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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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

Lefe, Leif, n.¹ Also: lef(fe; leife, leiff(e, leyff; lief, (lif(e); laif(f, layff; leaf(e; and Lufe. Plur. levis, -ys, -es, lewis, -ys; leivis, leyvis; (leeves); lavis; leavis, -es, leawe(i)s; lefis, leffis; leif(f)is, -es; liewes; laiffis; leaf(f)is, -es. [ME. lef, lefe, leef etc., pl. leves, lewys, leeves (15th c.), e.m.E. leaves, also le(e)fes (15th c.), leaffes, leafs, OE. léaf str. neut.]

1. A leaf of a plant or a tree, or a representation of one. Also collect., leaves, leafage, foliage.For several further examples, see Foxtrie and Fochsterrie leavis.sing. a1500 Seven S. 97.
An edoke leif c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiv. 10.
Leif nor flour fynd could I nane of rew 1535 Stewart 56288.
In it he left nocht scant worth ane kaill leif 1560 Rolland Seven S. 427.
Ane oliue leifplur. (a) 1375 Barb. xvi. 67.
Quhen … lewis on [E. levys of] the branchis spredis c1420 Wynt. i. 102.
Thai … lewis of the treis can pull 1490 Irland Mir. I. 78/10.
Cled … with levis of the fege tre c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 45.
All the leues schene Id. xlviii. 28.
Sangis to mak vndir the levis grene 15.. Clar. iv. 1313.
This lusty hat of greine levis plet(b) 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 102.
Leyvis c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark xi. 13.
A fig tre … hauing leivis 1549 Compl. 64/26.
Stil vndir the leyuis grene a1605 Montg. Sonn. viii. 10.
Ȝour laurell leivis(c) 15.. Clar. v. Prol. 2.
When balmie liquore dois on leavis gleit c1590 Fowler I. 76/245.
Victorious leawes and sacred palmes(d) 1506 Glasg. Dioc. Reg. II. 152.
With … foure lefis about ilk knop 1508 Treas. Acc. IV. 121.
Leffis(e) 1508 Treas. Acc. IV. 120.
For making of xij dosan of leifis for the Tree of Esperance 1513 Doug. i. iv. 34.
Fyre … keppit in dry leiffis 1533 Boece vii. xii. 245 b.
Wallowit … in leiffis and branchis 15.. Dum Wyf 84.
Thow laid in leifis thrie Quhair ane mycht bene enew 1561 Inv. Q. Mary 43.
Ane litle pacquet of lyvelie leiffis of holine 1594 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 532.
For decoring the … airmes … with new ivy leiffiscollect. a1400 Leg. S. vi. 403.
Tre, & leffe, & froite with-all, Bot a wyne-tree we call c1420 Wynt. vii. 552.
This tre may … get … Bath leyff and flewowre fyne c1515 Asl. MS. I. 181/2.
The wyne graip rottis … gif it ly at the erd under the leif c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 196.
Ma wormis … Nor thair is … leif on lind Id. G. Targe 27.
The treis, branchis, lef [B. leivis] & barkis a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxxv. 37.
Of qwaiken espin leif 1650 Maxwell Mem. 356.
The mouldes of ane modiwark hillock wheron never leife did grow

b. In various comparisons. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 238.
Now grene as leif, now widderit and ago Id. III. 92/66.
Robene on his wayis went, Als licht as leif of tre a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 289.
Licht as leif of the lynd 1535 Stewart 11940.
Thair waponis … Leicht as ane leif Ib. 43872.
Quaikand for dreid as ony leif on tre a1568 Bann. MS. 77 a/32.
Ane pure begeir … bair as leife on lind

c. In fig. contexts. a1500 K. Hart 6.
So proudlie wes he polist plane and pure With ȝouthheid and his lustie levis grene 1549 Compl. 1/6.
Branchis ande tendir leyuis of vertu a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii. 2.
The deu of grace thy leivis mot vnclose

