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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CLIFT, Cleft, Klift, n.

1. A fissure, crevice, crack, a stretch of coast containing these (cf. Sh. kliv, id. (Jak.)); a cave. Apparently now obs. in Eng. (last quot. in N.E.D. 1798), but still used in Sh. and known to Abd.²², Slg.³, Kcb.⁹ 1937). Hence deriv. clifting, id.Sc. 1733 Orpheus Caled. (Thomson) ii. 110: 
Sine in the clifting of a Craig She fund him drown'd in Yarrow.Sh.(D) 1898 “Junda” Echoes from Klingrahool 5:
Hit grew frae a clift av a caald gray stane.Sh.(D) 1918 T. Manson Humours Peat Comm. I. 125:
An fur caves . . . Papa Stuor can keep ye goin fur da rest o yere life. . . . An dan dir Foula, anidder clift da best in Breetan.

2. The parting of the thighs (Abd.²² 1937). Cf. cleavings s.v. Cleave, v., 3.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Fruits of Time Parings 4:
But sic a dismal day of drift, . . . Maist ilka step was to my clift.

3. A plank, a board cleft or sawn from a log of wood (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.; 1914 Angus Gl., klift).em.Sc. 1732 Clerk of Penicuik MS. (S.R.S.) June: 
To send as many firr clefts from Lith the nixt week.