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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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, n.² Also: lef, leff(e, leife, leiff(e, leyf(e, leyff(e, lyefe, lyf, leaff. [North midl. ME. (once) lefe (c 1400), var. of Leve. Appar. only in sing. in this form: for the plur. levis etc. see Leve n.] Leave, permission.

1. Permission or liberty to do something.a. With verbs. as to gif, grant, get, haf, ask, desire permission, also liberty of action, licence, and fig., (of circumstances) to gif leif, to allow, permit.b. With preps. expressing refusal, as without(in, but.c. With preps. expressing consent, as with, of, throw.d. With or be (by) one's leif, with leif, in parenthesis, = by your leave, with your permission, at your correction. Usually as an apology for taking a liberty or ironically.a. (1) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 331.
Lef gat I Of God it at thé to by c1420 Bute MS. fol. 173.
The mayster may nocht sel the tacle … bot gyf he haf lefe or commandment of hys maystris 1438 Soc. Ant. Chart. (Reg. H.) No. 4.
Thai sal haffe fredome and leffe to persew and folow alssfer as law wyl(b) 1393 Reg. Morton II. 190.
That the fornemyt … Erle hase grantyt … to the said Sir James … his speciale leife that he may enfef herytably … his son … in to the barony of Prestoune 1466 Reg. Dunferm. 356.
I sall nocht thole, graunt nor gyff leiffe na tollerance to na man … to draw na drauchtis of wateris throu my landis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 48.
I rede we … ask leif at the lord yone landis suld leid, That we myght entir in his toune c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 7.
And I do lyk ane reid halk schout To cum to lure that hes no leif 1521 Dunferm. B. Rec. 174.
Onything that stoppis him … he sal haf leif to tak dovnne 1535 Stewart 53761.
This tirrane in the kirk he slew At the hie altar, askand God na leif c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2659.
Than Kyttoke thare … Gaiff Lowre leif at layser to loupe on 1551 Hamilton Cat. 267.
Nother give him leif to exerce apon us his crewelnes 1571 Sat. P. xxvi. 75.
Gif thame na leif to play with yow buk heid 1573 Ib. xlii. 470.
‘ … Bot now I will … my first propositiounis preif.’ The vther said ‘I gif ȝow leif’ a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxviii. 5.
Quhone … lichorie hes leif a1585 Maitl. Q. lix. 56.
Tratling toungis had our lang leif to lie(c) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 665.
Grant that I leyf ma hafe Of fre entre 1513 Prestwick B. Rec. 45.
The said Mertyn sall haif leyf & licens … to hald j ferow kow(d) 1524 Stirling B. Rec. I. 20.
To pas na harandis bot gife he have lyefe of the said Duncan(2) fig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxix. 7.
Quhen I wald blythlie ballattis breif, Langour thairto givis me no leifb. (1) 1400 Maxwell Mem. I. 138.
To be … pundit … wythowtyn the lefe of ony mynystyr kyrk or seculer 1405 Ib. 145.
The forsaid Erle sal nouther gyff … of the woddis … but leyffe and assent of thaime at the wod aw 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 84.
At na persoun … pas to Leyth … without leif askit and obtenit fra the provest and baillies 1523 Selkirk B. Ct. fol. 100 a.
Wyth out leaff of the chakwacht 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 84.
Gif [she] hes mareit without the said lord lef and speciale licence 1601 St. A. Baxter Bks. 65.
Except liceance and leife askit and gottin of the deakin(2) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 1021.
He is bundine, & but leife To cum here, he ma nocht eschewe 14.. Acts I. 325/2.
Of wanys … in the forest fundyn withoutyn leff c1460 Thewis Gud Women 171.
But leif set nocht hir hart to luf 1529–30 Selkirk B. Ct. fol. 143 b.
We ordand na nythtvakeris to pas in our streit with out speciall leif c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 608.
Vtheris agane … To clim the threid but leif thay craifit nocht 1558 Inverness Rec. I. 21.
He left his masteris seruice … without onne lyf 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 136.
For gripstar of ane gulyeon worth of larat fra Magnus Nicolsoun without leifec. (1) c 1379 Cal. Chart., Suppl. (Reg. H.).
The landys before sayde the qvylkys the forsayde Alayne bocht of the forsayde Thomas wyth my leyfis 1410 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 75.
With chartire witnes and lef of the oure lord c1450-2 Howlat 193.
Cryand crawis … That with the leif of the lard Will cum to the corne ȝard 1548 Prot. Bk. A. Gaw 2.
He … had bot that use and possessioun of speciall leif and tolerance of him a1568 Scott xi. 15.
With leif of ladeis thocht ȝe thing thame, Ressoun(2) 1447 Reg. Great S. 106/1.
With lefe and ful power to big … ane mylne within the samyn landis 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 5.
With pardoun and leif to commit the offenced. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 1229.
With ȝour leif, faddere dere, Ȝe sall nocht pas & lewe me here c1475 Wall. ix. 348.
Bot with your leiff I spek in haymlynes a1500 Henr. Fab. 29 (Makc.).
Off this poete, my masteris, with ȝour leif, Submyttyng me to ȝour correctione, … I walld preif [etc.] a1500 K. Hart 458.
Lord with ȝour leif I may na langar byd Ib. 609.
Ȝe did greit mis, fayr Conscience, be ȝour leif Ib. 625, 843. 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 412.
He was fer balder, certis, by hys leif, Sayand he followit Virgillis lantern 1584-9 Maxwell Commonpl. Bk. fol. 6 a.
First quhen I come in, With ȝowr leif, honest foik, I had a sword & a clewk(2) a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxx. 60.
Fair lady at this tyd With leif ȝe man abyd 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7710.
Ane word with leif I wald vnto ȝow say

e. As the second element of compounds, as cragleif, gate-leif, ground-, grund-leif, querrell-leif, q.v. under the first elements.

