Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Leving, Leiving, vbl. n.³ Also: leveing, levin, levyng(e, -yne, lewing(e, -in(e, -yng(e, -ying, -yn(e; leiveng, leiw(e)ing, -yng; leeving; leaving. [ME. levynge (Rolle), leving, f. Leve v.⁴ Cf. Lefing and Living.]

1. Living, being alive, passing life, in various senses. a. Continuing in life, duration of life, lifetime. c1420 Ratis R. 172.
Ill corrupcionne of aire Will schort levyng Ib. 1758.
In al the tyme of his levinge a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1076.
Quhare schame ay euer lyis, All my leuing a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxiii. 28.
And thow be blythe is caws of lang lewing

b. The passing of one's life in a certain manner or condition; manner or way of life.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ix. 124.
I cowate na warldly thynge, Na in fleschelyk has lewynge c1420 Wynt. vi. 1390.
The Legate … pwnysyd hym for hys lewyng a1500 Henr. II. 268/293.
Thir doctouris … Apertly be oure leving can applye And preue thare preching be a poesye 1531 Bell. Boece Excus. Prentar (p. ii).
I the prentar that dois considir weil Thir sindry myndis of men in thair leving [Pitsc. leiving] 1562-3 Winȝet I. 5/28.
Ignorantis and wikit persones nother able to persuade to godlines be lerning nor be leuing c1590 Fowler II. 147/14.
In the exercise of there … occupations, alsuell in marchandice and tillage and in all otler sorts of leving 1596 Dalr. I. 95/24.
Lykwyse the maner of cleithing and leiueng a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xliii. 17.
Thy leiving no man laks, Bot thé immortall maks(2) c1420 Ratis R. 32.
The euil is vicious fals levinge a1568 Bann. MS. 247 b/30.
Cupeid … I burd to knaw The langsum leving in thy law 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest viii.
Reformand our … corrupt leuing in tymis bypast 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. Prol. 58.
Blind Baals bischops … Your sinfull leaving hes the scheip oversyled 1622-6 Bisset II. 106/13.
The foundament … of solitarie leving in wyldernes

c. Dwelling, residing. 1687 Dunlop P. III. 41.
My leaving hear amongst my friends … makes me not forget thy being amongst strangers

2. The means of living; provender, provision; livelihood, maintenance, support. c1420 Wynt. ii. 728.
At that land wes profytabille And tyll all levyng dylitabylle 1424 Acts II. 4/1.
That all the … burovmaillis … remane with the King till his leuing 1448 Buccleuch Mun. II. 40.
Schir Alexander sal gif to his sonnys leving the lordschipe and the castel of Home c1460 Vert. Mes 114.
The day that a persone heris mes deuotly, … he sal nocht that day want his levyng sufficiantly a1500 Bk. Chess 2028.
The popular befor the lord he standis, For his leving is in his povnis handis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 228/23.
He fand the place all out of gud rewle and destitut of leving 1543 Reg. Cupar A. II. 24.
The said Turnbill … sall be in the tak and haue hyr lewing thairof with the said Jonet Spensar, hir gude moder 1561 Rentale Dunkeld. 342.
[To the chamberlain for his] expensis and trawill for the ingetting of his [the bishop's] leving 1563 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 396/2.
The said college to be providit of sic ressonable leving that thairin the liberale sciences may be plainlie techit 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 325.
So laik of leuing … Dois mak the laik of multitude To serve into the ministrie 1622-6 Bisset I. 107/25.
The complaynt of cheising of ȝoung men … upoun the said sessioun nocht haifing sufficient leving of thair awin 1667 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 241.
And farder, for his better incouragement and subsistance of leiving, adds and eiks to the said … benefite of the said classe [etc.]

b. Commonly to win (conques, get, seke, etc.) one's leving, also to wirk for one's leving.(1) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1099.
The lyoun … thinkis of this warld to get incres, Thinkand daylie to get mair leuing Ib. 2702.
To wyn with lautie leuing as effeiris 1531 Bell. Boece II. 107.
He conquest his leving on thift and pikary Ib. 411.
Without thay had sum craft to debait thair leuyng 1540 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 104.
Ane multitude of vyle … creatouris convenis to the said merket daily to gett thair sustentatioun and leving 1562 Inverness Rec. I. 93.
That the almes may be … distribute … to the natyve puyeris of this burgh quha may nocht conqueis thair lewying wtherwais 1596 Dalr. I. 236/4.
Mony of thame compeled to seik thair leiueng hardlie, and with sair labour(2) 1521 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 204.
All maner of beggares … that ar habill persouns to wirk and labour for thair leving 1529 Ib. II. 14. 1580 Rep. Menzies MSS. 18.
Ane tailȝeour … readie to wirk to euirrie persoun for his leving 1630 Banff Ann. I. 65.
Poore people wnable to wirk for thair awin leiving be reassone of age [etc.]

