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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ourdrive, -dryve, v. Also: oure-, owr-, or(e)- and -drif(e, -ff, -dryf(f, -drywe. P.t. -draf(e, -draif, -drayff, -drawe. P.p. -drivyn, -driwyne, -driffin, -dryvin(e, -yn, -drywyn, -drive, -dryve; -drevin(g, -yn(e, -drewin, -yn. [Late north. ME. p.t. our-draue (c 1450) (in sense 2 b below), late ME. ore-drafe (c 1420) (= drove or moved over); cf. Overdrive.]Written as one or two words.

1. tr. To come through (hardship or danger) more or less successfully; to live through, pass through. 1375 Barb. iv. 661 (E).
Bot fele anoyis thole ye sall … Bot ye sall thaim ourdryve [C. ourdriff] ilkane c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 8056.
Ouredrive 1513 Doug. v. xi. 57.
And stormys gret ourdrewyn and sufferyt haue we Ib. x. i. 129.
Quhat proffit … to haue … Sa feill dangeris bywent and ourdryve [Ruddim. ouer drive] 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix. 22.
Hir grace … as I dout not, wil ourdryue thir dangeris

2. To pass through (any period of time); to cause (time) to pass; to pass, spend, occupy (time); to live out (one's life).(1), (a) c1420 Wynt. viii. 1793.
Bydand prewaly Owrdrywand a day or twa 1513 Doug. xiii. ix. 51.
With commonyng … euery wyght The lang … nyght Gan schape full fast to mak schort and ourdryve 1632 Edinburgh's Vertues 140 in Fugitive Poetry 2 Ser.
Read [my poetry] with patience … And, if no more, it shall o'redryue the time(b) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 171.
This haly fastinge thus our-drafe thai Til it come to the Palme Sonday c1420 Wynt. v. 3479.
The byschape Basyle … Than waknyt and oure-drawe that nycht a1540 Freiris Berw. 417 (B).
Ourdraif [M. our thay draif] 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 275.
At no tyme ydill fund, … No day ore-drawe whairin he wrought Nor vertuous work in it(c) 1375 Barb. xix. 48 i (E).
Quhen thai that day our drewyn [C. ourdrivyn] had [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 984.
I haf oft striwyn This sewinten ȝere & thaim ourdryvyn c1400 Troy-bk. i. 449.
And men that eild had ourdrevyne … Scho couth restore agane 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 253.(2) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 56.
Ȝoȝima, thu has … stalawrtly [sic in pr.] thi cource ordryvine c1420 Wynt. iv. 1762 (W).
He … fled furth till oure drif his day Ib. vii. 4 (R).
[They] Oure-drevyn [W. oure dreving, C. our drewynn] had all thare dayis in dule a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 487 (Asl.).
His dayis our dryvand [Arund. ouredriffand] in stait sa dangerous Ib. 876.

b. absol. or intr. To allow time to pass or elapse; to spend time inactively.Also, to lat ourdrive, id. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 641.
Thane thai ourdraf & held tham stil … Sone eftyre a-nothyr day Thai come c1420 Ratis R. 1423.
The fyfte eild … waistis wynyng al away And lattis our-dryf fra day to day c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 20.
With slewth ay to ourdryve [Arund. ourdrife, M. ourdryff]

c. In passive: To be brought to an end, to be spent; to have passed away. 1375 Barb. v. 3 (E).
This wes in ver quhen wynter tid … Was our drywyn [C. ourdriffinn] a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 117.
Sum days ourdriwyne ware Eftyre he had conuersyt thare c1420 Wynt. v. 2843.
Our-drywyn [C. ourdrewyn, W. our dryvin] a1500 Henr. III. 119/30 (B).
Bot now tha dayis ourdrevin [M. ourdrewin] ar & done 1533 Bell. Livy II. 186/3.
Mony skarmusingis … throw quhilk the tyme was lang oure drevin but ony … victorie

d. intr. To pass away, come to an end. c1475 Wall. viii. 1182.
The nycht was myrk, our drayff the dyrkfull chance a1497, 15.. Gray MS. vi. 68.
Bot all our drivis as dew bedene That [etc.]

e. tr. To bring to an end, cause to pass. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 740 (Asl.).
Herfor sanct Job askit to be in hell Quhill tyme that dome mast dredable couth ourdryf [Harl. ourdrive]

3. In passive: To be overblown or covered over (with sand). 1493 Acta Conc. I. 293/2.
That the said four husband landis offerit to hir in Gulane wer owrdrevin witht sande & nocht arable