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: 1560-1659
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Lib, n. Also: libb(e, libe, lebbe. [OE. lyb(b a potion, drug, simple, and in compounds, as, e.g. lyb-lác witchcraft.] a. ? A potion. b. Chiefly, a (healing) charm. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 8971.
Clerkis of cunning, and counsallouris of hele, Charmers of chafts and giuers of lib lele 1577 Criminal Trials I. ii. 77.
Violet Mar in Kildeis [, Perthshire] … fylit for ane commoune vsare of sorcerie, libbis and charmes and abusare of the pepill 1587 Crawford Mun. Invent. 20 Mar. II. 189.
Letteris [to] be presentlie raysed aganis the vsaris of charmes and libbis 1633 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. V. 559.
[In Orkney,] If at any tyme to cum scho be fand to hant suspect places, to use charmes or libis scho sall … be brunt 1655 Canisbay Kirk S. in Old Lore Misc. V. iii. 130.
John Sherar being delated for making of libs … wes ordained to say the lib forspokin, which is The Lord God road [etc.] … He set bane to bane [etc.] 1655 Ib.
Janet Groat delate to be a charmer … did say the words used in the lebbe forspokin as follows, Bittin be they that beatt [etc.] … Sche libbed Andro Stevin … and Captaine Wood's chyld. … This libbe is done with small salt 1659 Dunblane Kirk S. in Sc. Ant. IV. 119.
That sche useth libes [pr. lives] and charmes with carying of water out of the supersititious well at Cullines
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"Lib n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/lib_n>
