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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Crave, Crawe, Craif, v. Also: craive; craf(e, craff, craiff, crayf(f; creve, crewe, creave, creaf, creiff. [ME. crave(n, OE. crafian.]

1. tr. To ask or beg for (something) earnestly or humbly.(a) a1400 Leg. S. v. 606.
He … to the pilgram gaf it rath, That almus fore sancte Iohun can craf Ib. xi. 175.
To knaw hyme & his helpe crafe a1487 Gud Wyf & D. .
Kepe thaim fra giftis to gif or craff, Or billis of amowris till resaff c1460 Thewis Gud Women 105.
Na giftis [to] gif, na drowreis craif, Na bill of amowris to resaif c1475 Wall. v. 709.
For this caus none othir [favour] now I crayff Ib. vi. 138.
Sic pardoune as we haiff In oys to gyff, thi part thow sall nocht craiff 1513 Doug. v. iv. 65.
As to the fyrst place, now byd I nocht craif it c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 444.
Gude lufe in heuin he suld nocht craif nor tine 1567 G. Ball. 17.
Sic grace and mercy nane can craif c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 261.
No better thing can onye crayf or wys a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxx. 154.
Than knelit I befoir that cleir, And meiklie could hir mercye craiff 1591 Crim. Trials I. 238.
Sche … directit Bessie Thomsoune … to craif ane lok salt owre the dur heid 1605 Misc. Spald. C. II. 151.
Humbly craiffing your Maiestys pardon 1608 Highland P. III. 107.
This humbillie craifeing pardoune of this my presumptioun(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 3239.
The Brettownys … Send word to Rome thare help to crawe c1450-2 Howlat 191.
Cryand crawis and cais, that crawis the corne, War pure freris forthward c1590 J. Stewart 15/15.
Be keine combat thay craw The douce regard of hir celestiall ie c1600 Montg. Suppl. 206/34.
It is ȝour luif that I do chois & crawe trewlie 1619 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 361.
That a voluntar contributioun be crawit to that effect 1624 Kinghorn Kirk S. 27.
Hawing crawit libertie to set up ane foirface to the bonkar of his dask(c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxi. 56.
No thing bot deth this schortly cravis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 202.
He to hir, … all things gaue That scho desyrit, or at him scho wald craue 1596 Dalr. II. 242/11.
Thair with bosteng … Macleud … is brocht to craue the kingis mercie 1602 Wemyss Corr. 55.
Craiving your Maiesteis pardowne for my presumptiowne(d) 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. Title-p. v.
Creuand his [i.e. God's] instruction be thir few versets of the Royal prophete 1673 Red Bk. Grandtully I. p. cxii.
I must creave leave to give you this trouble

b. With infin. or subst. clause as object.(1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xviii. 9.
Sum cravis of God to end my ring c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 608.
Vtheris agane … To clim the threid but leif thay craifit nocht 1572 Sat. P. xxxii. 86.
I … sall craif Goddis plaigues … To fall thé a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 25.
Quha with Christ crawis to communicat 1585 Bk. Carlaverock I. 265.
My haill skaith … quhilk I craiff to be repairit 1596 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 81.
The quhilk prayers the said William hes not crevit to be effectuall towards him 1612 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 441.
Craifand to be fred of his oppression … in tyme cuming 1641 Acts V. 382/1.
He craves to be restored aganes the decreet of foirfaultour(2) 1567 Acts III. 37/1.
We craif that na personis reclamyng to the religioun … be permittit to enioy benefice a1578 Pitsc. I. 245/9.
We crawe at almichtie God … that he may haue mercie vpone his saull 1583 Conv. Burghs I. 178.
He humblie craveit thay ather wald advance or len to him ane certane sowme of money 1641 Acts V. (1817) 487.
The petitioner humbillie crawis that the Kingis Maiestie [etc.]

c. To beg or entreat (a person) for something. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 537.
For I thocht neuire thé to crawe, That I suld ony barnys hafe 1513 Doug. iv. viii. 45.
His ald promys na mair will I hym crave 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1121.
Grant me the thing that I ȝow craif 1612 St. A. Baxter Bks. 77.
Quha … decernis him … to crave the said deakin forgiffnes 1643 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 1.
To crawe God and the pairtie offendit pardon

d. In the phr. nocht to crave, not requiring to be asked for. ?1438 Alex. ii. 2703.
With vther gude that God him gaif, Courtessy was nocht to craif a1500 Rauf C. 498.
Thow sall catche to the Court; that sall not be to craue 1535 Stewart 35198.
Quhairof tha thocht ane mendis for to haif; And so tha did, quhilk wes nocht lang to craif

