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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
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Schef(e, S(c)heif(f, S(c)hafe, S(c)haif(f, n.² Also: scheff, schev-, s(c)hew-, scheife, cheif, s(c)heive; s(c)heaff, s(c)heaf(e, s(c)heave, s(c)heawe; sheeff; schaife, schayff-, schaf(f, chaff, shaffe; s(c)haive; s(c)hav-, s(c)haw-; schaeff, shaefe; pl. also schewiffis. [ME and e.m.E. shæfe (Orm), sheue (a1250), s(c)haue, scaue (all Cursor M.), schaffe (1309–10, north.), scheef (1387), shef (Piers Plowman), scheffe, scheef, schoof (all Prompt. Parv.), shefe (1485), shayff (1532–3, north.).]

1. A sheaf (of corn or some other cereal plant, also of the stalks of one of these or some other plant) made up after reaping. Also fig.Appar. regarded as a rough measure in estimating the yield of a crop.Also attrib. with tendis = c below.(1) 1488 Lanark B. Rec. 1.
Nicol Schirelaw is maid commoun herde … for ix d. ilke soum and a scheif of corn of ilke hous 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2750.
Our persone will not want ane scheif of beir 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 177.
Nane hors boyes to enter with the scheiffes of cornes taikin be thame furth of the hervest feyldis 1587 Carmichael Etym. 19.
A scheafe of corne 1595 Rec. Earld. Orkney 170.
Anent fyw scheiffis off corne alledgit tane off Thomas Trochane's rig … and sett upone Georg Cloustoun's rige be the said George's man quhilk was making on his corne 1600 Reg. Great S. 352/1. 1601 Crim. Trials II 363.
For taking of ane schaeff of peis off thair land 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 97.
The stowth of nyne scheiffis of bere 1612 Crim. Trials III 220.
Ane beir stak contening tuelf schevis of beir 1619 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 132.
7 threve four scheves peis stra 1625 Edinb. Test. LIII 114.
Sex scheives of femill hempt 1635 Dickson Wr. 134.
A sheaf of corn … when it is thrashen, is letten through the wind 1662–3 Peebles B. Rec. II 202.
For five thak sheifs of stra for making Thomas Brouns bed … 3 s. 4 d.(b) 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. fol. 169b.
xiii schavis of bear 1526 Dumfries B. Ct. fol. 89a.
Dan Newall tuk nocht ix schawis of corn out of the Wolff Gyll 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II 11.
xxij schavis of bere 1562 (1565) Reg. Great S. 384/1.
Cum … 10 garbis vulgo schawis straminum 1568 Edinb. Test. I 180b.
Sex thraves xv schaves of aittis 1660 Ure Rutherglen 73.
Hirds and other persones who begs and seikes shaiffes of corn 1662 Edinb. Test. LXX 186.
Standing in the barneȝaird … thrie threaves ane stouk and aucht shaives of bear(2) 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II 213.
ix stoikis ij schaiffis atis 1573 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 1b.
Sevin stoulkis vj schauis beir 1579 Inverness Rec. I 272.(3) 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 144.
Among the beir schaues 1650 Brechin Presb. 21.
Ane corne shaffe(b) 1662 Kelso Presb. Rec. in Berw. Nat. C. V 336.
He saw her sitting upon ane peise sheif(4) 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 181.
Payand … ȝerly … ij chalder and half of hors corn as it fallis of schafe sufficiand, the cafe cleyn tane fra it(b) 1532 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 124.
The quhilk corn and stra to be partit one the grownd without fraud or gyll in stouk or in scheiff — 1547 Blackfriars Perth 240.
The samyn [crop] to be dividit … equalie by stouke and scheif upon the groundfig. 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 14.
Of wikkyt grayn quhou sal gude schaif beschorn?(5) 1490 Lanark B. Rec. 6.
Wille Broun feit to be common hird for ix d. the som and a cheif 1508 Crim. Trials I i 53.
[Convicted of stealing] schevis, tedderis, huikis and saccis 1556 Ib. 390.
That nane … tak away ony schorne coirnes and scheves of the fieldis 1607 Peebles Gleanings 24.
And that nane ressait schevis under the pane of x li. 1619 Perth Kirk S. MS 1 Feb.
Anserit that it wes onlye tua scheaweis to gif hir kow and stirk meit 1620 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 190.
Jhone … laid up twa bund sheivis upon twa stookis Ib.
Jhone Civeis did bind twa sheivis quhilk wer lous at the stouk 1651 Aberd. Council Lett. III 192.
Compeiret the persons following for giving up of thair shaefes 1659 Lanark B. Rec. 172.
Discharges them [sc. herds] to seik any sheives or uther comodities fra any strangeres on the border 1662 Crim. Trials III 603.
Whan we tak cornes at Lambes we tak abowt two sheawes whan the cornes ar full a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 68.
As concerninge how many threaves goes to the boll of everie grain that is as the stowks be in greatnes som mor some les … yett for the generall ther goes fewest sheaves to the boll of wheat and maniest sheaves to the boll of oates Ib.
The twentie fyft sheiff is the prooff beginning at one again(b) 1523 Treas. Acc. V 230.
Fodir for viij d. the thraif and for every schaiff ij d. 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II 17. 1563 Inverness Rec. I 104.
That na schaiffis be giffin in tyme of harwist 1571 Ib. 203.
Aganis the law he nychtle tuike wyth him and his wyff thair schaiffis in harwist efter laubour 1623 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 151 (2 April).
[He] confessit he was thresching ane schaiff to ain kow 1629 Ib. II 2 Dec.
Scho schuir only bot the quantitie of ane schaiff on the sabboithe day 1611-57 Mure Psalmes cxxvi.
[He] Hath (charg'd with shaves) come singing home 1681 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 118.
[He] found his corne stake drawne, many shaves out of itproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1374.
Tak the scheaff fra the mear a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 34.
A bus be set scheif hes na bleiding Ib. No. 1736.
The bred of them that gevis the leaf and thygs the scheaveattrib. 1402 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 9.
With the schefe tendis of the said placis

