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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 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Leaute(e, Leawté, n. [OF. leaute, ME. (once, a 1310) and OF. lealte. The oldest Sc. form (with Lewtee), superseded before the end of the 15th c. by Laute(e. Common only in the Edinb. MS. of Barbour's Brus, the Cottonian MS. of Wyntoun, and in Hay.] Faithfulness to a person or to one's word; loyalty, fidelity, good faith.(1) 1375 Barb. i. 365.
Leavte to luff is gretumly; Throuch leavte luffis men rychtwisly: With a wertu [of] leavte A man may ȝeit sufficyand be; And but leawte may nane haiff price, Quhethir he be wycht or he be wys Ib. 400. Ib. ii. 516; etc.
[Ladies] that for leyle luff and leawte, Wald partenerys off thar paynys be 1405 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 58.
Ȝoure hee wisdam discretion manheide & ful honorable leaute … wil defend me fra sic perilis c1420 Wynt. ii. 1160.
Sa thai mycht revengyde be, Excusand baytht fayth and leawte Ib. iv. 1991 (C).
Qwha that habundis … in til gud thewis, Leaute [R. lawte], wit and gud haffynge Ib. viii. 90. 1439 Acts II. 54/1.
In that mater … thai dide it of grete truth and leaute that was in tham … to … the King and his sawfte Ib. /2. 1456 Hay II. 11/21.
A man … maist godlyk, and full of grete leautee Ib. 26/9.
As he that deis for lufe and leautee, and honour of the noble ordre c1490 Porteous Noblenes 102 (Ch. & M.).
Thou art scho that examinis al hertis & … chesis out the fynit hertis in treuth & leaute be thy humvl sufferance(2) 1456 Hay I. 25/6.
[He] grevit mekle haly kirk, with mony otheris that studyit nocht in the keping of leautee, bot mare in the contrusing of falshede, to mak fals papis Ib. /26.
Thai held na veritee na leautee in the faith(3) 1456 Hay I. 149/5.
The necessitee … lousis my band to ȝow, nocht brekand my leautee Ib. II. 104/24.
Brese never thy leautee for nane erdly thing(4) 1375 Barb. xviii. 122 (E).
Johne Thomas sone … Withdrew him till ane Irsch king That of his aqwentance had he, And he resawit him in leawte c1420 Wynt. ii. 1148 (C).
For bathe to frende and fa sulde be Fayth ewynly kepit in leaute Ib. viii. 929.
His gret athe … That he swar that in al leawte That mater sulde declarit be