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.
Pecify, v. Also: pecie-, pece-, peaci-, pesi- and -fie, -fye, -fé. [Altered form of Pacify, by assimilation to Pes(e n.2]
a. tr. To bring to peace, to calm. = Pacify v. 1.Also, to pecifie (a person or community) of (strife, etc.).(1) 1533 Bell. Livy I. 46/21.
Al nychtbouris … war mesit and pecifyit 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 39.
To pesife the pepill of this realm 1554 Ib. 391.
Quhilk will pecifie the haill Gleng[unn] 1570 Leslie 68.
The king … wes peciefiet and agreit(2) 1533 Boece ii. i. 56 b.
The … gude fame of ane noble man pecifyit and fermyt maist new kinrikis 1570 Leslie 65.
The sending of the army in Scotland … to pecefye that cuntrey(3) 1531 Bell. Boece I. 36.
War nocht the king pecifyit thair ire in time Id. Livy I. 4/20.
Syne how of goddis the cruell violence Be erdly wit couth neuer be pecifyit(4) 1533 Bell. Livy I. 49/3.
To meis and pecify the offence of saulis towart thar goddis(5) 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 181 (G).
To pecefye the hart and conscience off ane gude Chrystiane man(6) 1531 Bell. Boece I. 144.
Prudent men sal pas to the Pichtis to peacifie thaim of al seditionis Ib. 188.
Quhen he had peacifyit his realme of all debaitis [etc.] Ib. II. 133.
b. To be pecifit with (others), to be at peace with them.1533 Bell. Livy II. 69/5.
Becaus all nychtbouris at this tyme war pecifyt with Romanis
c. In Bell. Livy used ( ? erron.) to render L. ferre to put forward or propose (a law). —1533 Bell. Livy I. 263/19.
Quhen the law suld haue bene first pecifyit [L. ferri] Ib. 264/11.
Thocht the pepill tuke grete sollicitude … to pecifye [L. ferendæ aut accipiendæ] the said law
