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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Purify, -ifé, v. Also: purifi-, puriffy, puryfé, purefy, -efé. P.t. and p.p. purifyit, -feit etc., also purifit. [ME and e.m.E. purifien (a1300), puryfie (Rolle), -fyen, -fyyn (Prompt. Parv.), purify (Caxton), F. purifier (c1190 in Wartburg), late L. pūrificāre, f. L. pūrus clean, pure.] To purify.

1. To free from extraneous matter, to rid of impurities, to free from contamination or pollution, to cleanse. b. To remove impurity from (precious metal). a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 17.
The northin wind had purifyit the air 1490 Irland Mir. I 66/8.
This tre … of lif had restorit and purified the nutriment befor tane a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 340 (Ch. & M.).
I … dulcely drank of eloquence the fontayne Quhen it was purifit [B. purefeit, M. purifiit] wyth frost and flowit clere c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6041.
Boith erth and walter, fyre and air, Salbe more perfyte maid and fair, The quhilkis affore had myxit bene Sall than be purifyit and maid clene 1622-6 Bisset I 43/23.
Na seid salbe sawin quhill it be puryfeid fra all noysum granisb. 1567–8 Reg. Privy C. I 613.
For everie hundreth unce wecht of gold and silver that sal happin to be fund … and tryit and purifeit be wescheing 1637 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 108.
The second essay may prove better nor the first because the boilling of the siluer for the inleying … hes purified it the more

2. To cleanse of moral or spiritual defilement, to free from the taint of sin. 1513 Doug. vi xii 46.
And in the fyre the gilt of other sum Is purefyit and clengit all and sum c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts xxi 26.
He [Paule] was purifijt with thame … and schewit the filling of dais of purifiing 1533 Boece 293.
Thir haly bischopis … be the lauatoure of bapteme … purifyit grete nowmer of Britons Ib. 522b.
Purefyit a1550 Ave Gloriosa 94.
The haly spreit Thé purifyit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6234.
Quhame [thou] … Did puriffy … With the blude of that holy innocent

3. To fulfil (a condition), so as to render a legal obligation ‘pure’ or unconditional: see Pur(e adj.¹ 3.Also e.m.E. (1590, a1624). 1671 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 553.
He suspends upon this reason, that the bond was conditional … but this condition was never purified; but to the contrary, a second donatar to the said ward and marriage … was preferred