b. A representation of a sheaf of corn in heraldry.(a) a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 36.
This Lord George tuk the armes of Buchane, quhilk ar thre Cumming schevis 1622 in Maitland Ho. Seytoun 96.
Why the Lord Seattoune … weareth the six bear sheawes—thrie in everie cros of his bagge 1622 Lanark & R. 21 n.
Scheawes(b) 1622 Lanark & R. 21 n.
The cause whey the Earle of Glencairn … wearrs not the Cumings' armes, the thrie shawes

c. Chiefly pl.: A proportion, usu. a tenth part, of the yield of a crop, payable to the superior or the church; the right to collect such a due. Also attrib. in sing.sing. 1446 Reg. Cupar A. I 125.
Wyth the fysschyngis and the tende schef of the sayd landis 1471 Acta Aud. 13/1.
The teinde schef of the kirk … of Dunmanyn 1480 Acta Conc. I 64/2.
Walter Wallance ger cast the teind schefe of Pettedy in the furris & wald nocht suffer Johne Walche fermour to the abbot … to gader the said teindis 1492 Prot. Bk. J. Young 126. 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 299.
Ȝe wyll not want teind cheif nor offrandis 1560 Bk. Disc. 224.
The soumes abill to susteane thir forenamit personis … must be lifted of the teyndis, to wit, the teynd sheaf, teynd hay, teynd hempt, … teynd fole, teynd lambe, teynd woll, teynd cheise, &c. 1627 Rep. Parishes 3.
And payis presentlie the thrid scheiff and the teind Ib. 11.
The teyndis collectit now they ar sett for the teynd and thrid sheafe Ib. 129.
The tuentie scheiff is presentlie led be the Erle of Mar Ib. 146.
The teind sheeff is not led nor the small teinds taken vp 1697 Rental of Babster in Old-lore Misc. VIII i 5.
I have led the teind sheaff this yeir of [etc.](b) 1440 Cop. St. A. 173.
Us Jamys … tyl haf set al owre tentschaf of Kylgowr til owre welbelufit frend Wylȝam Bonare 1478 Acta Aud. 59/1.
Johne Boide summonde … for the multure of the teinde schaf of Dalmustarnache 1585 Liber Dryburgh 328 (see Inteynd n.). — 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 322.
[The] thrid shafe of the beirr of the cropt this yeireattrib. 1679 Rothesay B. Rec. 370.
For five horse gang of the teind shaffe croppl. 1522 Acta Conc. MS XXXIII 58b.
The teynd schevis of the crop & cornis that grew … apoun the saidis landis 1543 Reg. Cupar A. II 24.
Payand ȝeirly … for the teind schewis … iij turs of teind fodder and ane maill turs 1545 Chart. Coupar A. II 196.
Scheuis 1556 Chart. Holy Trin. 120.
The teyndschewiffis of … Eister Vemis 1562 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 25 April.
Subfermerar of the teind schewis of Dudingstoun 1570 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 91b.
He was … saisit in claus of vairandice of the saidis teind schewes c1620 Liber Dryburgh 370.
The teynd shewes of the parosh kirk of Gullane 1640 Glasgow B. Rec. I 419.
The rouping of the tynd schewes of thos akers … quhilk of old wint to be drawen be the bischope(b) 1505 Crim. Trials I i 104.
For casting down and distroying the grain of Baward … and for spuilȝie of the teind sheaves of the said grain 1584 Elgin Rec. I 174.
Taxman of the teind scheavis of the parocheins of Elgin [etc.] 1591 Hist. Fam. Seton 623.
[They] have set … all and sundry the feu mails, teind sheaves, both parsonage and vicarage, of … Kylesmure 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 78.