2. To ask for with insistence; to demand or claim as properly or legally due to one. Also with in.(a) 1438 Misc. Spald. C. V. 392.
John hanselde … Thomas off the fornemit land, for the forsaide golde that the fornemyt Thomas craffit a1500 Bernardus 283.
Than nedis thow nocht … To crafe thine awne, bot haf it at thi wyl c1475 Wall. x. 1131.
Quhat lordschip thou will craiff For thy supple, I hecht thou sall it haff a1500 Bk. Chess. 1617.
Be nocht frendfull the gudis to resaif, And vnfrendfull quhen thai the gudis craif 1512 Reg. Privy S. I. 375/1.
All uther soumez, dettis and clamez that his grace may ony wise ask or craif at the handis of the said G. 1546 Treas. Acc. IX. 39.
To Alexander Cunynghame, messinger, [with] writtinges of my lorde governouris to certane gentillmen of Angus to craif in dettis 1564 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 285.
Gif we craif our stipendis, … than our preching is onprofitable 1572 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson 166.
It sall nocht be leissum to the said Alspath … to ask, craiff, nor intromett with ony males … of the said landis 1591 Edinb. Test. XXII. 299 b.
He … ordanes … his barnes nocht to … craif, nor sute na kynd of guidis or geir fra hir 1595 Ib. XXVIII. 298 b.
He … ordanes hir to craif in dettis 1615 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 56.
Lent George Mathew … myn crib and stane till I crafit it agane 1625 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 348.
Quheneuer thai … craifis the samyn, they sall have the lyk preveledge(b) 1565 Ham. & Campsie Test. I. 21 b.
I leif to my dochter … irone grayth quhilk … scho may crawe be hir fatheris deceis 1571 Prot. Bk. A. Millar 10.
To ask, crawe, and ressaue … the steilbow gudis being on the saidis landis 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII. 303.
He … ordanes hir … to pay his dettis and crawe in all dettis 1604 Urie Baron Ct. 5.
Conserning the detfull serwice that is to be crawet of euerie tennent … according to thair sett and laboring 1643 Strathbogie Presb. 38.
He saw no law for him heir, and wold craw no law(c) c1420 Wynt. viii. 7120.
All the rycht that he mycht haue Into the realm of France, or crave a1500 Seven S. 2661.
The scho ravyn now cravis the bird And sais scho aucht to be his hird 1548 Treas. Acc. IX. 180.
To Williame Hardy, Send to Perth to crave in sylver ?1549 Monro W. Isles 29.
The inhabitantis … payis quhatevir is cravet be thair maister for thair haill dewties 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 50.
Gif the Kingis actioun pardonit, prevat men sould haue actioun to crave thair awin geir 1596 Dalr. I. 145/6.
He was the first quha crauet fidelitie of his Nobilitie 1606 Dunblane Test. III. 103 b.
In contentatioun of all thingis that scho micht lyk or craive be deceis of hir mother 1638 Annandale Corr. 296.
His lordship … is pleased to craiu eight thousand merks of annwelrent mor than canne be dew to him 1652 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 243.
Anent some cesse the said Sir Charles was craveand of the towne(d) 1568 Waus Corr. I. 40.
Mr Patrick sall … pay haill dettis that may be creiffit apon hyr 1591 Conv. Burghs I. 357.
Ansuer gifing to the conseruatouris sut[e] crewing reambursment … of sic sowmes as he hes depursit 1598 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 53.
Siclyk to creaf a compt of Robert of hir auld siellis and tacle

3. To press or importune (a person) for payment, etc. c1460 Thewis Gud Women 399.
Thai can weill craif quha ocht thaim aw, Bot thai wyll neuer byd the law 1461 Liber Plusc. 397.
To craif dede men thou traualis al in waist 1498 Halyb. 247.
For hys costis with tham that he tuk with hym in Zelland, quhen he past to craf the merchandis my Lordis fynans a1500 Bk. Chess 1612.
Nocht to paye and to be craiffit sore More schame it is than be pure euermore 1513 Doug. iv. viii. 45.
His ald promys na mair wil I hym crave [R. craif] 1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. b.
The inqueist ordanis him to … craif Vill Inglis gyf he aw him 1567 G. Ball. 9.
Hald na mannis geir, lat nane thé craif 1579 Edinb. Test. VII. 157 b.
Nane of thame to crawe ane uthir for thair part 1595 Paisley B. Rec. 164.
Anent the clame given in be Thomas Petir craifing James Pull fyve punds

4. intr. To make a request or demand. a1400 Leg. S. iii. 408.
The prewete thu sal resawe Of that croice, as thu can crafe c1460 Consail Wys Man 140.
It is far better hald na craif a1500 Bernardus 280.
Tha will disples tham at thé and thou crafe c1475 Wall. vi. 520.
Than tak na tent off cowatys to craiff a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1009.
At Crist with credence thai craif, Knight, squyar and knaif 1552 Reg. Privy C. I. 124.
Na Scottismen sall craif nor bauchill to that tyme in thar behalffis a1578 Pitsc. I. 55 marg.
The Earle of Crafurd slaine rakleslie, cravand for peace 1585 Waus Corr. II. 327.
I … craiffis off help for releiff

5. tr. Of things: To demand, require, call for. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 35.
The quhilk vengeance justice and honour craivis of hir a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 119.
Sa Natuir … In kyndlie cair dois kyndlie courage crawe a1598 Fergusson Prov. (1706) 259.
An old sack craves meikle clouting

6. To desire or wish. 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 115.
Becaws the Dewill playit nocht so melodiousle and weill as thow crewit 1615 Highland P. III. 222.
Giveing imployment to the Cambellis, … wha crawis ever to fish in drwmly watters