A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1499-1500, 1569-1586
[0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
(Leve,) Lewe, Leif, v.3 [ME. and e.m.E. leve(n, leeve(n, ME. also leefe(n, lefenn (Orm), OE. (Angl.) léfan, (West Saxon) líefan, lýfan. In Sc., only in early verse.] a. tr. To trust, place reliance on (a person); to believe, give credence to (the truth). b. intr. To repose faith in; to believe on: (cf. also Leve v.4 2 e). — a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvi. 759.
The Jow … sad ‘Frend, mycht I thé lewe, Myn wil ware gud thé to relewe With creance, … gyf I mycht trew That thu as lele man [etc.]’ a1500 Golagros and Gawane 71.
He saw nane levand leid … , leif ye the lele a1500 Ib. 1107.
To leif in thi laute, and thow war unlele, Than had I cassin in cair mony kene knight a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 941.
My treuth I thé plicht That I sall lelely leif on thy Lord ay a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS cxxx. 105.
I will not do that syn, Leif ȝow [sic, appar. for: ȝe], this warld to wyn
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Leve v.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Apr 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/leve_v_3>