The said Olaw to be debtfull of his teind scheavis … to the taxmen forsaid 1620 Wemyss of Bogie MSS.
The teynd sheaves that grew upoun the arabill and innefield landis of Newton 1661 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 340.
Scheawes(c) 1595 Exch. R. XXIII 12.
In compensatioun of the foirsaidis teind scheifis of Mussilburgh 1627 Rep. Parishes 11.
And the teynd sheives thairof to be worth yeirlie fyve chalder victuall(d) 1472 Liber Aberbr. II 168.
The sowme off fowrty s. … yeirly to be payt … for … the tend schawis off the town off Westergaghe 1475 Misc. Spald. C. IV 10.
Till resaue, vplift [etc.] … the sowme off fourty and sax merkkis for all the tende shafys 1501–2 Acta Conc. III 166.
Teynd schaffis 1502 Curle Coll. (Reg. H.) MS 27 April.
Ws … to haif set and for ferme lettin … al and hale the fermes and teind schawis of our burdkyrkis & parichones of Bonkle and Prestoun 1539 Reg. Cupar A. II 5.
Haue set and for mail lattin, … all and hale oure teind schawis, fructis, rentis, offerandis, and emolimentis of oure paroche kyrk of Alweycht 1548–9 Reg. Privy S. IV 13/2.
Of the tak and assedatioun of all and hale the teynd schaves and uthiris teyndis quhatsumevir 1557 Prot. Bk. D. Gray 11b.
Johne Donaldsone … hes sett … to ane honest woman … the teind schawis of all … the landis 1569 Reg. Privy C. II 56. 1570 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II 301.
All and haill the thirll multuris of Pentaschall … and teind schawes of the samyn 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 21 Aug.
Taxsman of the teind schawes of Middill Durne 1598 Stirling B. Rec. I 88.
In caice it sal happin the teind schavis of the said paroche kirk of Stirling to be evictit a1605 Old Ross-shire I 30.
[He] craves the laird to lat him heff … the haill teind schaves 1607 Misc. Maitl. C. I 410.
The teind schawes of the borrow rodes of Rutherglen 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I 327. 1640 Glasgow B. Rec. I 416.
The tynd schaves of the aikers about this brughe 1721 Rothesay Par. Rec. 365.
The session unanimously agree a proportionable number of shaves should be laid on all the towns of the parish by the merk lands(e) 1489 Acta Aud. 128/2.
Tene li. for the teynd schaiffis of the kirk of Lesly 1493 Crosraguel Chart. I 57.
For the wrangwis uptakin and withhalding … of the teynd schaiffis of the manys of Gervane 1498 Acta Conc. II 200. 1549 Breadalbane Coll. MS No. 68.
It sall be lesum to the said Jhone Campbell to awgment the sayd teynd schaiffis 1555 Balmerino and L. Chart. i 67.
Ane assedacioun … of the haill teynd-shaiffis of … Ester Crowy … for … nynetene ȝeris 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 138.
The teynd schayffis … to be colleckit and resavit be the diaconis of Sanct-androis 1600 Jervise Epitaphs & Inscriptions II 426/2.
The teind schaiff will be ȝeirlie aucht scoir bollis 1606 Cramond Ch. Aberdour 4.
Desiring of the presbyterie ane tak of the teind schaiffes of the toon … of Finȝyes 1618 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 372.
Out of the teind schaiues and personage teindis of the said parochin of Forbes [etc.](f) 1570 Reg. Episc. Morav. 422.
Teynd schaeffis of the kirk 1575 Old Ross-shire I 21.

