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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Weve, Weif(f, Wyf(f, v. Also: wewe, weive, weiwe, weyve, weave, wive, wyve, wywe, wef(f, weife, weyff, weafe. P.t. wayffit, weav'd, wewf. P.p. wovin, -yn, -en, wow(e)in, -yn, vowin, woffin, woifen, wollfing, wiffin, weif. [ME and e.m.E. weue(n (c1220), wefe(n (Wyclif), wayve (1530), weaue (1538); p.t. iweoue (c1290), woof (c1300), waf (Chaucer), woue (1539); p.p. iweuen (c1200), wouen (Trevisa), weueden (Wyclif), OE wefan, p.t. wæf, p.p. wefen, ON vefa, MDu., MLG weven.]

1. intr.To weave. c1420 Wynt. vi 265.
Hys dochteris he kend to wewe and spyn a1500 Bk. Chess 642.
To gar instruct thaim … to spyn & weif perfyte All thing to vs that langit woll or lyn 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 171.
Full bissely Aragne wevand was To knyt hir nettis and hir wobbys sle 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Texo, to weafe

2. tr.To weave (cloth, a garment, etc.). Also proverb. and fig.pres. 1497 Treas. Acc. I 341.
For to weff the frenȝeing of it [sc. the King's false rein] xvj d. 1513 Doug. vi xvi 30.
Rich lynȝe wobbis natly wefis sche(b) 1573 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 17 Feb.
She deliverit to the said John Crawford twa coverings to weif 1598 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 174.
Ane bracane quhilk he gaif hir to weif 1604 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 316.
Sic servandis as can fyne the woll, caime, caird, skine, thik and weyve the samen 1615 Glasgow Weavers 26.
To give him to warp and weife during his prenteiship ilk thrid pair of playdis that cumis in his hous to weife(c) 15… Aberd. B. Rec. MS XVI (Jam. s.v. Wyf).
Wyf ane lyning wob 1583 Elgin Rec. I 172.
Thomas Purs, wobstar … becom actit to work and wyff to Patrik Rattray tuentie hand plaidis(d) 1636 Aberd. B. Rec. III 98.
Schoolles … for learning of bairnes to sew and wywe pearling allanerliep.t. 1517 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 54a.
How mekile it [sc. the cloth] was he miskennis; quharfor he admettis to the deposition of the wobster that wayffit it 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi 250.
He weau'd these napkins(b) 1552 Dundee B. Ct. II 169 (8 July).
The vobster quhilk wewf hir pecs of clayth top.p. 1513 Doug. viii iii 168.
Knychtly weid, Prynnyt and wovyn full of fyne gold threid c1520-c1535 Nisbet John xix 23.
And the coot was without seem, and wouen al about 1595 Glasgow Weavers 48.
Gif the work salbe send furth of the toun to be woffin [etc.] 1595 Glasgow Weavers 48.
That nane tak work and warp the same, and eftir the saming be warppit give furth the same to wtheris to be wollfing 1596 Dalr. I 295/24.
Tapestrie wondirfullie woifen with golde 1603 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 25.
Pair of plaids … wowin be George Walker 1605 Conv. Burghs II 203.
Thair is mekill mair claithe wowin and lyuing maid … nor in the said fre burrowis 1652 Edinb. Test. LXVI 84b.
Fyve coveringes quhairof ane schewed the rest woffin(b) 15… Aberd. B. Rec. MS XVI (Jam. s.v. Wyf).
Yarne weill wiffin & wakkit(c) 1513 Doug. xiii viii 86.
All the precyus wedis Wrocht craftely and weif of goldyn thredisproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1827.
Ye wald gar a man wyve a dolblet of dokanesfig. c1420 Wynt. v 5053.
He heycht … that web that he suld wewe [C. weiff, W. weif] Bath tow and yharne he suld hyr rewe 1562-3 Winȝet II 65/9.
Quhat is the germountis of the scheip, bot the sayngis of the prophetis and apostolis, quhilkis thai … has wowein, and maid as certane fleisis of wow 1609 Garden Garden 58.
A woeb much worthier thou wiue

b. To weave (gold, yarn, etc.); to interweave or interlace with beads, etc. 1538 Treas. Acc. VII 112.
The haill gold disponit upoun the saidis claithis wovin in frenȝeis extendis in wecht to lvj unce quarter unce … of clene gold wowyn … frenȝeis liiij unce, and for ilk unce wevyng iij s. 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV 192.
Sax bendis of jeit & silk wowin togidder 1636 Aberd. B. Rec. III 101.
That the workmen … tack in no yarne to be wowin in the said correction hous

c. To weave (a motif or pattern). 1513 Doug. v v 15.
Quhairon wes weif [Ruddim. weyff] in subtell goldin threidis King Troyus son 1596 Dalr. I 266/33.
Tua lynes … the vttir syd wouen in threid of golde 1596 Dalr. II 396/8.
The armes baith of Ingland and Scotland … als in tapestrie and bedis, and in sik sort of instrumentis, [and tapestrie,] he causet weiue

3. a. To interweave, interlace (something) throuch. Also fig. 1596 Dalr. I 90/25.
Jacks al wouen throuch with yrne huikesfig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 448.
Is not this hell and heaven woven through-other? Is not this pain and joy, sweetness and sadness, to be in one web, the one the weft, the other the warp?

b. Const. out. To construct, fabricate. 1562-3 Winȝet II 58/23.
This is the suir … ordoure of grouing, gif the partes of the aige weiwe out thai membris schape and forme in the mair of aige quhilkis the wisdum of the makar of al had formit afore in the ȝoung anis 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 230.
I desire of the omnipotent God that he would weave out the rest of the web of my life to restore me to my health