2. A leaf or folio of paper, parchment etc.; esp. a folio of a book; also, what is written on a folio.sing. (a) 1456 Hay I. 218/9.
Becaus that syndry folk redis apon a syde of the lef and nocht on the tothir [etc.] 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 236.
Enterit in this buke in the fift lef befor this lef in the first side of the samyn a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 9 (Harl.).
The first lef [Arund. lif] confusit in figure(b) 1510 Rentale Dunkeld. MS. 87.
His last compt maid in this buke, the fourtysext leif a1538 Abell Chron. 2 a.
Tabil alphabeit folloand schawys quhat leif, quhat part of the leif ȝe sal fynd the mater at ȝe desyr 1551 Hamilton Cat. 291.
This sillab fo. betakinnis the leif of the buke, this lettir b. schawis the secund syde of the leif c 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. II. .
In the lowse leiff dattit at Aprile 1543 1638 Baillie I. 28.
If ye will read a leiffe in Latine which about this same day four year I penned [etc.] 1659 Stewart Mem. 135.
On the 16 leif(c) 1494 Halyb. 11.
Thir thyngis wryttyn on the nex laif 1497 Ib. 134.
In the 48 layff 1534–5 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 126, 1569 Prot. Bk. J. Scott MS. 86.
Laiff(d) 1621 Acts IV. 621/2.
The extracting of proces wreatin compactlie ilk leafe on baith the syiddes a1650 Row 67.
Here also a leaf is riven out of the registerplur. (a) a1540 Freiris Berw. 504 (M).
Freyr Robert … tuik his buik in hy And turnit our the levis bissaly 1590 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 50.
Sum auld … bukis contenyng partes of buikis and sum levis(b) 1579 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 307.
Soume of this compt of thre leivis and ane syde(c) 1534 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 120.
Lavis(d) 1703 Andrews Bygone Church Life 159.
For … gluing loose leaves(e) 1531 Bell. Boece I. 254.
Five auld bukis … in the quhilkis war nocht bot brokin leiffis 1534–5 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 130.
Summa … of the twa leiffis and ane half leiff imediatlie precedand 1592 Acts III. 569/2.
The nowmer of the leiffis of the buik 1677 Irvine Deeds 13 Nov.
Upon the 159 and 160 leiffes of the court book(f) 1704 Edinb. Univ. Chart. 152.
In the thretteen, nyntine, twentie fyfth pages the leaffes are battered together

3. A ‘leaf’ or flap, orig. hinged, of a door, gate, window, table etc.Also, a screen.(1) 1513 Doug. ix. xii. 5.
With his braid schuldris strang He thristis to the levys of the ȝet 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 302.
For viij daillis to mak the said yet of, oppinnand with twa levis 1617 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 351.
The portis to be mendit baith in the leawes and stainewark thairof(2) 1532 Ex. Processes MS. (Reg. H.), No. 5.
v windokis of irne … with leiffis bandit and slotit 1566 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 103.
Ane new kasit wyndo; tua auld leiffis of ane uthir wyndo 1630 Bamff Chart. 224.
Ane window with thrie leaves(3) 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 68.
Vnder the quhilk port thair wes ane cloud opynnand with four levis, in the quhilk was put ane bony barne(4) 1500–1 Acta Conc. II. 477.
Ane comptour burd with ane leif 1562 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 648/2.
Ane laiff of the comptar that is in my ladeis chalmer 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 402 b.
Ane meit burde with twa falding levis of eistland burde 1630 Bamff Chart. 222.
Ane taffill of aik of drawing leaffis(5) 1632 Edinb. Test. LVI. 22 b.
Fowr gilt luiking glasses … sex gilt glasses with leiffes(6) 1645-6 J. Hope Diary (1958) 152.
Note that ther must be liewes or skonses ... betwixt the wynde and the ... fyre

4. a. A leaf of gold or of silver foil. Also attrib., leaf- or foil- (silver or gold). 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 85.
A buke with levis of gold, with xiij levis of gold fulȝeattrib. 1543 Treas. Acc. VIII. 192.
Gevin to him [the painter] for laif silver frenȝeis of silk and fyne colloris furnesit thairto [sc. trumpet banners] 1581 Archaeol. Scot. I. 172.
A pair gairdes dalmash'd and gilt with lief gold 1656 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 500.
For 17 bookis of leafe gould at 16s. ilk booke

b. A ‘leaf’ or sheet of horn. 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 315.
Hornes for lanternes the 1000 leaves

5. A scale (of a balance). 1533 Bell. Livy II. 225/26.
The Gaule … schot in his swerde in the leif of the ballance that was fals