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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Gif, Gyf, conj. Also: giff(e, gyff(e, gife, gyfe. [Var. of ME. if, OE. ᵹif, by assimilation to Gif v. Cf. Gef, Geve, Give conj.] If; whether.(a) 1375 Barb. iv. 106.
Gif na had beyn thair fals tresoune 1399 Holyrood Chart. 113.
Gif the fiffe mark … mai be recuverit of him 1424 Acts II. 8.
Gif thar be ony pur creatur, that … may nocht folow his caus 1456 Hay I. 39/26.
Gif he wald mak were … , he suld help him 1478 Acta Aud. 83/2.
Vnsuspect personis … of vther burowis … , gif neid be 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 238/2.
The said lettres, … gif ony be fals or fenȝeit, to be adnullit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 831.
Gif we delay, … Our deid is dicht 1585 James VI Ess. 60.
Gif your lyne be of aucht fete 1618 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 356.
Gif he wer out of the towne 1658 Paisley B. Rec. 100.
As … onie of thame … micht have done gif thaye had not made thir presents(b) 1405 James of Douglas Letter to Henry IV in Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
Giffe the trewis sall stande it lyes to yhour heenes [etc.] 1466 Reg. Dunfermline 356.
To mak a mylne … giff it be sene spedfull till ws 1533 Gau 13/25.
Oders quhilk takis the nayme of God in uane (giff thay cane in oni maner) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 106/28.
Ȝowr ansuer heir schaw giffe ȝe think sa … or giff ȝe failȝeit in ȝour office 1588 King Cat. h iv.
Giff ȝe find nocht the same, take the nixt les 1621 Acts IV. 603/2.
Giff they faill [in paying] at the bypassing … of the saidis termes(c) 1375 Barb. i. 210.
Gyf ony wald thaim withsay a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 597.
Be nocht anoyt gyf thi wyf slepe 14.. Acts I. 304/2.
Gyf thir bestis be of ony fre haldand man c1420 Ratis R. 633.
A rich man gyf that thow bee 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 329.
[To obtain] confirmatione … , gyf nede be, of the said gyft 1515 Douglas Corr. 71.
Gyf we had money, I trast we suld debayt weyll eneuch our adversaries c1568 Lauder Minor P. Title-p.
Gyf thou be reprobat, or chosin, it sal declair(d) 1375 Barb. i. 201.
Gyff ony thar-at war wrath Ib. 612.
The king … askyt gyff it enselyt he c1420 Wynt. iv. 33.
In tyll this part gyffe yhe procede Ib. viii. 907.
Fre king gyff he beis off Scotland 1427 Melville Chart. 21.
Gyffe it hapnys the said Mergret to disseis c1475 Wall. iv. 73.
Gyff ony be deide befor ws vpon cas 1510 Misc. Spald. C. V. 375.
Gyff … Wilȝam can mak the said lands … fre to the said Jhone 1554 Holyrood Chart. 294.
Gyff neid beys, [we] commandis [etc.] 1599 Ellon Presb. 38.
That sick kirk officiars suld be chosen … as culd wrytte and reid, gyff they mycht be haid(e) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 277.
Gyfe thame thu cleth and fede, Thu sal dere by 1398 Liber Melros 488.
Gife qviete and trewis be betwix Ingland and Scotland 1437 Reg. Dunfermline 285.
Gife ony rynryg be les than it aucht to be it sal be amendit 1499 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 625.
Gyfe ony of the tenandis … sall hapin … to be arestit 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 249/1.
Gife the landis … beys fundin … to pertene to the kingis hienes 1551 Corr. M. Lorraine 345.
I thocht it neidfull to breik with my lord governour gife he harde ony thing of this sclander a1568 Scott ii. 117.
Gife thow wald this lady win, Cum furth

b. Accompanied by that. 1375 Barb. xii. 272.
Gif that vs fallis … Hap to vencus the gret battale a1400 Leg. S. vii. 596.
Josaphus speryt thane, Gyffe that Tytus had ony man [etc.] c1420 Wynt. ii. 695.
To se that land … Gyff that it was eyth to wyn Ib. 859.
Gyffe that yhe Wele nere the last end rede and se ?1438 Alex. i. 699.
Ga furth, gif that thi willis be Ib. ii. 178.
Gif that ȝe hald ȝour hecht to me c1420 Ratis R. 739.
A clerk gif that thow be, I pray thé reid the buk 1535 Stewart 144.
Gif that ȝe can, Commit this mater till sum other man Ib. 26302.
I can nocht tell gif that he wes his bruther 1571 Bann. Memor. 102.
I will only ansuer his ‘gif’ with ane vther; and so say, Gif that be groundit vpoun guid reasone [etc.] a1570-86 Maitl. F. cii. 31.
Giff that we wald be Relevit of oere pane

c. Bot gif, unless. See Bot conj. 1 b.