A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1494-1683
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Ruf(e, Ruif(f, n.2 Also: ruyf, ruff(e; rouff; roof(e, roove, rowf. Also ? erroneous or altered form: ruvell. Pl. ruffis, etc., and ruvis; rovis, roves and rowis. ? Also: ries. [ME and e.m.E. rufe (1406), rove (1474–5), also rewe (c1440), rowe (?a1500), ON ró. For the excrescent v cf. Cruve n.] A small metal plate into which the point of a nail or rivet is hammered; the plate and rivet regarded as a unit. Also fig.Chiefly, in collocation with seme.Sometimes, as in the making of armour, weapons, also utensils, of an ornamental nature. Cf. 17th c. Eng. (brass- or silver-)rooved daggers (1661).Also attrib. in (1) below. Cf. ME rove-nail (once, 1358–9 in B. Sandahl Middle English Sea Terms I (Uppsala, 1951)).(1) 1494 Treasurer's Accounts I 253.
For … seyme and rufe to the cokbate 1494 Ib. 254.
For boltis, chenȝeis, ȝong frowis and collaris, seme and rufe to the bote 1497 Ib. 334.
For jc seme and ruffis to the ȝet of Dunbar 1538 Ib. VI 396.
For ane pair of bandis with same ruffis, chekis, and stapillis to ane stule of eis of the kingis gracis 1541 Ib. VIII 161.
For seym and rufe, x s.(b) 1494 Treasurer's Accounts I 254.
iiij stane of seme and ruyf to the bote 1512 Ib. IV 453.
To Johne Kile, smyth, for … vjc seym and ruyf for the James 1512 Ib. 454.
For viij stane of seym and ruyf for the clay bargis, the stane vj s. 1537–8 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 232.
Ruifattrib. 1602 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 423.
ijc stem [? for seme] and ruiff naillis(c) 1513 Doug. i iii 49.
And the strang barge … The storm ourset raif rovis and syde semmys 1575 Perth Hammermen in Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 263.
Rowf 1668 Orkney Antiq. Soc. V 39.
Ane little kinkin with some small seam and roove all being weyed came to two stone and fourtein pund weight 1683 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 1 Aug.
For work furnissed be him to the ferry boat viz. seame roofe and specks(d) 1618 Montgomery Mem. II 279.
For fywe hundreth plainschour naillis and a thowsand ries(2) 1507 Treasurer's Accounts III 254.
For l stuthes with ruffis callit ulȝeatis for the kingis panses and mailȝeis 1535 Stewart 2364.
Helmes wer hewin quhill all the ruvis raue 1535 Ib. 4677.
With … pleven plait with mony riall rufe 1540 Treasurer's Accounts VII 338.
For sex furnissit quhyngeris to the kingis grace, gilt witht silver chaip and ruvis [ed. rubis] to thame 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I 300.
viijxx swair naillis and rowis to the portis 1559–60 Ib. 312.
For naillis and rouffis [ed. roussis] 1672 Foulis Acc. Bk. 12.
For a pair of knyfes and a fork with silver roofes, £4 16 s. 1679 Wodrow Hist. (1829) III 45.
A whinger with silver roves, and knives conform 1681 Irvine Mun. II 289.
For lossing off the ruffes off five pecks and festing of thame againe(b) 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VII 87.
For nyne quhynȝearis … all furnist chaip and ruvell witht silver werkfig. c1600 Montg. Suppl. x 26.
My luif, remow this ruif of cair
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"Ruf n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 12 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/rufe_n_2>
