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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Slef(e, Slev(e, n. Also: sle(i)f(f)(e, sleyf, sleiv(e, sliev(e, sleyve, sleeve, slew(e, sleiw(e, slewof(f, -ef(f, scle(i)f(f)(e, sclev(e, sclew(e, slif(f)(e, slive, sliwe. [ME and e.m.E. slev(e (a1225), slef(e (c1325), slieve (Gower), sclyve (c1400), slyve (c1449), sklev(e (1463), OE slíęfe, etc., Anglian sléfe wk. fem., slíęf, slýf str. fem. Cf. Fris. slewe, slev, etc. See also Sleiss.]

1. A sleeve, the part of a garment which covers the arm; also, freq., as a separate item of clothing designed for use with more than one body-garment. Variously const. Freq. a pair of slefis. Also fig.For many further examples see the various volumes of Treas. Acc.See also underslefe.(1) 1474 Treas. Acc. I 22.
Satyne to lyne the Kingis riding govne scleffis 1489 Treas. Acc. I 144.
Sclevis 1500 Treas. Acc. II 21.
Wellus to lyne the cuffis of the slefis(b) 1473 Treas. Acc. I 16.
iij quarteris of blac for sleiffis of the Kingis gowne 1474 Treas. Acc. I 20.
Vthir twa gowne sleifis 1511–12 Treas. Acc. IV 211.
To be the Quene scleiffis, j½ elne blak satyne 1515–16 in Doug. (Sm.) I p. lxxvii.
The said Lorde Dromonde wapped his sleif at an harrold, and gave hym vpon the breste with his hand(c) c1420 Wynt. v 3710.
Quhare-off sacles blud … Yhit Wanhewys bath slew [C. sleyf, W. sleif] and hand 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 215.
Ekit … in the sclewez fent and collar in ane goune of black welvot … x new bestis mynkis 1538 Treas. Acc. VII 93.
For bukrem to stuff the slevis for falt of caddes 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4122 (B).
To … telȝeouris I geve gud leve To steill a silly stump or sleve [Ch. sleife] To Kittok his awin wyfe 1541 St. P. Henry VIII V 196.
With recent blude of the personis slayn, … apon thair … slevis 1552 Treas. Acc. X 70.
vj quarteris crisp to draw the slevis of hir goune 1578 Mill Mediæv. Plays 339.
Ane packet of sairkis slevis and hois 1591 Crim. Trials I ii 253.
The slewis of the serk vpoun his leggis, and the taill about his heid 1606 Dunblane Test. III 104.
Ane pair of blak bodies with thair slewis 1608 Edinb. Test. XLIV 247.
I leve to the said Issobell Keirlie my ilk dayis kirtill paitlet slevis [etc.](d) 1617 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 226.
The bodie and sleiwis … thairof c1650 Spalding I 39.
Abone the quhilk his blak goun is put on and his armes throw the goun sleives 1675 Cunningham Diary 51.
Sleeve(e) 1687 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 136.
I pletted the belt for the knee of the breach, and drew it through and made belts for the buckles of my slievs(f) 1649 Wemyss Chart. 231.
My kramisei satin peitikot … with my stomigeir and sliues of itt seilf 1668 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 184.
On quarter of doubelle dew for the fassing of your slives £2. 3. 0. 1696 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 191.
For camrick to slives, £3 14 s.(2) 1429 Acts II 18/2.
That … centynnal ȝemen in lordis housis … sal haf narow slewis & litil pokis & … that the commonis wifis … wer … na pokis on thar slefis a1500 K. Hart 947.
To Vant and Voky ȝe beir this rowm slef 1494 Loutfut MS 123a.
New maid knychtis sall ilkane bere on his left sleif a schort lasse of quhit silk 1511–12 Treas. Acc. IV 212.
To lyne wyd sclevez and ege ane goune … vj elnis blak welvet 1513 Doug. vi Prol. 24.
Sibil, deir of a revyn sleif 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I 175.