c. Attrib. with taxt. 1501 Acta Conc. III. 90.
To here and see ane competent leving taxt to be gevin yeirely of the landis of Westirschelis … to the sade Alexander … as aire forsade

d. Means of support or upkeep; funds; an endowment, settlement. 1533 Reg. Great S. I. 286/2.
We … has na lewing to uphald the samyn [alter] and daly chaplane therat bot oure ouklie penny gaderit amangis the brethir of the said craft 1531 Bell. Boece II. 250.
Gawine Dounbar … biggit ane brig ouir Dee … and foundit ane yeirly leving to sustene the same

3. Possessions, property, as a means of support, espec. landed property; also, a grant of land, a property. Also plur., possessions, estates, lands.sing. (a) 1465 Exch. R. VII. 321 n.
[He] has left his leving and gudis … and cummyn in to this oure realme of Scotland for succour a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 344.
I knaw yone bauld berne better than ye, His land and his lordschip and his leuing 1513 Rep. Hist. MSS., Varr. Coll. V. 87.
The said Willyame … salbe maistir in his awune house and levyne c1520-c1535 Nisbet Philipp. iii. 20.
Bot oure leving is in heuenis 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III. 2/2.
Ay and quhill he be providit be the Quenis grace of ane leving of the availe of iiii^c lib. be yeire 1567 Ib. V. ii. 350/1.
Hir hienes understandis that the tua pairt thairof is a leving sobir aneuch for ane honest man 1579 Misc. Spald. C. IV. 62.
The maist parte of his lewing that presently he hes to leiff vpon he haldis off ws in wedset wnder redemptioun 1583 Reg. Privy C. III. 597.
To defraud and dishereis his said sone of that leving quhilk he … sould succeid unto 1587 Montg. Suppl. 278.
Be the quhilk … lang seruice, the said M^r. William hes not allanerlie bestowit and debursit thairthrow his haill leving and patrimonie bot als [etc.] … without ony respect bot depending vpoun his graces onlie provisioun of ane honest lyfe and leving(b) 1553 Reg. Privy C. I. 140.
How he, in his minority, has sumpert hurt his leiving and heritadge 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 86.
To caus him be ansuerit of his leiving in Scotland Ib. 230.
Thaj mycht be kingis in his boundis and vptak his leiving at thair awne plesour 1605 Douglas Bequest IV. 22 May.
The lyfrent of his landis and leiving and wtheris … contenit in my said dispositioun thairofplur. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 132.
The natural father wald faine help his sonnis, provide gret leivingis for thame [etc.] 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III. 91.
[In the meantime her] lewings [and all other] dewyties [to be under protection of the state] 1571 Sat. P. xxvi. 64.
Failȝeand this, do with thair leuings mell 1610 Misc. Hist. Soc. II. 153.
Our leevings & landis war al disponit to vthers c1650 Spalding II. 295.
Quhairvpone the committee … gave ordour … to mell with the Duke's estait, landis, and leivinges

b. A particular landed estate. 1560 Soc. Ant. XXIII. 55.
The lairdship and leiving of Mouswald … lyand in the Stewartry of Annandale 1591 Stirlings of Keir 428.
My wyf to be gyder of the haill lewing and hous 1598 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 659/2.
Your lordschips father left the leiuing far ingadgit 1601 Crim. Trials II. 345.
Apperand air to the laird of Boningtoune and fear of the said lewing 1659 Forbes Baron Ct. 224.
The court of the landis and leiwing of Forbes

4. A church-living, a benefice.Also Kirk-leving n. — 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 329.
Geue thay Godds wourd hes weil declaird I saye thare leueings ar weill waird 1565 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 644/2.
Of the gift of ane chaiplanrie and leving 1569 Reg. Morton I. 44.
Ws brethair of the Abbay of Melrose … affirmis … that the few … wes subscriuit … for feir of our lyfis and tynsyll of our levyngis 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III. 207.
[The old Abbot of Dunfarmeling is coming home, written for by his friends to take the] lewin [from the young man] 1573 Acts III. 72/2.
[Every minister] sall in presence of the archebischop, bischop [etc.] … of the diocie … quhair he has … the ecclesiasticall leving gif his assent [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I. 173/6.
It was concludit … that all bischopis, abbottis and denis sould haue bot ane small part of thair lewing 1597 Strathendrick 54.
The leaving of the kirk of Killern being vacant through the decease of the said umquhill William 1600-1610 Melvill 191.
The … leivings of hospitalls … and masone dieus Ib. 334.
The leivings of the said ministers left incerteanlie to be sought from yeir to yeir at his hienes checquer c1650 Spalding II. 32.
That he middill not with any churche leivinges

b. The patrimony or property of the Church. 1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. 61/18.
Quhy have ye reiected as idolatrie all that appartheneth to thame quhome ye call Papistes, except onlie the patrimonie and leaving of the kirk?