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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.

Luve, n. Also: luv, luwe; leuve; louve; loove, loowe; lov, low(e, loive. [Early ME. luve, ME. and e.m.E. love, lowe (1422), loove: cf. Lufe n.¹ and Lo.]

1. Love as a state of feeling, in senses of Lufe n. 1.a (a) c1420 Wynt. v. 509.
For luwe or than for threte Ib. vii. 3620.
Quhen Alysandyr oure Kyng wes dede, That Scotland led in luwe [W. luf] and le 1526–7 Lamont P. 36.
[That the parties] sal continew and persevoir in perfyt luv 1562-3 Winȝet II. 33/17.
That man … quhome thow hes embraceit in grete veneratioun and luwe 1596 Dalr. II. 284/11.
Quhat was done for luue of thair cuntrie Ib. 336/14.
The Scotis hartes … to bind til him in perpetual feruour and sueit luue(b) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 583.
He gaif him sic ane favour and a loue Ib. 635.
Alexander persauand in him love Ib. 2065. Ib. 2596.
[The Romans] nocht desyrit bot love freindschip and peace Ib. 2914.
To will the loue of lordis 1549 Compl. 3/17.
The feruent loue that ȝour grace baris touart … ȝour only dochtir c1568 Lauder Minor P. iii. 114.
Our godlie werks of mercy and of loue 1578 Conv. Burghs I. 56.
The auld freindschip, lang and mutuall lowe haid betuix ws … and ȝow a1585 Maitl. Q. xxv. 73.
Thay help ȝow not for loue thay haue to ȝow a1578 Pitsc. I. 239/5.
Tochar guide … to be gevin vnto the King of Scotland to augment his lowe and kyndnes vnto him 1650 Laing MSS. I. 253.
The dispositione bears for love and favour 1652 Honours Scotl. 121.
Lou and faithfulness is remouit out of this land(c) 1628 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 294.
Hartlie thanks for expressing your loive … to our towne(d) 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 319.
My loowe and dewtie rememberedb (a) c1420 Wynt. v. 742.
Off God or man but luve or lawe 1562-3 Winȝet I. 78/31.
In the feir and luue of our God and nychtbour Ib. II. 34/7.
With sa grete luue of the sanctis(b) c1420 Ratis R. 1199.
Throw loue ore grace c1475 Wall. vi. 104.
His der lestand lowe a1585 Maitl. Q. xlvi. 23.
Ay sic lote is linked with his love 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 127.
But gif sa be … that we haue na love nor liking to him(c) 1602 Glasgow Merchants House 15.
The louve that I beir to Godis glorie and to the poorec (1) c1420 Wynt. i. 1560.
Thai halde alsua this Venus wes Off luve lady and goddes Ib. v. 1454.
On ane off thai scho set hyr luwe c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvii. 26.
In luvis court anis did I dwell Ib. 68.
A luvis thocht a1540 Freiris Berw. 169.
Than in hett luve thay talkit vderis till a1568 Bann. MS. 255/25. 1581 Burne Cath. Tract. 171/30.
Ane change … from bukis of prayer To ballattis of luue(b) a1500 Lanc. 1090.
Byrnyng in loues fyre Ib. 2374.
Who hath in to the chen Of low yhour hart? Ib. 2397.
The lowe quhich long hath ben in to her thocht 15.. Clar. ii. 1868.
With thrist of love so … insatiabill c1590 Fowler I. 37/25. Ib. 62/114.
Sen thow [so] well in me hed spyed … My double lowe(c) a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 9.
The freyndlie loove was sa heighlie contracted be this great princes towart hir enorme subject(2) c1420 Wynt. v. 552.
And that wes done agane the lawe For luwe off woman, or for awe 1461 Liber Plusc. 382.
All thir birdis that syngand heir for luve is a1568 Gyre-carling 6.
For luve of hir lawchand lippis he walit a 1510 Aberd. Univ. Rev. XXXVI. 47.
Scho walde nocht lene to me For luwe the taile ende of hir e(3) c 1601 Dalyell Darker Superst. 205.
Schawing that thou was in love with the said Elizabeth, quhilk thou knew perfytlie vald be thy deid(4) proverbs. c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 252 b/48;
As gud luve cumis as gais a1568 Scott xxvii. 29; a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 170. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxii. 8; Ib. 36.
Ȝit I must say, as sooth men oft hes said: Love maks the choyce, bot Fortun maks the cha[nce] a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1641) No. 576.
Love hes na lack a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1083.
Love may meikle, hut money may mair(5) attrib. a1500 Sir Eger 775.]
[I must forgo Love-liking, and man-hood all clean 1645 Rutherford Tryal Faith 379.
Christ is God's highest love-gift 1637 Id. Lett. (1862) I. 456.
I … am troubled with love-brashes and love-fevers a1651 Calderwood II. 342.
Manie love words she useth to Bothwell in this letter