Ane koit [pr. kort] sleif of colour the roy 15.. Sym & Bruder 25.
Sanct James schellis on the tother syd sleuis 1565 Prot. Bk. G. Grote 69.
My bone grace and … lang slevis of lylis worsate 1596 Dalr. I 93/25.
Wyde sleifes of negligence hinging doune evin to thair knies 1602 Tailor's Acc. Bk. 22b.
iij ellis of bukrame to be wyre sleivis and to band the taill and wirk the hingand by slevis on(3) 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 128.
Ane pair of wyd slevis of arming flypand bakward … ane pair of the like slevis of martrikis [etc.] 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 206.
Twa slevis of pinsall claith 1603 Montgomery Mem. 249.
Sleifs of plousch c1644 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B 65.
Sleiweis of teifteitfig. a1500 Henr. III 103/30.
Hir slevis suld be of esperance, To keip hir fra dispair a1568 Bann. MS 228b/37.
Hir slewis suld be of sueit semblans … Weill cuffit with continewance [etc.] 1572 Sat. P. xxxiii 24.
My gluifis wer of fre liberalitie My sleifis wer of to borrow and len glaidlie(4) 1474 Treas. Acc. I 20.
j elne of blew tartar to lyne a pare of sleifis of a blac gowne 1507 Treas. Acc. III 263.
Ane pair of sleffis to the King quhen he raid 1522 Wigtown B. Ct. 128b.
For the vrangus halding fra hir of ane payre of blak slewis 1540 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 215.
His wyf hes ane pair of russat sleiffis laid in wod be ane woman 1564–5 Old Dundee II 245.
Item, ane pair of mellay slewis, price 8 s. 1571 6th Rep. Hist. MSS 655/1 (see Jerinssey attrib.). 1586 St. A. Test. II 56.
Ane pair of awld maltman slevis 1590–1 Crail B. Ct. MS 16 Feb.
Twa pair off sleiffis off silk ane thairoff off reid and ane wther off blak 1591–2 St. A. B. Ct. 7 Jan.
The quhilk day Jonet Scott … is ordenit to exhibet ane pair of slevis of figurat taffetie 1596 Misc. Spald. C. II 133.
Thow art indytit … for the thifteous steling of … ane pair of slewis, tua pair schankis [etc.] 1606 Dunblane Test. III 104.
Ane pair of louse sleivis 1610 Brechin Test. II 28b.
Sliffis 1674 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 375.(5) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 261.
To be the king a greit jakkat wyth sleiffis 1503–4 Treas. Acc. II 223.
To be ane cote … but sleffis 1506 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 249.
My schort red cote of wellours wythout sclewis 1529 Treas. Acc. V 362.
[Ane] girkin coit with slevis 1533–4 Treas. Acc. VI 184.
Ane slop with slevis 1540 Maxwell Mem. 410.
Ane hugtone of blak welwet without slefis 1553 Old Ross-shire I 264.
The said abbersounis to be with sclevis 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV 75b.
Ane pair of bodies with slewis — 1473 Treas. Acc. I 55.
For a jaket with lang sleifis ij½ elne of quhite chamlot 1495 Treas. Acc. I 256.
A wyde coite with sleiffis of the new fassoune 1506 Treas. Acc. III 249.
Ane cote … with schort sleffis 1538 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 91.
Ane lufray in maner following, … ane coitt of blak with slevis indentit berand the townis airmis [etc.] 1576 Crim. Trials I ii 51.
Ane gray coitt with lumbart slevis of the auld fassoun a1585 Maitl. Q. 1/12.
Thair gounis ar coistlie … Barrit with veluous sleif nek and taillis a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. 1/17.
Furrit cloikkis, With hingand slevis 1660 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 188.
Ane syde grey coatt or jowp of cloath with sleives turned up

