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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.

Sacrify, -ifie, v. Also: -ifye, -yfy. P.t. -ifyit, -ifyid, -ifeit, -ifit. P.p. -ifit. [ME and e.m.E. sacrifie (Cursor M.), sacrifye (a1325), sacryfye (Wyclif), OF sacrifier (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), L. sacrificāre.]

1. intr. To sacrifice, offer sacrifice (to). a1400 Leg. S. iii 466.
Bot thu consent to me, And sacrifye … To goddis that ar almychtty Ib. 574.
For that wil I Distrenȝe thé for to sacrify Ib. xxxiii 379.
For-thi for dout of dede, ful fele Reneyt God … & sacrifit in that [ilk] stede To mawmentis Ib. ix 11.
Sacryfy Ib. v 295, 303; xi 400; xix 427; xxxii 724; xxxiii 667, etc. c1420 Wynt. v 2617. 1513 Doug. viii i 90.
Into the dawyng rycht ayrly, Dewly to Juno se thou sacryfy Ib. xii i 34.
Thou ryall prynce and fader, Kyng Latyne, Do sacryfy and conferm this convyne 1533 Boece 77.
To euery persoun granting congie to sacrifye to the god quham he plesit best Ib. 274b.
Sum parte of Britouns … sacrifyit to idolis Ib. 272, etc.
Sacrifie

b. To celebrate the Eucharist. a1400 Leg. S. iii 472.
Till a god … I sacrify euir ilka day Ib. xxii 125.
Quhat haf I dysplesyt thé, That suld thu sacrify but me? c1420 Wynt. v 1056.
Syne thai [sc. priests] specyaly Oysyd till God to sacrify Ib. 1061, 1065.
That quhan thai yhed to sacrify Or do thare serwyce devotely To God, thai suld wyth thame tak Wytnes, that suld knawlage mak That thai sacrifyid welle

2. tr. To offer as a sacrifice. a1400 Leg. S. iii 475.
The lame that sa sacrifit is Remanys quhyk and hale Ib. 498. c1420 Wynt. ii 1005.
Than stillely walde he to thame [sc. his guests] ga, And scheyre thare thropyll boll in twa, And syne thare blud walde sacryfy Tyll his goddys devotly Ib. iii 120.
That he sulde … Off his hous quhat evyr he mete … Devotly to God sacryfy 1588 King Cat. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 181.
Melchizedec sacrifeit breid and wyne in figure of the bodie and bloud of our Lord

b. specif. or transf. To celebrate the sacrifice of (Christ's body and blood), in the Eucharist. 1456 Hay II 66/31.
Sauffand the haly order … that sacrifyis the body of God, the haly sacrament of the altare, with the otheris sacramentis of the haly kirk

3. In Douglas: To offer sacrifice to (a deity) or on (an altar). 1513 Doug. i i 85.
Quha sal from thens adorn … The power of Juno, or altaris sacryfy [L. aut supplex aris imponet honorem] Gif [etc.] Ib. ii iv 58.
And lat ws sacryfy The haly goddes and magnyfy hyr mycht Ib. xiii ii heading.