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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1596
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Gift, Gyft, n. Also: gyfte, guift; geft, geift. [Northern ME. (c 1300) gift(e, gyft(e, ON. gift, gipt, MDu. gifte.]
1. Something given; a present.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 423.
Bryngand hyme gyftis fare & gret c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 841.
Kyng Pryame, whom of thow Toke so gret gyftes of walue c1420 Wynt. viii. 6537.
The kyng ressaywyd that gyfft that day c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 200.
The gud erlle than he bad him gyftis sere 1513 Doug. ii. i. 67.
Thame that sendis this gyft always I feir 1596 Dalr. I. 181/8.
Sum … he invades with waypounis, vthir sum he corruptes with gyftes(b) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 3034.
He gaif him till … Richt riche giftis 1456 Hay II. 153/37.
Thou sall geve him … sum giftis, or rewardis proffer him a1500 Henr. Fab. 2315.
Seis thow not … giftis garris crukit materis hald full euin? c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 364.
He … thoght my favoris to fynd through his feill giftis 1535 Stewart 1769.
Of ȝour giftis greit goddis ȝow forȝeild 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 49.
Having … perswadit him bayth be giftis of landis and moneycomb. c1590 Fowler II. 112/7.
Some ar reput liberall, … some great gift gevars
b. In various figurative senses. c1460 Wisdom of Solomon 518.
That is the gift of God to manis sone … to tak joy and plesans [etc.] a1500 Bernardus 225.
To lach at joculatouris fantasy It is … to tham … a gyft of gudly price 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 297/15.
Venus … gaif me thre gyftis, lyk as scho dois to all thaim that contynewis in to hyr cowrt 1490 Irland Mir. I. 62/19.
That knawlage … was mekle brychtare and clerare na is now the gift of grace c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 94.
Of the sevin giftis the Haly Gaist me sent 1513 Doug. xiii. viii. 19.
The gret apperans of gud in sik a man, And sa fair gyftis [Sm. geiftis] a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xxxv. 111.
To wemen than … Sic giftis first wes lent
c. Without article; in some contexts = giving. a1400 Legends of the Saints x. 318.
Hyre consent he mycht nocht get For gyfte, gud, luf na threte c1420 Wynt. vi. 1134.
Be thyfft, Oppyn reffe, or wrangwys gyft … all I wan The gud 1456 Hay I. 30/7.
Thai ar … nocht large of gift 1456 Ib. II. 81/27.
Gift gevyn to thame that na myster has requiris nocht thank c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 314.
For gyft of gud with him he wald nocht bide c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvi. 1.
To speik of gift or almous deidis c1500-c1512 Ib. 19.
Sum is for gift sa lang requyrd … That [etc.]
2. A grant, or the granting, of property, office, or privilege to a person; power of doing this.(a) 1431 Reg. Great S. 45/1.
That thai distroble not the sayd Patrik in onr gyft forsayd 1475 Peebles B. Rec. 175.
[Not] to mak ony clam … of the saydis anvellis or gyft 1504 Rec. Earld. Orkney 78.
To mak new ayrschip to Will of Corgill, langand his gyfft of fadir and modir 1524 Holyrood Chart. 258.
The quhilk donatioune and gyfte of the said Gramar Skule … we … sall warrend acquiet and defende 1558 Waus Corr. I. 12.
The preve sell is speid upoun my gyf[t] of the personage of Douglace(b) 1491 Acts Lords of Council 168/2.
Ane act … quhilk maid reuocacioune, annullacionne, and cassacioune of all giftis [etc.] 1510 Reg. Privy S. I. 326/1.
Exceptt beneficis as ar at the gift of Sanctandris 1529 Ib. 593/1.
That na lettres of gift of our soverane lordis casualite nor propirte be ansuerit at the signete 1567 Peebles B. Rec. 304.
The baylles ordanes all the preistis … to produce thair gifft of thair altragis affor thame a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS clxxiv. 61.
Schir, at thi gift is mony abaseis, Personages, prouestres, & diuers prebendreis(c) 1500 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 67.
Nochtwithstanding this present geift has bein resignit at the dait of these presentis 1549 Ann. Banff I. 27.
Sir William Grantulie chepland, presentit ane geft and donation of sex merks annuell
3. A personal quality or faculty, either natural or conferred by a higher power. 1461 Liber Pluscardensis 385.
Quhat mycht God mare do till His creatoure Bot dow hire with the gyftis of nature? 1490 Irland Mir. I. 12/31.
Thi hienes desirand this gyft of wisdome suld haue thre consideracioune 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 10/12.
He that hes the gyft of traductione, compiling or teching c1552 Lynd. Mon. 725.
He maid man Dotit with gyftis of nature Aboue all erthlye creature
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"Gift n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/gift_n>
