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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Beleve, Belief, v.¹ Also: belewe, -leue, believe, beleeve, beleave, beleawe, belive, -liue; beleiff, belif. [e.m.E. beleve, beleeve, ME. beleve(n, bileve(n, late OE. beléfan, belýfan. In Sc. rare before 1500, and prob. adopted from English.]

1. intr. To give credence to, to put faith in, a person; to have faith or belief.a1400 Leg. S. xxiii. 394 (ma fal to thame ȝe wil be-lif). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 3 (beleif nocht in thy fo). c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 59 (that saifs all that wyll beleue). 1567 G. Ball. 71 (we suld beleue in God). 1622-6 Bisset II. 285/10 (to beleif in Christ).

b. tr. To give credence to (a person).1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. 45/1 (to beleif rather our lord quhen he said … ). 1614 Highland P. III. 162 (becaus it is to difficill to belewe thais pepill).

2. tr. To credit (a fact or statement); to accept as true.(a) 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 179 (he callis it fenȝeit, and nocht for to beleif). c1520-c1535 Nisbet N. T. III. 320/20 (we beleif the promises of Gode). 1551–4 Corr. M. Lorraine 381 (that I vyll nevyr belyffe). 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 22 (all men can beleif no vther).(b) 1513 Doug. ii. iii. 99 (the mater is belevit). 1562-3 Winȝet II. 6/35 (quhilk oueralquhar hes bene beleuit). 1567 G. Ball. 25 (this we suld euer beleue).

b. With subordinate clause as object, freq. introduced by that, or with infinitive.(a) 1524 Douglas Corr. 89 (ȝour grace wil beleyf that I say this for malis). 1533 Boece v. ii. 165 b (beleif weill ȝe haue now the samyn vertewe). 1549 Compl. 8/6 (I beleif that ȝour grace vil … ). 1570 Leslie 199 (beleiffing ... that all had bene losed). 1571 Sat. P. xxviii. 158 (quha wald beleif bot … ). 1585 Acts III. 422/1 (the said lady beleifis it is not vnknawin).(b) 1513 Doug. i. viii. 86 (belevis weill the goddis sall remember). 1545 Douglas Corr. 160 (qwhat he belewit Argyllis mynd wase). c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 542 (all did beleue that he was deid). 1562-3 Winȝet I. 91/2 (that thai suld beleue the samin to be trew).1570 Leslie 282 (quhilk ... thay beleaved to have bene Frenche shippis).

c. With ellipse of object or in loose construction.c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 406 (be this, ȝe belief may, … ). 1533 Boece i. vi. 46 b (we remember ȝit, as I beleif, that … ). c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1018 (it sall nocht be as thow belevis). 1558-66 Knox II. 376 (it is war then ye beleve). 1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. 67/4 (nocht so trew as afoir thow beleawed).

3. To expect or look for. Usually with infin.(1) 1513 Doug. v. vi. 105 (all for nocht may he the last pryce beleif). 1531 Bell. Boece I. 63 (na man belevit his lif: = expected him to live).Ib. II. 52 (the schip belevit nocht bot sicker deith). 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I. 83.
He ... lay be the space of ane monetht past bedseik, swa that neyn belewit his lyif(2) c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1160 (beleifand neuer to haue distres). 1549 Compl. 14/17 (he beleuis to leyrne Annibal the prettik of the veyris). 1560 Rolland Seven S. 25/18 (we all beleuit till had of ȝow solace). 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 29 (he beleving to marie hir on his sone).

b. intr. To look or hope for.a1568 Scott xxii. 25 (belevand ay for grace).