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.
Quotation dates: 1479-1548
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Liffar(e, n. Also: lifare, liffer, lyffar; lufar, luffar; louffar. [Lif v.: cf. ME. lifer (14–15th c.).] One who lives (longest; well, ill). = Lefar, Levar, Livar.a. 1479 Reg. Cupar A. I. 230.
And to the langast liffar 1491 Acts Lords Auditors 166/2.
Lifare 1496 Reg. Cupar A. I. 251.
Til … Duncane Schanwel, … his spous, … thair sone, … and to the langast liffare of thaim thre 1505 Chart. Coupar A. II. 115.
Liffer(b) 1481 Soc. Ant. Chart. (Reg. H.) No. 14.
We and the langast lufar of ws twa 1539 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 552.
The langest luffar 1548 Rec. Earld. Orkn. 235.
Lufar(c) 1484 Grant Chart. 36.
To him and to hir and the langest louffar of thameb. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 39/12.
Heire we are mixt, gud luffaris and synnaris togiddir 1490 Ib.162/18.
Be the wertu of the haly name … all mirakilis has bene kyd, nocht anerly be gud men bot be euill lyffaris c1490 Id. Asl. MS. I. 13/25.
It dois plesans … to the gud liffaris of the warld … It helpis ewill liffaris to torne fra thair syn
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"Liffar n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/liffare>
