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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.

Consave, Consaif, v. Also: consawe, -seve, -sewe, -sayve, -saywe, -sauf, -saf(fe, -saife, -saiff, -seaff. [ME. consaive, -sayve, etc. (14th c.), variant of conseive, -ceive, OF. conceiv-, conceveir, L. concipere.]

1. tr. Of a woman. To conceive (offspring). a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 43.
Hou oure lady consawit ves, & of hir birth the blissitnes Ib. xvi. 373.
That laydy Consawit barne 1490 Irland Mir. I. 128/24.
Sum haldis that the vj houre of the mornyng he was consauit a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 489.
Thou was consauit in the grete eclips 1513 Doug. iv. vi. 194.
Had I a chyld consavyt of thyne ofspryng 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. viii.
As ane beist, so is ane man consave Of seid infuse in membris genitive 1533 Gau 39/2.
Iesus Christ ves noth consawit of ony man be the way of natur (a1568 Dunb.) Bann. MS. 278 b/13.
Thay ws consaif with pane a1578 Pitsc. I. 146/3.
[He] assotiatit … witht the good mans dochter … and maid her to consaue ane chyld a1605 Montg. Son. i. 7.
O happy wombe consavit had beforne So braue a beutie

b. absol. To become pregnant. Also fig. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 167.
Mary consauit but mare c1420 Wynt. i. 1020.
Wytht out stalown the merys thar Off the wynde consayvand [W. consewand] are Ib. v. 1923.
That howre fell in the dysemale Quhen scho consaywyd c1515 Asl. MS. I. 313/25.
The auld moder leugh quhen the angell said scho suld consaif 1562-3 Winȝet I. 76/7.
Concupiscence quhen it consauis, generis sin a1578 Pitsc. I. 394/22.
Scho within schort tyme consawit and become witht child

c. pass. To be made pregnant. c1420 Wynt. i. 1020 (C).
Withe out stalon the meris thar Off the wynde consawit ar 1492 Myll Spect. 274/13.
Solenius sayes that na beistis fameillis desyris to be twichit with ther makis, fra thai be consauit, bot wemen 1535 Stewart 14960.
Ane berand beist consauit with hir birth

2. tr. To grasp with the mind; to comprehend or understand.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 335.
He … wald consawe ful sutelly Quhat-euire he taucht in til hy c1420 Wynt. viii. 320.
Quhat yhe have sayd, I hawe herd wele, And consawyd all, ilk delle Ib. 874. 1424 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 14.
We haue … fulleli herd and consauit the effect of yhour saidez graceoux lettrez 1456 Hay II. 108/14.
Sen … a woman coude consave syk suteltee of naturale science c1475 Wall. iv. 391.
Son he consawyt in his witt prewalye, In to that land quha was of maist party 1490 Irland Mir. I. 107/27.
Oure ressoune is nocht of powere to consaue it, na oure tounge to declare it 1513 Doug. x. Prol. 3.
Incomprehensibill thy warkis ar to consave 1549 Compl. 52/4.
I hef rehersit thir vordis to gar obstinat ignorant men consaue that ther is antipodes a1578 Pitsc. II. 120/22.
[The] quein regent … consawand the myndis and natur of Scoittismen [etc.] 1587-99 Hume Tr. Consc. i. 27.
That functioun quhairby hee discussis, and decernis of the thingis consauit, is callit reson or judgement(b) 1393 Charter Th. Dunbar (Reg. H.).
The qwhilkis we hafe consayvit hurtis gretly thaire fredome c1420 Wynt. v. 100.
How than Herrode had consaywyde Throuch thaim that he wes dyssaywyde Ib. 3721. 1424 Edinb. Chart. 213.
Yhur honorablez lettres … we hafe resayuit … and the tenor tharof consayuit fullely(c) c1420 Wynt. iv. 1136.
I can nocht consaif it swa Bot that [etc.] c1420 Ratis R. 434.
As thow may consaif and see Ib. 1149.
Thow sal consauf it as resone c1475 Wall. viii. 1648.
I thé beseik … My clos lettir thow wald consaiff and se a1500 Seven S. 327.
This pynule is lyk, as I consaif, This ȝere na flour na frut till haf Ib. 1828.
Ȝe consaif, schir, … The ymage … is thi sell

3. To form or originate in the mind. 1375 Barb. xx. 186.
I wald the hert war thiddir sent, Quhar-in consauit wes that entent a1400 Leg. S. xxviii. 398.
Sanct Colme … wald hyme schaw al priwete, That in his thocht consawit he 1456 Hay II. 154/20.
A man … quhilk for grete covatis may consave tresoun in his hert aganis thé c1500-c1512 Dunbar ix. 113.
I synnit in consaving thochtis jolie 1530 Lennox Mun. 237.
To … pwt away all the foirsaiddis wnkyndnes … suspitioun and hatrent consaweit 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 144.
The indurit opinioun quhilk he consavis thairefter a1578 Pitsc. I. 59/19.
In heigh haitrit that the courteouris had consauit against thame a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 130.
Greit caus ȝe haue lyk conforte to consawe 1595 Lanark B. Rec. 110.
For slaiking his ir[e] quhilk hie hes consavit aganis the ballies, cunsall and commonatie c1615 Chron. Kings 37.
The maleis thay had consaiffit aganis him Ib. 99.
Scho conseaffis ane gritt readge aganis the Erll of Huntly

4. To contract (an illness). 1531 Bell. Boece II. 123.
He tuk the gout, throw vehement cald that he consavit afore in his hunting

5. To express in words. 1613 Highland P. III. 133.
It wes fundin … that this act in the forme and tennour as it wes consauit could nowyse bind … the rest of the landis-lordis