Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ratify, Ratefy, -ie, -é, v. Also: -ye, -i(i; ratiffie, -é; ratyfy, -é; ratefey; ratiefie; retiffé. P.t. and p.p. -eit, -iit; and -ied, -iet, -yte, -d, etc. [ME (c1357) and e.m.E. ratifie, ratiffie (1511), ratify, ratefie, F. ratifier, med. L. ratificāre.]

1. tr. Chiefly of persons: To confirm or validate (an act, gift, deed, promise, etc.); to give formal sanction or approval to.For many further examples see Appreve v. b, Approve v. 1 b, Approvin p.p., Conferm(e v. 2.Also, rarely, with personal obj.(1) pres. (a) 1397 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 34.
Ovre lord the kyng sall conferme appreve & ratyfy [v.r. ratify] vndir his gret seyll all giftys [etc.] 1464 Liber Aberbr. II 141.
The kyng … ratifiis … the … occupacioune of the said Kingis Mor … as lauchfule and rychtwis 1469 Exch. R. VII 618.
Ratifii 1487 Douglas Chart. 120.
I ratyfy … al landis, … rentis and gudis … that my said gravntschir … giffis [etc.] 1498 Liber Melros II 621.
Quhilk gift I … ratifiis confermys and approvis 1505–6 Mill Mediæv. Plays 119.
The prouest [etc.] … ratifeit ande approuit the said rit 1510 Reg. Privy S. I 328/1.
That … he sall … ratify, approue and conserf the ald use [etc.] 1525 Bk. Carlaverock I 169.
We ratify … our supplicatioun … and revokis all lettres … incontrar our first lettres 1527 Edinb. B. Rec. I 230.
The said George … ratifiis … all the durris and wyndois [etc.] 1535 Stewart 58242.
Ratifie 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 46.
Ratife 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II 223.
The … counsale ratifiis and apprevis the act maid the xv of Januar last 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10704.
This schairp sentence we pronounce … and dois it ratifie c1575 Balfour Pract. 97.
Our souerane lord … ratifyis and apprevis all the said marriages [etc.] 1589 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 15 July.
James oblesis hym … to ratyfe & appruffe the said assignatione 1617 Orkney & Zetl. Sheriff Ct. in Misc. Maitl. C. II 193.
Ratiffies 1645 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 44. 1670 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 21 May.
Did not only ratiffie and approve the foirsaid dispositioune in the haill heids and poynts therof … bot also [etc.] 1680 Fountainhall Decis. I 113.
Being of the king's nomination, they will not dare refuse to ratify and interinate them [sc. acts and edicts](b) 1439 Rep. Sir Rob. Menzies 691.
Ratefi 1559 Rec. Earld. Orkney 112.
The juge and the essyse ratefeis [etc.] 1562 Prot. Bk. J. Drummond 4b.
Ratefie 1573 Edinb. Test. III 14b.
The said Gelis in hir lege powste ratefeis … the testament maid be hir 1604 Writers Signet 234.
And quhatever ye do in that behalf I sall ratefie and allow of it(c) a1578 Pitsc. I 384/3.
Ratiefiep.t. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 316.
Baith the assise and juge … bad that scho suld haif hir instrument And all hir sawis thay ratifeit 1574 St. A. Kirk S. 400. a1578 Pitsc. I 382/24.
He maid his rewocatioun of new and ratified that thing that he had done 1605 Hist. Fam. Seton 967.
Ratefeyet 1613 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. (ed.) 60.
William Kelda … promesed [etc.] … , quhilk he ratifeit upone his deid bedp.p. 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 47.
Ratifyte 1473 Edinb. B. Rec. I 27.
Ratefeit 1474 Ib. 32.
Thai [acts, etc.] to be ratifiit … siclik as thir actis, and to be actit and transsumpt in the commoun buke 1551 Corr. M. Lorraine 354.
Ratifit 1569 Campbell Love-Lett. Mary (1824) 59.
Our soverane lordis coronatioun … was ratyfeit & found gude 1574 Acts III 89/2.
To be ratifiit and establissit as a law a1578 Pitsc. I 395/16.
All wther landis and possessiouns pertening to Schir James Hammilltoun quhilk had laitlie forfaltit befoir and then retiffeit and annexit to the patromoney of the croun Ib. 100/9.
Ratiefieit 1622-6 Bisset I 241/28.
Ratiffied 1632 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 245.
The [salmon] crove being fewit be the bischopes … and by the intrant bischopes ratifeit 1633 Maxwell Mem. II 237.
Anwitie is ratifiet to be payit since xxviij yeiris 1640 St. A. Baxter Bks. 109.
Ratifiet 1649 Acts VI ii 498/2.
Thairfoir the saids Estaits … have ratified … the localitie of the minister his stipend of the kirk of Kilpatrik(2) 1488 Acta Conc. I 90/2.
Ane instrument … appreuand [pr. appeuand] and ratifiand James Bonare of Rossy hir assignay 1622-6 Bisset II 392/8.
Ratiffeand 1703 Edinb. Univ. Chart. 144.
Ratefeing(3) 1488 Acta Conc. I 90/2 (see (2) above). 1532 Instit. Ct. Sess. in Acts Sederunt i 2.
To have voit thairin as uthiris the fornemmit chosin and ratifyit in parliament a1568 Bann. MS 220a/59.
Scho will be notifyd A manslaar and thairfoir ratefyd

b. spec. To sanction, or approve, an illegal act. = Ratihabit v. 1489 Acta Conc. I 123/1.
That … [they] sall … restore … twa oxin quhilkis thai haid ressauit and intromett with and wer spuilȝeit out of his toun of Sklaty … and ratifiit be the said Alexander and Robert as wes sufficiently prefit 1495 Ib. 429/1.
Quhilkis gudis were spuilȝeit takin ratifyit and intromettit with be the said Schir Adam … out of the said Dauidis place … as wes sufficiently preffit a1578 Pitsc. II 194/15.
The Erle Bothwell vas maid Duik of Orknay … quhilk ratified all the murthur that was done befoir 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i xxxv 8 (1678) 341, 2.
The ratifying a crime is not punishable … in crimes which are chiefly committed to satisfie the lust of the offender, as if one should ratifie the adultery committed by another meerly to affront the husband … ; but the ratifying crimes which are chiefly committed to offend others, as murder, theft, etc. is punishable, if the crime was committed by the actor in the name of the ratifier, and if the ratifier knew it was committed in his name, when he did ratifie it; but except these two concur, lawyers think that the ratifier is not punishabLe

2. To declare or confirm the truth, genuineness or correctness of. c1475 Wall. (1570) vii 120.
My wit vnabill is To ratifie sic for dreid I say mys 1513 Doug. xii v 96.
This gud takyn I ressaue and ratify [Ruddim. ratifye] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8707.
The King of Egypts sone and air I am, I wait his grace will ratifie the same c1590 Fowler II 19/18.
Quhilk of lait be example mair nor manifest is ratifeit 1620 Melrose P. 355.
Vnder the aix, thay ratifeit all thair formair protestationis 1629 Justiciary Cases I 139.