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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.

Grave, Grawe, v. Also: graive. P.t. gravit. P.p. grafine, gravyn(e, -in, -en, grawyn, -in(e, -ene, (grave); gravyt, -it, -et, grawit. [ME. grave, graven, OE. grafan, to dig, engrave (begrafan to bury, Begrave v.), ON. grafa to dig, bury, engrave. ME. examples of the sense ‘to bury’ (c 1250–1450) are chiefly northern. See also Graif v.]

1. tr. To bury (a corpse), to inter. Also fig.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 1405.
This haly cors here fore to grawe Ib. xxi. 90.
Thare ded bodyis for to grawe 1513 Doug. vi. v. 145.
At the leist, grave me in sepulture Ib. xi. iii. h.
Quhou Eneas … gave Twelf days of respyt the ded corps to grave(c) 1375 Barb. iv. 309.
At Ierusalem thus trowit he Gravyn in the burch to be a1400 Leg. S. ii. 370.
His body … alswa fresche … As it that day grawin had bene Ib. vii. 223.
He … nere the tempil grawyn wes Ib. xxxvi. 559.
In Jerusaleme his hewide Wes grafine c1400 Troy-bk. i. 551.
Dede folk, that couth gravynelye ?1438 Alex. ii. 6935.
Hir had leuer be grauin [in] grein, Than euer [etc.] a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 414.
Under the eirth God gif I grauin wer a1568 Kennedy Bann. MS. 53/33.
Law, luve and lawtie gravin law thay ly(b) 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III. 96.
My body to be gravyt in the College Kyrk 1492 Myll Spect. 290/20.
Alsone as this knycht was gravit, … his wyf, gart byg hir a luge aboue his tombe 1513 Doug. viii. vi. 63.
Thy body … I wald it haue gravit eft 1533 Boece xiv. xvi. 571.
Dounferling quhare king Robert eftirwart was gravit 1533 Gau 69/15.
As ve ar grawit with Christ be deid 1567 G. Ball. 14.
Our baptisme is an takin … That auld Adame suld … be … grauit in the deide of Christ 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII. 68 b.
My body to be grauit in my parroche kirk ȝarde(c) 1513 Doug. Epitaph 3.
Now stant I grave in Naplys the cité

2. To dig (something) out of (a heap). a1400 Leg. S. v. 187.
Lazare, that met [can] grawe Of his medynge, bot nan hym gafe

3. To cut into (a surface) with a sharp instrument; to engrave. Also absol. and with out. c1420 Wynt. i. 252.
To wyrk mettalle, … To yhet or bete or grawe thairin 1451 Acts II. 40/2.
The new yrnis that salbe maid salbe gravin within the cunȝe place c1475 Wall. viii. 1207.
Besid him furth Job couth his basnet ber, His glytterand glowis grawin on athir sid 1513 Doug. viii. vii. 73 (Sm.).
In irn or steill Or moltin mettall graue and burnist weill 1514 Acta Conc. MS. XXVI. 174. O thou preist, … graif owt the precious stanis of godlie doctrine; Winȝet II. 57/9.
To grave and mak the said sele of new 1599 Crim. Trials II. 100.
Ane pair of yrnes … quhilk the said Arthour gravit 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 16.
To mak, graive and sinke ane seale 1640 Black Bk. Taymouth 348.
Ane muskett … graven vpone the ratch with linit work

b. To cut through a thing. a1568 Bann. MS. 223 b/9.
Quhat windir is my hairt be grauit [pr. granit] thrwcht

4. To form by incising or carving; to make visible or permanent by cutting in or on a surface. Usu. in past pple.(a, b) 1513 Doug. vi. i. 25.
Apon the portis dyd he carve and grave Androgyus slauchtir 1535 Stewart 1270.
In greit letteris … [they] Gravit this thing into ane mekill stane c1552 Lynd. Mon. 278.
That sours, … That Longinus did grave intill his syde(c) c1420 Wynt. vi. 782.
Thare to rehers Wyth Scottis hand gravyn ar thir wers 1513 Doug. viii. xii. 115.
Vlcanus heir the beltles Numydanys … Had gravyn weill 1533 Boece i. ii. 35 b.
Apon the stane … was this superscripcioun gravin Ib. v. x. 183 b.
Ane veschell of marbill … quhareapoun ane ganer fechtand contrare twa edderis was gravin 1592 Acts III. 555/1.
Quhaireuir the same armes salbe found grawin and paintit 1622-6 Bisset II. 58/12.
The signet of office of the commissariate in the quhilk salbe gravin ane crowned thrissill(b) a1500 Rauf C. 455.
He bair grauit in gold … Ane tyger ticht to ane tre 1535 Stewart 1271.
In greit lettres of grew, Grauit [was] this thing intill ane mekill stane 1549 Compl. 68/25.
Ane scheild, in the quhilk vas grauit ane rede rampand lyon in ane feild of gold a1568 Scott i. 117.
In sum hartis is gravit new agane, Ane image callit cuvatyce of geir 1579 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 518.
Ane great sylver maser … havand the college name gravet(c) 1513 Doug. i. ix. 110.
Veschell … Quharin was grave, maste curyus to behold, The valȝeant dedis [etc.] Ib. ix. v. 94.
Tua siluer cowpys, … With figuris grave, and punsyt ymagery