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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Passive, a. and n. Also: pessive. [ME. and e.m.E. passif (Wyclif), -yve, -ive, L. passīv-us, F. passif.] Passive.

1. Involving suffering, not action. 1456 Hay I. 118/1.
For all vertu morale is ane understanding of … his [sc. man's] werkis outhir actives or passives

2. Of grammatical voice. c1505-8 Donatus 1 b.
How mony participillis cumis fra a verb passiue 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 8.
The verbes actives passives and anomales 16.. Rudiments 23 a.
The passiue forme

b. Ellipt., as noun: The passive voice. — c1505-8 Donatus 1 a.
The passiue 16.. Rudiments 6 b.
The tymes of the passiue … may be easilie formed [etc.]

3. In legal use.a. Involving a tacit or implied liability for obligations incurred by another, as an heir's liability for the debts incurred by his predecessor. b. Applied to a person in some legal rôle, as heir or tutor: That has without action on his own part but simply by virtue of his legal rôle become liable in this way.a. 1577–8 Reg. Privy C. II. 664.
In the saidis Margaret Dundas as relict executrice … and hir said spous for his interes passive 1681 Stair Inst. iii. vi. 3.
The reason of introducing this passive title is in favour of creditors that they be not unsatisfied … by the heirs of the defunct debtorsb. 1577 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 31.
The clame … aganis Hercules Hay … the sowme [etc.] … conforme to ane decreit arbitrall … to the quhilk decreit the auctoritie of the said burrow court is interponit and transferrit in the persone of the said Hercules as air foirsaid pessiue [sic in ed.] 1579–80 Reg. Privy S. VII. 373/2.
Sute transferringis of the said contractis in himself as his majesteis irrevocabill assignay foirsaid active and in the airis and successouris of the personis contractaris abonenamit passive 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV. 66.
The said Timothie … obtenit … ane decreit of translatioun of the said first obligatioun in the said present erll and his tutour passive with letters in the foure formes thairupoun a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 306.
For nothing can make ane air active bot a retour; bot a seruice (albeit not retoured) … will make him air passive 1642 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III. 6.
[By the present decree the former one was transferred] in the persone of the said defendar passive as air maill to the said umquhill Alexr. Irving his father's brother sone