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 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lufe, Luff(e, n.³ Also: luf, luife, loofe, lof. [North. ME. lufe (a 1400), midl. and south. lof (Layamon), loof(f (13th c.), loef, lofe, loffe (1420–1), love (c 1400), pl. loves (Layamon), lofes, loffis (c 1350), e.m.E. luf(fe, loofe, louffe, love, AN. (and OF.) lof, also louf, loef: cf. e.m.Du. loef, loeve thole-pin.Also MLG. lof, love (mod. LG. luv), mod. Du. loef, Da. luv, e.m. and mod. Sw. loof, lof, lov, Norw. lo, luv, mod. F. (1702) lof, etc., = windward, weather-gage, ? orig. a borrowing of the ME. (or OSc.) word in sense 3 below.? Of native (OE.) origin, ultim. identical with Lufe n.²: see Bertil Sandahl Middle English Sea Terms II. (Uppsala, 1958) 53 f. and espec. 61–2, for a full discussion of the meanings and etymology.]

1. ? A contrivance for extending the tack of a ship's sail to windward.? ‘A sort of movable tack bumkin’ which could be shifted or turned to change the course of the ship.To change luffe, to change tack, alter course. c1420 Wynt. iv. 902.
Yhe qwyt ws this kyndnes That quhen … owt off hawyn yhoure schyppis be Yhe change luffe [v.rr. luf] and turne to se Ib. 945.
All the Yonyis … Turnyd the luff and tuk the se

2. ? A tack, the rope which carried forward the clew of a sail to windward.To take the steir burde (babert) lufe a burde, i.e. so as to take the wind on the starboard (port) side. 1513 Doug. v. xiv. 7.
Now the le schete, and now the luf, thai slak 1549 Compl. 40/28.
Hail doune the steir burde lufe harde a burde Ib. /31. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii. 140.
Thairfor tak on ȝour babert luif aburd

3. a. The windward side of a ship.As opposed to le (leeward), esp. in the phrase lufe and le. 1535 Stewart 4157.
Sum in the wynd la capand thair so he Quhill scho tuke in than bayth at lufe and le a1570-86 Shaw Maitl. F. cxlvi. 3.
I rid ȝow than war lufe war le … Vtheris hes salit als Weill as ȝe a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvi. 6.
With steirburd, baburd, luf and lie 1584 Id. Ib. xlv. Prol. 104.
He lattis his scheip tak in at luife and lie 1602 Colville Paraenese 17.
To knou the … pointes of compas, babord and sterbord, lof and lie

b. On luffe, at ane lufe, close to the wind, near or against the wind. Also A-luf adv. 1535 Stewart 4149.
Sum bad on luffe and vther sum hald by … Sum bad on le and vther sum strek saill a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvi. 11.
With evin keill befoir the wind Scho is richt fairdy with a saill; Bot at ane lufe scho lyis behind

4. A course in sailing, a tack fig. 1618-60 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 231.
Ile lay about the ruther of my minde, To keep a safer loofe, and thirle the winde