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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Greve, Greive, v. Also: grewe, greeve, greave, grive, griwe. [ME. greeve, greve(n (a 1225), F. grever. Cf. Greif v.]

1. tr. To harass, injure, harm or hurt: a. Of persons. a1400 Leg. S. iii. 244.
Neuir mare Thai grewit men lat no are Ib. xl. 825.
Thai var richt besy ay aboute To fynd sum get hyme to grewe ?1438 Alex. i. 1968.
The duke Betis forȝet him nocht To greue the Grekis c1420 Wynt. vii. 2768.
Had he noucht thare-off dwne justys, Thai had hym grewyd mony wys 1456 Hay I. 233/30.
Gif a blynd man … ingeris him to greve the party advers 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 660.
Me thocht ȝow had nouther force … nor will for till haue greiuit ane fla c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 62.
That Sathan sall vs neuer greue a1500 Peblis to Play 142.
Thay girnit and leit gird with granis, Ilk gossop vther grevit

b. Of things, conditions, ailments, etc. a1400 Leg. S. ii. 759.
His breth hym grewit mar & mar Ib. xxi. 112.
Ony vthyre seknes als That grewit thame in thare hals ?1438 Alex. i. 1360.
He.With ane sweit medicyne sall now Mak quyte of that that greuis ȝow 1456 Hay II. 123/25.
That … hynderis the appetite and grevis the stomak c1420 Wynt. ix. 40 (C).
Eylde … , withe hir brewis, Ilk day me saris and grewis 15.. Clar. v. 2801.
The antient King … grevit was with age, and febillit 1567 G. Ball. 45.
Eternall deide sall nocht thame greue 1611-57 Mure I. ii/68.
All meanes I soght To be aweng'd on him quhose schaftes did greiue me 1622-6 Bisset II. 356/29.
Abdus, greved with the gutt, falling at the feit of Thaddeus recovered his helthabsol. a1400 Leg. S. xii. 426.
Sa that drink grewit na thinge

c. To impair, mar. c1420 Wynt. v. 4335.
Had he cald Lucyus procurature, … That had mare grevyd the cadens Than had relevyd the sentens

2. To wrong; to treat unjustly; to oppress. c1420 Wynt. vii. 1214.
Quha lykis to lyve honestly, And to greve na man wrangusly Ib. 2331.
Thai persownys That feld thame grevyd be the Kyng 1456 Hay I. 169/5.
[He] ourthrew all his nychtbouris, and grevit ay the gude as him list Ib. 232/30.
He aw nocht to be grevit but caus, and thus aw he nocht to be prisonare 1498 Acta Aud. 76/1.
Gif ony of the saidis partys be forther grevit in exceding of merchis 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 418.
Thus … He has gretly the prynce of poetis grevit a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 53.
Ewin so ar now the godlie gretlie grewit 1622-6 Bisset I. 16/27.
Nocht ane suld uthir greveabsol. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 178/30.
His estate is catif and dampnable that in his doyngis noyis and grevis

3. To vex, afflict, distress; to affect with sorrow or displeasure.(a) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 328.
For fendis techinge wes and is To greve God and do evir myse Ib. xx. 123.
Than sad he: ‘Wyf, be nocht grewit, Fore God sal mak thé be rele[v]yt’ ?1438 Alex. ii. 4749.
Schir, ȝe haue me greued sare, … For greuous panes I saw ȝow dre Ib. 6929.
Ȝour presoun greuis ȝow gretumly c1420 Wynt. iv. 421.
Scho bad hym be ware that Cyrus At hym suld noucht sa grewyd be 1456 Hay II. 63/9.
All sik folyis … is as foly of fulis that grevis God c1475 Wall. iv. 236.
Wallace was grewyt quhen he sic tary saw c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 9/25.
He is oblist … , as he fyndis his consciens grevit, to confes him four tymes in the ȝere c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxix. 2.
It grevis me both evin and morrow, Chasing fra me all cheritie c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 694.
His departing did thame greiue 1570 Sat. P. xxv. 101.
They know I am ane tuilȝeour teoch, And wilbe richt sone greved 1596 Dalr. I. 186/3.
This greiueng him sair, … he followis the thievis 1639 Johnston Diary 47.
Neither ar we a litle greiued that [etc.]refl. 1513 Doug. v. xii. 102.
Be not efferd, Darhes, na thing thé greve(b) c1590 Fowler I. 44/210.
Through rigour of thair cairles dames whose pryde thame most did griwe Ib. 151, xvi. 2.
Ten thousand wayes love hes enflamd my hairt, And nature griud me with fare moe agane 1609 Gardyne Garden 22.
You griue your God, and craibs him but a cause 1649 Lamont Diary 3.
His feather and the rest of his frinds werre exceidingly griued and angry

4. intr. To be displeased or distressed. a1500 Doug. K. Hart 519.
Quhen that … Plesance had thame sene, Scho grevit and scho angerit weill more 1604-31 Craig iii. 27.
Non pitties thé, Æmilian, do not griue, They get no thing, that haue no thing to giue