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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1650
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Belyve, Belyf(e (also belywe, belyff(e, belyiff, beleyff), adv.Usual spellings of Belive adv. Also irregular variant: belyth.Very frequently used, especially in rhyme, by Wyntoun, Douglas, Stewart, etc.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 32.
Of the bate he lape belyfe a1400 Ib. iii. 289.
Thame resuscit he than belyf Thru his prayer to the lyfe?1438 Alex. ii. 1923.
Gaudefere bad his chalmerlane Bring him clething, and that belyfe; Kirtill and mantill he brocht him swith c1450-2 Howlat 145.
Thir lordis belyf the letteris has tane c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 49.
Than spak ane lusty belyf 1513 Doug. iii. vi. 116.
A huge deip gat [was] thar holkit belyfe 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 281.
Ther wilbe few Inglis men in Scotland be lyf a1540 Freiris Berw. 374 (M).
Gang belyff vnto ȝour almerie a1568 Scott i. 185.
This ȝeir salbe imbassattis heir belyffe a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xxviii. 36.
Then cummis in Schir Gredines belyiff(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxix. 210.
He gert thai brethir fywe Be tane & vnhedyt belywe c1420 Wynt. i. 419.
The dow … broucht in hyr beke belywe A brawnche agayne of greyne olywe c1450-2 Howlat 295.
He gaf thir lordis belyve the letteris to luke 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 167.
Belyve on weyng the bissy lark vpsprang 1535 Stewart 2802.
Respyt tuke he none Quhill that belyue he come in Albione c1552 Lynd. Mon. 70.
Expell the cause, than the effect belyue Sall cease 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 334.
I am seike, but I wilbe weill aneugh belyve 1628 Stirling Ant. IV. 120.
I hoip in God the bairne will speak belyve 1650 Carstaires Lett. 70.
I wolde fain beleive that we will be weil belyve(c) 15.. Clariodus i. 664.
Thay drest them to the mariage belyth 15.. Ib. 940.
Clariodus and his fellow all sweith In land of Galice enterit is belyth
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"Belyve adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/belyve>
