A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1632
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Ourdrive, -dryve, v. Also: oure-, owr-, or(e)- and -drif(e, -ff, -dryf(f, -drywe. P.t. -draf(e, -draif, -drayff, -drawe. P.p. -drivyn, -driwyne, -driffin, -dryvin(e, -yn, -drywyn, -drive, -dryve; -drevin(g, -yn(e, -drewin, -yn. [Late north. ME. p.t. our-draue (c 1450) (in sense 2 b below), late ME. ore-drafe (c 1420) (= drove or moved over); cf. Overdrive.]Written as one or two words.
1. tr. To come through (hardship or danger) more or less successfully; to live through, pass through. 1375 Barb. iv. 661 (E).
Bot fele anoyis thole ye sall … Bot ye sall thaim ourdryve [C. ourdriff] ilkane c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 8056.
Ouredrive 1513 Doug. v. xi. 57.
And stormys gret ourdrewyn and sufferyt haue we 1513 Ib. x. i. 129.
Quhat proffit … to haue … Sa feill dangeris bywent and ourdryve [Ruddim. ouer drive] 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix. 22.
Hir grace … as I dout not, wil ourdryue thir dangeris
2. To pass through (any period of time); to cause (time) to pass; to pass, spend, occupy (time); to live out (one's life).(1), (a) c1420 Wynt. viii. 1793.
Bydand prewaly Owrdrywand a day or twa 1513 Doug. xiii. ix. 51.
With commonyng … euery wyght The lang … nyght Gan schape full fast to mak schort and ourdryve 1632 Edinburgh's Vertues 140 in Fugitive Poetry 2 Ser.
Read [my poetry] with patience … And, if no more, it shall o'redryue the time(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 171.
This haly fastinge thus our-drafe thai Til it come to the Palme Sonday c1420 Wynt. v. 3479.
The byschape Basyle … Than waknyt and oure-drawe that nycht a1540 Freiris Berw. 417 (B).
Ourdraif [M. our thay draif] 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 275.
At no tyme ydill fund, … No day ore-drawe whairin he wrought Nor vertuous work in it(c) 1375 Barb. xix. 48 i (E).
Quhen thai that day our drewyn [C. ourdrivyn] had [etc.] a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 984.
I haf oft striwyn This sewinten ȝere & thaim ourdryvyn c1400 Troy-bk. i. 449.
And men that eild had ourdrevyne … Scho couth restore agane 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 253.(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 56.
Ȝoȝima, thu has … stalawrtly [sic in pr.] thi cource ordryvine c1420 Wynt. iv. 1762 (W).
He … fled furth till oure drif his day c1420 Ib. vii. 4 (R).
[They] Oure-drevyn [W. oure dreving, C. our drewynn] had all thare dayis in dule a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 487 (Asl.).
His dayis our dryvand [Arund. ouredriffand] in stait sa dangerous a1499 Ib. 876.
b. absol. or intr. To allow time to pass or elapse; to spend time inactively.Also, to lat ourdrive, id. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvi. 641.
Thane thai ourdraf & held tham stil … Sone eftyre a-nothyr day Thai come c1420 Ratis Raving 1423.
The fyfte eild … waistis wynyng al away And lattis our-dryf fra day to day c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 20.
With slewth ay to ourdryve [Arund. ourdrife, M. ourdryff]
c. In passive: To be brought to an end, to be spent; to have passed away. 1375 Barb. v. 3 (E).
This wes in ver quhen wynter tid … Was our drywyn [C. ourdriffinn] a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 117.
Sum days ourdriwyne ware Eftyre he had conuersyt thare c1420 Wynt. v. 2843.
Our-drywyn [C. ourdrewyn, W. our dryvin] a1500 Henr. III. 119/30 (B).
Bot now tha dayis ourdrevin [M. ourdrewin] ar & done 1533 Bell. Livy II. 186/3.
Mony skarmusingis … throw quhilk the tyme was lang oure drevin but ony … victorie
d. intr. To pass away, come to an end. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1182.
The nycht was myrk, our drayff the dyrkfull chance 1450-1510 Gray MS. vi. 68.
Bot all our drivis as dew bedene That [etc.]
e. tr. To bring to an end, cause to pass. a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 740 (Asl.).
Herfor sanct Job askit to be in hell Quhill tyme that dome mast dredable couth ourdryf [Harl. ourdrive]
3. In passive: To be overblown or covered over (with sand). 1493 Acts Lords of Council I. 293/2.
That the said four husband landis offerit to hir in Gulane wer owrdrevin witht sande & nocht arable
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