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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rif(f)in, Rivin, Revin, ppl. adj. Also: rifyn, riffyne; riv-, riwen; ryvin, rywin(e, -yn, -en; rewine, -yn(e, -en; reiv-, reav-, reyven, reiffin. [ME and e.m.E. rivyn (1307–27), ryven (c1450), revyn (north., 1457), ryffen (north., c1460), riven (Spenser); Rif(e v.]Freq. in collocation with Rent ppl. adj., q.v. for further examples.

1. That has been torn, split or damaged. a. Of cloth or a garment, also a shoe. Also proverb.(a) c1420 Wynt. ii 1107.
Wytht aulde hose and rywine [C. rewyn, W. revin] schone 1502 Treas. Acc. II 38.
Ane rifyn sark 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 174.
Ane alde rifin lynning ruif Ib.
Riffyne Ib. 176.
viij ald brovdin cussenis all rent and riffin 1655 Edinb. Test. LXVIII 63b.
Sex old riven cusheones(b) ?1438 Alex. ii 9722.
Sa mony ane riche garment Thare was defoulit, reuin and rent 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 960.
Bot all his clething revin and raggit was 1497 Treas. Acc. I 327.
For mending of the kingis revin arras clathis 1513 Doug. vi Prol. 24.
A revyn sleif 1540 Maxwell Mem. I 408.
Ane ald rewyn dornyk copbwrd clatht 1549 Compl. 69/18.
This mantil … vas reuyn & raggit in mony placis 1616 Aberd. B. Rec. II 345.
The ald enseingȝie … is all lacerat and revin 1628 Edinb. Test. LIV 258b.
Auld revin courtingis(c) 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Lacer, reiffin [1617 reuen]proverb. 1531 Bell. Boece II 479.
Thay sit full stil that hes ane revin breik a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 581.
Riven a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 546.
Fortune and revin scheits garris manie men ly on the strae

b. Of paper: Torn, damaged; ? torn out of a book. 1436–7 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 5.
Se the lyke act in the auldest revin buik 1533 Boece 225.
We resauit of ald bukis certane rewyne quaris 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX 163.
[They pulled the said letters from him,] rave the same in small peiceis, and bad the said messenger cary the same revin letters to his majestie 16.. Exch. R. I 35.
The first comptis ar revin, blekked and can not be red

c. Of a building, part of a building, or manufactured article: Torn asunder; split off or apart; cracked; severely damaged. Also proverb. and fig.(1) 1525 Acts II 296/1.
The palice of Falkland … is rivin 1583 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 310.
The thak of the same is rywin and resaweis watter(b) 1528 Lynd. Dreme 209.
Thir catyuis tuke no compt of thair awin curis, Thare kirkis rewin 1563 Reg. Privy C. I 247.
The wallis in sindrie partis ar revin 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 18.
For it was baith reuin and ruynous, and had stand emptie without ony dweller Ib. 71.
Ane hous (I say) reuin, solitarie, on everie syde 1596 Dalr. I 251/19.
To repare in his realme, alde, throuch all partes deformet, reiuen, and brokne kirkes(2) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 289.
For bering of a ryvin gunstok … to Johne Lammys smythy to bynd it 1672 Old Ross-shire I 193.
3000 deals … unrotten and riven 1674 Inverness Rec. II 259.
Ane of the riwen bells 1678 Moray Synod 171.
[It was] regrated the kirk bell was riven(b) 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 182.
viii dosone revin dalis 1537–8 Ib. 220.
i^c rewin dalis and ane hundreth sawin dalis 1562-3 Winȝet I 114/22.
The auld and reuin ornamentis, sklate, thak … and siclyke 1570 Prot. Bk. A. Millar 4b.
Twa auld rewin puncionis 1628 Edinb. Test. LIV 258b.
Ane auld revin bedpan 1669 Ib. LXXIII 324b.
Ane reiven glasproverb. 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. fol. 21a.
Thy wyfe … will keip it [sc. your secret] als clois As watter in ane rewine bois a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 450.
He is as welcome as water in a rivin ship a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 133.
A reaven pot played never even Ib. No. 1842.
Ye sal get your kaill in a revin dishfig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 258.
Alas, my riven dish … can hold little of Christ Jesus!

d. Of a part of the body: Torn, lacerated. Also fig. 1535 Stewart 2866.
Bayth heid and hals … War revin and rentfig. a1450 Fifeteen Ois 281.
O Jesu Christ, … With body rent and revin hert

e. Extended. c1420 Wynt. i 747.
Hys [sc. a beast's] mowyth of kynd is rywyn [C. rewyn] wyde Fra ere tyll ere on ilk syde

f. fig. Of a non-material thing: ‘Damaged’, spoiled; marred, diminished in worth or value. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4268.
Ane reuin rewaird I get ay reddyest a1634 Read Buch. 3.
Quho thought himself able (be witnes brought from home, togither with his riven dreames) to contend against the wniversall consent of all

2. Of a person: a. Dressed in rags; wearing tattered clothing, b. Damaged as a result of maltreatment; roughly handled; ‘in a bad way’. Also riven and rent. c. Either (? or both) of a and b above.a. 1375 Barb. ii 513 (see Rent ppl. adj. 2 a).b. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 463.
Men … led hyme don thru the ton Rywen and rent as he wes ?1438 Alex. ii 9033 (see Rent ppl. adj. 2 b). c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 57.
Iersche brybour baird, … Revin, raggit ruke, and full of rebaldrie 1528 Lynd. Dreme 945 (see Rent ppl. adj. 2 b). 1572 Sat. P. xxxii 67 (see Rent ppl. adj. 2 b).c. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3476 (see Rent ppl. adj. 2 c).

3. Only in Dalr., rendering L. præruptus: Broken or torn off; hence, of places, steep, precipitous. 1596 Dalr. I 22/22.
With the name of Madne Castel is Edinburgh named, reyuen round about in the craig, … round about I say except foranent the toune is this castel ryven [L. castri puellarum, prærupta undique in rupe, nisi qua urbem respicit]