d. The scheff, = c above. 1627 Orkney Rentals iii 94.
The vrslands off Brabister, Sands, and Deldell, quheroff the scheff is yeirlie drawin be him

e. Multare sheafe, = Multure-schefe n. Tha(c)k scheff, etc., see Thak n. — 1642 Retours II Inq. Spec. Forfar (608).
Et lie multare sheafe et ringbear totius baroniæ de Kingoldrum

2. A bundle of, usu., twenty-four arrows.(1) 1429 Acts II 18/2.
That ilk ȝeman … haif … ane habergeone ane yrn hat with bow and schefe suerde buklar & knyfe 1462 Peebles B. Rec. I 149.
[He] has payt for his fredom a bow and a schefe to the town 1533 Boece 168b.
He tuke his halkrik, bow and scheif and … passit to the forest beside 1638 Moncreiffs 611 n.
Ane bow, ane sheaff [etc.](b) 1474 Reg. Cupar A. I 194.
Tha sal be … welbesyn with … bowis and schavys [etc.] 1491 Acts II 226/1.
[They] sall haf sufficient bowis & schaiffis [etc.] 1500–1 Acta Conc. II 477.
xiij ewin bowis, xiij schavis 1533 Boece 41 marg.
The Scottis … vsing bow and schaif and licht harnes 1576 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 19.
Bow and schaif(2) 1438 Exch. R. V 15.
Duodecim schevis sagittarum 1585 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 75.
Ane bow with ane schefe of arrowis a1578 Pitsc. I 117/19.
Ane gret scheiff of arrowis knet together in ane quhange of leathir 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 170.
A great sheaff or bundell of arrowes(b) 1428 Ayr B. Acc. in Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXI 145.
Half a chaff off arows ij s. 14.. Acts I 114/2.
A gud bow wyth a schaff of arowys that is to say xxiiii arowys 1504 Treas. Acc. II 454.
To ane Inglisman brocht ane schaif of arrowis to the king 1592 Cal. Sc. P. X 710.
Faill nocht to send me ane bow and ane schaif of arrowis 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Garba.
Garba sagittarum, an schaife of arrowes, conteining 24, vtherwaies called schaffa sagittarum

3. A bundle of iron or steel rods or bars.(a) ?14.. Ship Laws c. 4 (B).
Of a schef of stele that is to say xxiiii gaddys at the furth passyng i obl. Of ilk schef of iryn that is to say xvi gaddis 14.. Acts I 306/2.
Of a schef of stele that is to say xxx gaddys … a halfpeny, of ilk schef of iryn pile that is to say xvj gaddis c1575 Balfour Pract. 86.
Ane scheiff of steill … xxiiij gadis, … ilk scheiff of irne … xvi gadis 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Schaffa.
Ane scheife of irone containes sextene gades; ane scheife of steile conteines fourteene gades(b) 1553 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 219b (12 April).
Thre schip-pund schaif yrne

4. ? A certain quantity of timber, or ? a number of beams, or logs, bound together to form a temporary support, etc.(a) 1668 Irvine Mun. II 233.
The broken halff scheaff … is sold … for four merkis Scotis and the stoill besyd the samen … for thrie pund(b) 1667 Irvine Mun. II 218.
Foure hundreth stones togidder with ane shaiff for upholding of the said arch quhill it be compleitit and to dame the watter as occasion … requyres 1668 Ib. 232.
Roping of the timber of the brig. The tua halff schaves lyand at the watter syd … sold … for … £14 6 s. 8 d.

5. attrib. In sheiff lint, flax made up in bundles. 1698 Lanark B. Rec. 262.
Table of the customes, … sheiff lint, 4 d., heckled lint, 2 s. 8 d.