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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sif(f, Syf(f, n. Also: schiff, sife, sef(e, seif(f)(e, scheiff, sive, syve, siwe, sev(e, schev, sew, seive, sieve, siew, seave, suyff, cive. [ME and e.m.E. siue (c1320), syffe (1330-1), seue (c1340), sefe (c1430), sieue (a1591), also cyue (Wyclif), ceve (a1440), OE sife.]

1. A sieve, for sifting any dry material, liquid, etc., also specif. for separating the finer from the coarser grains of some loose material; also, ? used in conjunction with a sowing-sheet for sowing grain (cf. 1589 Conv. Burghs quot. in (1) below; and sowen sive Sawing vbl. n.¹ 1 d (1)).Also proverb. and fig.For further examples see Riddil(l n.² 1.(1) 1406 Aberd. B. Rec. (SHS) 221.
Johanne Simonis, a syff, a clok and a hude … xii d. 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 110.
For ane siff to sift gunpowdir 1522 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 209.
Ane bakbred ane girdill ane sif ane bakyn claitht ane schil 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II 136.
Syf 1563 Edinb. Test. LXVII 143b.
Ane riddell & ane siff 1571–2 Canongate Ct. Bk. 354.
Ane mekle sif ane small seif 1583 St. A. Test. II 19b.
Ane riddill ane syf ane small sif price of all v s. 1589 Conv. Burghs I 301.
Provyding all … liegis bringing wictuall … be seruitt hous maill frie thairof, with canves and siffis 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Excerniculum, a sife or boulteclaith(b) 1534–5 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 124.
For thua scheiffis to riddill sand and lyme 1543 Ayr Common Good Acc.
For ane seif to the lyme xij d. 1571–2 Canongate Ct. Bk. 354 (see (1) above). 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Vannus, a seiff 1596 Oldcambus Acc. fol. 15.
Ryddellis and sefis for dychting of the cornis 1628 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 261.
Ane seif to the plaisterer x s. 1648 Linlithgow Palace 332.
Ane wyd seiffe(c) 1633 Orkney Witch Trial in Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. V 546.
The said Catrein bad the said Margret get thrie sundrie sortis off sillueris and put them within ane siwe and sift them [etc.] c1650 Spalding I 239.
Ane [ship] wes schot throw and throw like a sive 1669 Holmains Baron Ct. 11 Oct.
The ladey sall furnish two sufficient sives for each multur … to be laid in the multur greives house for sifting and whoso holds these sives and wilfullie skaills by the sive … is to pay 10 groats(d) 1512 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 287.
[Purchase of] 3 lie sewis [to clean sand 13 d.] 1517 Misc. Spald. C. II 79.
xvi sevis, price of the pece xii d. 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II 135.
To ane pynor that fillit the seves, ij s. 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 22 Nov.
For a litle seve to put the whay throw(e) 1662 Crim. Trials III 605.
Johne Taylor browght hom the clay, … his wyff brak it verie small, lyk meall, and sifted it with a siew(f) c1620 Boyd Zion's Fl. 136.
Our memory is like a seave(g) 1512 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 226.
[Purchase of a] suyff [and] ryddillproverb. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 476 (see Riddil(l n.² 1 proverb.). c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 116/55 (see Riddil(l n.² 1 proverb.).fig. c1460 Regim. Princ. 19 (Marchm.).
Thow suld syft thi suggetis throv a seif [: leif](2) 1542 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 576.
iiii brassin schevis 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI 134b.
Ane hair sive 1658 R. Moray Lett. fol. 296.
Look for a sifting of yours in a fine pearle sive 1676 R. Brown Paisley I 296.
Ane bark sev

2. a. As allegedly used by witches for sailing in. = Riddil(l n.² 2 a. a1605 Montg. Flyt. 448 (H).
To saill sure in a seif, but compas or cairt1591 Newes from Scotland in Crim. Trials I ii 217.
A great many other witches … went to sea … in a riddle or cive

b. In collocation with scheir(is, see S(c)her(e n.¹ 3.1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 29 (see Riddil(l n.² 2 b). 1654 Cramond Ch. Aberdour 25.
Siefe