A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Ley, Le, Lie, n.2 Also: leye, lee, lye. [ME. leȝ (c 1305), leye (c 1430), OE. léah fem., inflected léaȝe, léȝe as commonly in place-names.OE. also had léah masc., inflected léas, léa, ME. legh (c 1450), e.m.E. ligh, and e.m.E. le, lea, lay.]
1. Found, chiefly as a second element, in Scottish place-names from an early date.The older meanings may have been: a wood, a woodland glade, a clearing in a wood, a clearing used for pasture or arable; and, later, a piece of open land, a meadow: see A. H. Smith Eng. Place-Name Elements (Eng. Place-Name Soc. XXVI.) s.v. lēah.(1) a 1165 Liber Dryburgh 179.
Landam de Caddisley c 1170 Ib. 268.
Cum communi pastura de Morlei 1230 Ib. 181.
Landam que vocatur Herdesley c 1280 Liber Calchou 95.
Vsque in viam de Huntteley Ib. 219.
Quoddam heremitorium quod vocatur Merchingleye [v.r. -leie] a 1309 Coldstream Chart. 20.
Vsque ad vallem descendentem inter Farniley et Strikesley descendentem in Riuulum de Crumbesyde c 1320 Reg. Great S. (1814) 15/1.
Terras de … Grunley Ib.
Foresta de Maldisley 1572 Sat. P. xxxi. 75.
Quhen thay come … Downe to the Gallow ley 1602 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 310.
That the musteris … be haldin … upoun Loganes ley 1649 Maxwell Mem. I. 349.
This day I began to sheire my corne in the Drip ley(b) 1165 Facs. Nat. MSS. I. 20.
Eadwardesle — 1375 Barb. xvi. 336.
In the hawch of Lyntoun le [: sle; E. Lyntaile: sleye] Ib. 349.
At Lyntoun-le [E. Lyntailey] Ib. 443. 1466 Chart. Coupar A. II. 59.
Per vallem seu riuulum dictum le qwhytle denplur. ? c 1225 Liber Dryburgh 135.
In parte … illius culture que vocatur Langeleys c 1310 Lindores Chart. 185.
Suthleys 1531 Reg. Dunferm. 363.
The stair of the town leis be est the said stair(2) 1361 Rot. Sc. 855/2.
Hugo de la leghes … de Dunde — c 1300 Liber Dryburgh 893/1.
Thomas de leyis 1453 Exch. R. V. 566.
Alano Lokcart de lez ley c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 63.
Schir Mongo Lokert of the le
2. In general (chiefly verse) use: A tract of open grass-land, meadow or pasture.(a) 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 55.
Laggerit leyis [Sm. leys] wallowit farnys schew Ib. viii. Prol. 2.
As I lenyt in a ley in Lent … I slaid on a swevynnyng Ib. xii. Prol. 183.
In lyssouris and on leys [R. leyis] litill lammis … socht bletand to thar dammis 1535 Stewart 1535.
Vpoun ane ley thair ludging syne thai maid(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1785.
Luke to the lint that growis on ȝone le [B. lye] Ib. 2525.
He … lap ouer leis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 312.
Thai plantit doun ane pailyeoun vpone ane plane lee a1500 Colk. Sow i. 246.
As thay lukit on a lee, Thay saw an vther menȝe 1535 Stewart 19412.
Eugenius vpoune ane lustie le Dewydit hes his ost in battellis thre 15.. Sym & Bruder 21.
[They] schupe thame vp, to lowp our leis 16.. Lord of Lorn in Child Ballads (1898) V. 54/2.
He bid him go to the shepherd's house To keep sheep on a lonely lee a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1641) 8.
He that is redd for windlestrawes, should not sleep in lees [MS. leyes](c) 1535 Stewart 56642.
Of Inglismen greit power of the new Within tua myle wes cumand ouir ane lie 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 77.
He draif thir thre quhailis vnto ane lie [M. ley] a1603 Anc. Prophecies 18.
Beside a lie, I met a beirne Ib. 20.
What kinde of light was that … Thou shewed to me vpon yone lie? Ib. 22.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Ley n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ley_n_2>