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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nefe, Nef(f, Neif(f, n. Also: newf(f; neife, neyf(f, nife, niffe, nyffe, nief(fe; neaf(f; neef(f, neefe. [North. ME. nefe (14th c.), neffe (York Plays), north. e.m.E. neiffe (1684), also e.m.E. neafe (Shakespeare); var. of Neve n.] A fist.Also armit neif = mailed fist; clos, fauldit, lukkin, steikit neif, = clenched fist.Also attrib. with strake and see Nefe-stane.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 344.
& it closyt in his nefe Ib. xxxix. 149.
My goddis … with the nefis one me layd Ib. xviii. 951; etc. ?14.. Ship Laws c. 8 (B).
And gyf he gyfys ony of thaim a bufet wyth his nefe [v.rr. neif, neff] & wyth his palme(b) 1375 Barb. xx. 257 (E).
Thar mycht men se … knychtis gret full sar And thar newffys [C. newis] oft samyn dryve 1530 Alloway Baron Ct. 23 Aug.
With hir neffis 1571 Lanark B. Rec. 57.
With his nef 1600-1610 Melvill 59.
With a sword in the neffattrib. 1456 Hay I. 155/6.
As gif a man wald geve me a nef strake(c) ?1438 Alex. (c 1580) ii. 5590; etc.
Neif c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 486 (Ch. & M.).
In mi neiff 1513 Doug. xi. xvi. 62.
Hard on the left neyf 1531 Bell. Boece ii. 328.
With his neiff 1533 Dumfries B. Ct. 136 b.
I se I can get na nychtborhede bot we sall deyll it with our neiffs 1541–2 Elgin Rec. I. 67. 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 52.
Bot than I tuke the sone beme in my neif 1551 Hamilton Cat. 151. 1563 Crim. Trials I. i. 437. a1578 Pitsc. II. 48/6.
Bot Mons^r Lorgie wpe witht his neif [etc.] 1588 Waus Corr. 426.
Ane braid strype … ane neiff braid 1600 Acts IV. 206/2.
[Alexander Ruthven] puttis his richt neiff in his maiesteis mouth 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 10.
Blokischnes: he hath a leadine heade & ane wodin neif(d) 1596 Dalr. I. 225/25.
Quha with his nife had strukne a preist 1627–8 Peebles B. Rec. I. 415.
To mend the swyche that Traquairs man pat his nyffe in 1638 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II. 141.
Nieffis 1677 Edgar Old Church Life 17.
Nief(e) 1609 Ellon Par. 80.
With his neaffis(f) c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 308.
Als mekile of mele in a pot as a neef may tak 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 44. 1687 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 173.
With his neeff(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 4235.
The ane straik with the armit neif(3) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2925.
One of the keparis … gaif hime sic a sodane dusche With his clos neif one the nek 1570 Sat. P. xxii. 60.
Blind Hary with hir to sport and play With fauldit neif 1588 Burntisland B. Ct. 10 Sept. 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 30.
With his steikit neff 1605 Crim. Trials II. 463.
With his faldit neiffis strak and dang hir 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 256.
With his falded niffes 1634 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 493. a1646 Wedderburn Vocab. (1709) 19. 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 27.

b. = Grasp; possession; keeping, charge. 1535 Stewart 60056.
Quhois [God's] reward quhen thow hes in thi neif [etc.] a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. cxii. 28.
And hint the purs fast in his neif 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 449.
This angle noble in my neife

2. ? The knuckle-guard of a sword. 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XVIII. (Jam.).
Ane Frence rapar … gardit with blak hiltis and the neif wewpit with blak birge thred