2. A sleeve used in various particular contexts. a. As a favour or token. b. To be worn over armour. c. As part of a charm in witchcraft.a. ?1438 Alex. i 3203.
Vpon his gilt helme, for drowrie, Was put the sleif of ane lady ?1438 Alex. i 2804.b. 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 162.
For ane elne of ȝallow taffiteis of the cord to be ane armyng slew to the kingis grace 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 75.
To be ane sleve to put abone the kingis harnes twa elnis purpure teffitesc. 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 189.
Elspet Strachund … is indydtit to haue charmit Mage Clark … with ane sleife [pr. sleipth] and ane thrum 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 192.
Ane woman in Petmurche haid the feaweris, be ane threide and ane sliwe 1607 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 199.
James Bryanis wyff … causit the said Elspet tak a threid and a slew of the said Jonettis and put a threid about hir to sie giff the seikness was the feweris or not 1607 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 200.
Jonet Jak deponit that Elspet Smytht causit hir tak a wolne thred and a slewof [Dalyell Darker Superst. 117, slewef], and put the threid about hir bodie and the slewoff [Dalyell Darker Superst. 117, sleweff]

3. Fore sleve, ? the fore part of a sleeve or ? an ornamental sleeve. (Cf. ME and e.m.E. forsleve, foresleeve; cf. also Foresleve v.) 1522 Treas. Acc. V 193.
Blak veluot to be ane doublet and the fore slevis with claith of gold

4. A sleeve of plate or chain mail, a piece of armour for covering and protecting the arm. Also attrib. with Plate n.¹ 3.See also Mailȝe n.¹ 2 b and Plate n.¹ 4 for further examples. Cf. next. 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII 399.
Ane pair slewis of plait 1569 Edinb. Test. I 260b.
Ane pair of malȝie slevis fyue li.attrib. 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII 143.
Fyftene hundreth sleiff plettis price of the hundreth xx d. 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 82b.
Tua thousand sleiff plaittis price of the thousand xlv s.

b. A further example of Plate-slefe n. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 177/4.
Sicc traiterouse defensiue armes as secrettis, pleatesleues & siclyke unseene armoure

5. In various phrases: a. (To lay, hide, etc.) (something) in(to) (under) one's slefe.Chiefly with reference to the custom of placing pockets in the sleeves of a gown; also, of the concealment of something in the sleeve. Also fig. a1400 Leg. S. i 430.
Petir … blissit it [sc. bread] and syne it lade In his slefe c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 125/68.
Jok that wes wont to keip the stirkis Can now draw him ane cleik of kirkis With ane fals cairt in to his sleif 1531 Bell. Boece II 48.
Ilk Saxon had ane dagare hid under his sleif a1538 Abell 42b.
Ilk ane suld haif his digair in his sleif reddie a1540 Freiris Berw. 514.
Draw thy handis bayth in to thy sleif a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 335/22.
My hand I putt in to my sleif And furthe of it ane purs I drew a1578 Pitsc. I 350/13.
My book quhilk is heir in my slef a1578 Pitsc. II 79/3.
The wther pat the pulder round about him in his sleiffis and in his body and bucklit it fast 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 62.
Bot fra that rang not in his sleyve, He wald with thame no mair remane, Bot maid him for the court aganefig. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4547 (B).
Than haive I remissioun in my sleif [Ch. Than my remissioun is in my sleife] 1558 Inverness Rec. I 19.
For he wald put all the towne in his sleyf for ane punt ayll in ane penne purse

b. fig. To lauch in one's sleive, to laugh to oneself, to nurse inward feelings of amusement or satisfaction. 1597 Melvill 431.
Yie, wha, lauching in your sleive, Now [etc.] 1673 Fugitive Poetry II xxxiv 2/32.
Indeed we'll do't, and thus laugh in our slieve

c. fig. To schaik (something) out of one's sleve, to produce (something) immediately or at will. 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. in Cath. Tr. (STS) 85/31.
Thir men cower thair ignorance vants thame selfs to haue the Haly Spreit quhome they schaik out of thair sleue at thair plaisure 1653 Laing MSS 275.
For you have no learning … that can shake a sermon out of their sleiffe

d. To tak (someone) by the slefe, to get a grip of (a person's) sleeve.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 2881.
By the sleif he hes him tane, And tald him all a1500 Henr. Fab. 2338 (Ch.).
He plukkit him be the sleif [H., Bass. sleiff] a1500 K. Hart 492.
Fresche Delyte come rynnand … And with ane pull gat Ȝouthheid be the sleif 1668-9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 189.
They were led by the sleeves as children(2) 1661 Hay Fleming Six Saints I 359.
I would reckon my self happy to get a grip of his sleeve, to hale me in, when Mr. Rutherford enters the gates

e. In proverbial use. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3195.
Se that ȝe put not ȝour sleif Farther nor hand may reik 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8007.
In at bosum and sine out at ȝour sleif a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 686.
Put your hand na farder nor your sleive may reeke a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1571.
Ye ar all gon to sleiff & that is hingand be a tak a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1784.
Your conscience is lyke a gray freirs sleive 1630 Misc. Hist. Soc. II 256.
But it is dengerus to put the hand forder than the sleive can reich