A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1456-1628, 1696
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Liver, n.1 Also: livar, -ir, lyver, -yr, lywir; liffyr, luffer, luffyr, luiffar, and see Lever-ill. [ME. livere (Layamon), livre, liver, lyffere, lyver, OE. lifer, ON. lifr: cf. Lever.] The liver of a person or animal.(a) 1456 Hay II. 123/18.
The stomak … lyis nerest the lyver quhilk haldis in the fyre of the stomak 1456 Ib. 142/13.
A spice … the quhilk is the propre hele of the liver quhen it is brynt with blak coleris a1500 Henr. Orph. 181 (Ch. & M.).
Hert, lywir [Asl. lever] and trype He ruggit out 1535 Stewart 33252.
Sum [were] … clevin to the belt, Quhill livar and lungis modereid and melt 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 67.
I sau fumeterre that tempris ane heyt lyuyr 1580 Skeyne Descr. Well A 4.
Sic as be of het intemperance of the liuer a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1588.
There is no sic dearth that a nolt liver wil give half a mark 1696 Knoop & Jones Sc. Mason 83.
Under the lap of my liver where all the secrets of my heart lie(b) 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 139 (see Lever-ill n.)
Luffyr [E. liffyr]1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1124 [see Lung n. a (c)].
Luffer 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 136.
With ane extraordinar birnand heat at his hart and luiffar … with ane schot in his syde
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"Liver n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/liver_n_1>
