or in the grave.(1) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1341.
He bade his sone in to the flycht Hald ewyn in tyll a rawndown rycht, Noucht tyll hey … Na to law c1420 Ib. v. 5410.
Wndyrnethe hys fete he sawe, Grawyn in fyne marbyr law, Off the cors a takyn welle 1456 Hay II. 143/25.
And it suld be law sett nere a water of fresch water 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. ii. 303.
Of the same sute the trappours law doun hang 1513 Id. Æn. vii. Prol. 104.
Phebus … Haldand the hight all thocht the son went law 1513 Ib. xii. xii. 27.
All thai als … The barmkyn law smait with the rammys fast 1535 Stewart 4761.
Mony cruell knycht Wes maid to kneill, and sum to licht full law 1600 Criminal Trials II. 298.
Sir Thomas Erskeyne and Doctour Hairreyis being standand law, heiris the samin, and cumis wp the foir entrie(2) c1420 Wynt. v. 156.
Wyth-all the buwys bowyd lawe, Ewyn till hyr hand a1500 Henr. Fab. 113.
Leuand this iowell law vpon the ground a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1777.
Wnder the myrour lyis wele lawe Mair gold than all the hors will drawe c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 118.
The Lord … Sall law under thy lyntell bow 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 22.
And other sum, law down within that hald, With drawyn swerdis stude reddy 1513 Ib. iv. Prol. 39.
The god abuf, from his hie maieste … law in a maid dyd lycht 1513 Ib. v. iv. 152.
Law fra the boddom of the seys deip Hys prayeris war except 1513 Ib. vii. x. 96.
He … A sover swerd beltis law down by his the 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. xxiii.
The arrondell … Doun on the land richt law did licht(3) 1375 Barb. viii. 474.
Thaim that war ere lurkand full law c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 430.
In a dern woode thai stellit thaim full law c1475 Ib. vi. 627.
Full law thai crap quhill thai war out off sicht c1475 Ib. xi. 602.
Thai … held them law, Quhill thai persawyt he was on sleping faw 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 143. c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i. 56.
Behind the bus, Lord, bot I liggit lawb (1) a1500 Henr. Lion & Mice 211 (B).
O lamit lyoun liggand heir so law 1535 Stewart 9405.
The castell als thai gart it lig full law 1535 Ib. 25218.
On his bak scho gart him ly full law 1535 Ib. 38720.
Mony ane tha maid full law to lour a1540 Freiris Berw. 569.
Freir Robert stert abak and saw Quhair the gudman lay sa woundir law Vpoun the flure a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxv. 8.
I, prostrat law, … as I lay(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xiv. 80.
The angel his trumpe sal blav & ger thame ryse that lyis law c1420 Wynt. vii. 1529.
Qwhy lyis thy body now sa lawe? a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1125.
I lay full law, bot now I stand on fute 1513 Doug. xii. xi. 104.
Amata … now liggand law … hir self hes brocht of daw 1573 Satirical Poems xli. 98.
This day in graue he lyis full lawc (1) a1500 Golagros and Gawane 268.
Bot gif I loissing my life, or be laid law a1500 Ib. 726. 1513 Doug. v. xiii. 106.
My desyre was set Law fra the grond al Troy forto down bet 1513 Ib. vi. iii. 33.
Triton … hym hyntis and did smyte Amang the fomy rolkis law adown 1535 Stewart 44637.
Quhen that the flude … Richt mony ludging law buir to the ground(2) ?1438 Alex. IV. 442/27.
Quhen ȝe lawe ar laid in lame a1568 Kennedy Bannatyne MS 53a/33.
Law, luve and lawtie gravin law thay ly 1513 Doug. vi. ii. 150.
Hym … [to] gar bery law in graue 1513 Ib. v. 174.
The pepil adiacent … sal bygrave thy banys law