2. A lover. = Lufe n.¹ 2.(a) c1420 Wynt. vi. 475.
Wyth hyr luwe scho past off land c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvii. 79. Ib. 70.
Is none sa trew a luve as he That for trew luve of ws did de a1540 Freiris Berw. 156.
He … said, ‘My awin luve deir’ a1568 Bann. MS. 243 b/45.
Troyallus … Still waittand for his luvis returne(b) c1568 Lauder Minor P. v. 31.
Lat euerie one chuse thame thair lauchfull loue [: aboue] c1590 Fowler I. 96/375.
Than did my lowe, my iem and ioy, speik so(c) 1686 Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 30.
Sa take some pitty on your leuve

3. a. A kind of crape or gauze, used for mournings. b. Love of the mist, ? id. c. Attrib. in love-hude, -pock, -vaill.? Orig. a. ‘mourning-stuff, mourning’, and c. ‘mourning-hood’, then ‘hood of mourning-stuff’, ‘hood of crape’.e.m.E. had love-hood (1663, 1747) as the name of the stuff, crape for mourning, and mod. Eng. love (1751– ) id. or a border of this, love-ribbon (19th c.) ‘narrow gauze ribbon … employed to tie on crape hat-hands when worn at funerals’ (Caulfeild & Saward Dict. Needlework s.v.).a. 1648 Edinb. Test. LXIV. 36.
xvj ȝairds and ane half of low 1663–6 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp MS. 25 b.
For a murneing tippett of thrie ellis and 3 halff quarteris of brod love at 3 pound 12s. per elne Ib. 29.
Tuo ellis of love for a hatt band … at 3 lib. the ell 1667 Edinb. Test. LXXIII. 60 b. 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 350.
Funerall … two ellis of broad love to cover the helmit £04 16 00 1688 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 310.
Tuo pices midlen love, 1 ps. silk creep 1690 Berw. Old Doc. Fol. . No. 35.
1½ ells plain mushlin … ½ ells ditto stripped … 2¾ ells Italian loveb. 1651 Edinb. Test. LXV. 225 h.
xij dussane and ane half of love of the mist estimat all to xlv lib. … fyve elnes and ane half of silk & silver ribbinesc (1) 1641 Thanes of Cawdor 305.
Ane taffatie hood £2 6s.; Item, loue pock £2 1643 Edinb. Test. LX. 234.
Aucht crowned taffettie hudis … , tuentie sex littell love poikis estimat all to xx lib. xvj s. Ib.
Sextene love hudis at xxxij s. the peice, … sex vther love hudis 1646 Ib. LXI. 303 b.
Four love hoods at xliiij s. the peice 1646–8 Thanes of Cawdor 306.
A large crowned love hood —1643 Edinb. Test. LX. 234 b (see Lacet ppl. a. b).1648 Thanes of Cawdor 308 (see Lacet ppl. a. b). —1654 Edinb. Test. LXVIII. 39 b.(2) 1687 Montgomery Mem. 339.
Ane love vaill and ane creap one