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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1603
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Lefe, Leif, Leve, a. (n.). Also: lef, leife, lewe and contractions leis, Ieise = leif is (beloved is). Compar. Levar. [ME. leof, lef, lefe, (north.) leif, leef, inflected leve, leove, OE. léof.In this positive form, only in (chiefly early) verse: cf. Levar compar.]
1. Beloved, dear; agreeable, acceptable, preferred. a. Used in addressing a person. b. Used of a person. c. absol. as n., a beloved, a sweetheart. d. Of a thing.a. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxiv. 427.
Allace! lewe sone, that I gat thé c1420 Wynt. v. 4947.
Put off, … leve [v.rr. leif] swne, That clethyng on the body dwne a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 259.
Thai come & said, Leif lord, allace, Quhar is ȝour wit in to this case? 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 131.
Move thé nocht, … Myne awyn leif brother 1513 Ib. vi. 105. 1513 Ib. ix. Prol. 85.
I sal help to smore ȝour falt, leif broder a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxxvi. 17.
Ȝit ladye leif, o ladye myne, Not thou but I deseruis the pyneb. 15.. Black Bk. Taymouth 152.
Conspiracie, Inwy and Fals repoirt Wer my priue counsalouris lewe and dearec. ?1438 Alex. ii. 10637.
Idorus, Betys is thy leif [: mischeif]d. a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 698.
He fed the child fra thin with beif And watter was his drinke mast leif
e. In predicative use, chiefly with the verb to be, in various constructions. Leif is (leifis, levis) me. Also contracted form leis me: in the later dial. as leeze, lease me on (the person or thing), dear is to me (the beloved person etc.). Also (5) const. pron. in the oblique case and (6) const. of.(1) ?1438 Alex. (c 1580) ii. 4524.
Sum meynis hir sone that was hir leif [: theif] a1500 Prestis of Peblis 999.
To the King and Quene he was full leif [: cheif] 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 27.
All ledis langis in land to laucht quhat thame leif is [: releifis, grevis, myscheif is] c1550-60 Arundel MS. 260/25.
The theif Quhilk hang besyid Thé … To Thé his saule wes leife(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxviii. 116.
Quhene nane sal vthir relefe Hou-euire to thame thai be lewe(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 8222.
Thow art to me baith leif and dere a1500 Henr. Fab. 89.
To grit lordis thocht thow be leif and deir [etc.] a1500 Id. Orph. 401 (Ch. & M.).
Lef and dere 1513 Doug. i. i. 40.
For the Grekis, to hir leif and deir 1513 Ib. xii. xi. 51.
Quhame nane mair leif and deir 1535 Stewart 26085.
That sic ane man … [was] with thair King haldin so deir and leif [: mischeif](3) ?1438 Alex. ii. 3463.
To talk with ȝow me sall be leif [: myscheif] a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1344.
Als leif thairfor war me to lye By a stok of a widderit tre 1513 Doug. xiii. vii. 54.
So that alsso, quhidder me war loith or leif [:greif], … Constrenyt I was [etc.](4) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 28 (M).
Full leifis [B. leis] me ȝowr gracles gane 1513 Doug. iii. vii. 37.
O leif is [v.rr. levis, levest] me! the lykast thing levyng, And verray ymage of my Astianax ȝyng 1603 Philotus x.
Leise me thay lips that I on luik(5) a1568 Bannatyne MS 137 b/15.
I schro the lyar, full leis me ȝow(6) a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 980.
Leis me of your laughing face, ye look lyk a kisse
f. To have as lief do one thing as another. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxix. 389.
Bot I treu he had als lef be ded As lef his wyf but remed
2. Pleased, willing, glad (of or for something, to do something); also, inclined (to some kind of conduct).Appar. only in the poems cited: cf. also Leful a.2This use, also ME. (c 1325–c 1500), appar. arises out of 1 e (3) above, him is lefe becoming he is lefe. — c1420 Ratis Raving 1731.
For lytil blytht, for lytil wraithe, For lytil leif, for lytil laithe c1460 Thewis Wysmen 406.
Of vtheris menis scaith thai ar ay fayn, And leif to se an-vthir in payne c1460 Consail Vys Man 378.
Suer neuir bot thow compellyt bee For leif to suere is leif to lee c1460 Thewis Gud Women 121.
Nocht leif to wantone giglotrys, Kep feris of women at are wys c1460 Ib. 161.
Be leif of prayer quhen scho may And her mes one the haly day
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"Lefe adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/lefe_adj>