d. To beir or set (a sail or sails) lawar, also to come lawer, to lower sail. Also fig., = Law a. 1 b.1560 Rolland Seven Sages 7394.
Gif tempest did appeir, Into that cace thair saillis the lawer beir a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii. 143.
Wp with ȝour sheats and haill them to the bes[t]; Come no lauer, bot luif a lytill wefig. a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS cxlvi. 10.
Gif ȝe be wys avyse heiron And set ȝour sale a litle lawar

e. fig. Deep in the heart; (more) deeply, below the surface or what is superficial.1513 Doug. xiii. iii. 37.
Wepyng from his hart ruyt waill law 1570 Satirical Poems xiii. 10.
Quha that wald the mater vnderstand, He man luke lawer and enter in the spreit

2. (To bow, kneel etc.) low, in obeisance.(a)c1450-2 Howlat 460.
Thar with he lowtit full lawe a1500 Golagros and Gawane 991.
He gart thame law lout a1500 Henr. III. 162/15.
We Thé exort, on kneis law prostrait a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 494.
To the empriour he knelit lawe c1500 Fyve Bestes 61.
This ryall hart … Befor this Kyng he laid his tyndis law c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 98.
Everie blome … Full law inclynit to thair quene c1500-c1512 Id. xiii. 20.
Sum beckis full law and schawis bair heidis 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 1025.
The childe he rais on his maist humbill wise, Inclining law with all obedience 1560 Ib. 1040.
Doun of his hors he lichtit law On his kneis(b)c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 98 (Ch. & M.).
And ewiry blome … Full low [v.rr. law] enclynyng to thair quene so clere c1590 J. Stewart II. 208, § 35.
So thrimbling throch that port I did inclyn Low to salute Humilitie deuyn c1590 Ib. 226, § 105.
Fraud … low louring

3. Hye and law, wholly, entirely; also clene and law, see Clene adv. 2.1375 Barb. iv. 594.
Bath hye and law, the land wes then All occupyit with Ynglis men 1375 Ib. x. 471.
Quhen he saw The castell tynt, bath hye and law c1420 Wynt. ii. 660.
This Gedeyl Glays, quhen he sawe The land off Egypt, hey and lawe That in all thyng wes profytabille

4. In a low or subdued voice, softly.1375 Barb. iv. 200.
He wes sa stad that he na mocht His aynd bot with gret panys draw, Na spek, bot gif it war weill law 1513 Doug. xiii. ii. 65.
He … from the boddum of his breist weill law, With soft spech furth gan thir wordis draw

5. fig. a. In or into a low condition of fortune or spirits; humbled, downcast; humbly.(1) 1456 Hay I. 65/27.
All the contreis … that war rebellouris he put thame sa law that thame behovit obey 1456 Ib. II. 57/17.
A vice that gerris oft tymes the curage of mony noble knycht descend full lawe 1513 Doug. ix. Prol. 16.
Oys not thy mycht abufe thyne awin degre, Clym nevir our hie, nor ȝit to law thow lycht c1590 Fowler I. 194/8.
Puft with pryde I prostrat me more lawe 1596 Dalr. II. 176/9.
Angus and his fauoureris, that tha appeir not to humble thame selfes sa lawe and laich till Arran, vtterlie refuses the conditione 1587-99 Hume 12/9.
For get he a blast of adversitie, then is he dejected over lawe, & falls oftimes in mistrust(2) c1420 Wynt. v. 3937.
To be kynd till yhoure creature That has yhow put in that honure, And hald thé law 1513 Doug. xii. ix. 47.
A puyr cote hous he held, and buyr hym law 1535 Stewart 20315.
Quhen ane man is heast on the quheill, He sould be wys and beir him self rycht law 1535 Ib. 39800.
Quhy suld thow … stand of him sic aw, So blunt, so blait, berand himself so law

b. (To descend) lawar or to a less elevated literary style or treatment.1513 Doug. i. Prol. 471.
Bot forthirmor, and lawar to discend, Forgeif me, Virgill, gif I thé offend