2. Permission (to depart or be absent). b. Leave to depart, leave of absence.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i. 134.
I sall gyf gud leif hym till To pas frely at his awne will Ib. xi. 259.
We sal gyf tham leyf to speke … Syne gyf tham leif to ga Ib. xix. 74.
I wil wyt quhy it was Or ellis myn lef haf I to pas 1388 Douglas Chart. 33.
Qwhen that hir likys to remofe, s[ch]o sal haf fre issov and leif to pas at hir wil c1475 Wall. xi. 263.
The King persawyt Wallace agrewyt was, So ernystfully he askyt leiff to pas 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 20.
Quhen he, being dismayit with thir suddane newis, askit leif of the Quene to depart(2) a1500 K. Hart 698.
Gif him na leif bot hald him quhill ȝe may(3) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2309.
With leif to his schippes tharfore He passede 1448 Acts I. 351/1.
That na persoun … sal depart … withoutin leif of the chyftane of the oist c1615 Chron. Kings 159.
He without leiff passis his wayis, and wentt agaitwarttis to … Dalkeyth

c. With the possess.: Permission to depart, dismissal, notice to quit.In to gif (one) his leif and to get or haf one's leif. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 170.
Schir Gavyne gettis his leif, and grathis to his steid a1500 Prestis of Peblis 620.
Quhan thay ar full of sic wrang win Thay get thair leif and hungryar cums in 1540 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XX. (Jam.).
Sche dischairgit hir of hir said seruice and gaif hir hir leif 1551 Hamilton Cat. 113.
His wife … also quhen sche desyrit ane uther, wald mak faltis to hir husband, to get hir leif 1567 Lanark B. Rec. 39.
How sone … thei find ony falt with him that hie sall haif his leif

3. To ta(k (one's) leif (at, fra, of, another). a. To obtain permission to depart, to pay one's respects on departing, to bid farewell, take (one's) leave.Also in concluding a letter, book etc., at death and to tak one's lang leif (at death).Also caucht one's leif and Laucht v.¹ 4 (2).(1) ?1438 Alex. i. 2752.
With that word, baith caucht thair leif, Turnit thair brydillis and to ga Ib. ii. 3520.
To Emynedus ar thay gane And courtesly thare leif hes tane [F. congié ont demandé] c1420 Ratis R. 1031.
Always serf hyme elyk Quhill thow haf tan thi leif but swik c1475 Wall. i. 337.
Wallas … Hys modyr kyst … His leyff he tuk a1500 K. Hart 490.
Out … all thai past And wald nocht byd all out to tak thair leif 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 59.
And thus I tak my leif shortly at you now, and my lang leif quhen God pleasis a1585 Maitl. Q. xxxix. 100.
With licence then, my luif, I tak my leif 1587 Waus Corr. 398.
Eftyr sum vthir generall towin thay twik thair leif a1589 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. in Paisley Mag. (1828) 382.
Gif ȝe will nocht do swa, Than tak ȝowr leif and pas ȝowr wae(2) 1375 Barb. iv. 365.
Thai … at the Kyng thair leyf has tane Ib. 582. c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 13.
[I] tak my leif at cuntriemen and kyn, And all the warld 1560 Rolland Seven S. 955.
Thay tuke thair leif at him sorrowfullie 1570 Leslie 297.
Hir Majestie … tuik hir leif of the King, Quene and hoill nobilitie a1570-86 Maitl. F. xlvii. 75.
And gif you lykis for till stryf Fra cumpany I reid belyf Thow tak thi leif(3) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 264.
[He] tuk leife at his brethir thare Ib. xxvii. 1391.
With that the nycht come & that auld Tuk leif & haile the benysone Of the bischope Ib. xl. 108. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3500.
Than tuke thay leif and vp thay stand; The King thame leued [F. A cestui parlement fu congiés demandés, Et li roys leur donna] c1475 Wall. ix. 45.
Bonalais [they] drank rycht glaidly in a morow Syn leiff thai tukfig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 3.
Quhen … Appryll had … Tane leif at Nature with ane orient blast

b. To depart, go away; also, to depart from (fra), to quit.(1) a1500 Henr. III. 123/66.
This leyn man leuch nathing bot tuik his leif Id. Bann. MS. 78 b/57.
Luk hes tane leif and wirschip hes no vdir wane;? c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1461.
Than hir freindis did conclude … That scho suld take hir leif and go Till hir cuntrie(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 73.
Twa curis or thre hes vpolandis Michell … Thocht he fra nolt had new tane leif

c. fig. To die. c1500 Makc. MS. v. 14.
Bald Hector, and Achilles … Hef tane thar leif, & mony ma 1535 Stewart 3460. Ib. 15106.
He … tuke his leif into his latter dayes, Passand the way quhair all the laif ar gone Ib. 57343.
The King tuke leif and thair he did depart