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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.

Sanctify, -fie, v. Also: sanctifye, sanctyfie, sanctefy. [ME and e.m.E. seintefie (Gower), saynctyfye (1413), sayntefye (Caxton), sanctifie (1526), OF saintefier (c1120 in Larousse), eccl. L. sanctificāre.] tr.

1. To invest (a person or thing) with sanctity, make holy. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1505.
Noye, his thre sonnis, and thare wyuis, … Quhome God did blys and sanctyfie; Sayand, incres and multyplie 1562-3 Winȝet I 73/17.
And be this also writtin, that the Lord hes sanctifiit His tabernacle [sc. the Virgin Mary] 1558-66 Knox I 162.
A faithfull man, cleane and holy, sanctifieth by the worde the creature of God; but … a creature may not sanctifie any impure and unfaithfull man. But to the faythfull man all thingis ar sanctifeid a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 94/148.
Did not the virgine myilde … Bring furth to ws ane chylde Quha did ws sanctifie 1622 Edinb. Test. LI 198b.
That hellie spereit quha sanctifies all the … faithfull 1654 Johnston Diary II 271.
O Lord, sanctifye him; O Lord, putt over his youth without a mark or meinȝie

2. a. passive. Of God, or an attribute of God: To be celebrated or manifest as holy (in or to a person or thing). b. active. To celebrate, honour (the rituals attached to the worship of a pagan deity).a. 1490 Irland Mir. I 35/36.
The secund way the name of God is sanctified in ws throu remissioune of oure synnis for be the wertu of his haly name oure synnis are remytt 1567 G Ball. 116.
In all His [sc. God's] warkis is sanctifyit His mycht 1580 Hume Promine 168.
God grant … that in him [sc. James VI] [God] be ay glorifeit, Luifit, honourd, feird, and euer sanctifeitb. 1513 Doug. xii xiii 116.
Nor neuer clan or other nation by Lyke thame sall hallow, ne ȝit sanctify [L. celebrabit; Ruddim. sanctefy] Thy wirschip

3. To consecrate, dedicate, set apart for a holy or religious function. 1490 Irland Mir. III 3/10.
He has ordanit thame [sc. the elements of the Eucharist] to be hallowit and sanctifiet be his hevinly wourdis that he has gevin to man for thar sanctificacioun 1562-3 Winȝet I 28/13.
Sex dayis to laubour, and the seuint day to sanctifie to the Lord Ib. 28/18.
Quhat scripture hes he or vther authoritie … to sanctifie the Sonday to be the seuint day? Ib. 115/4. 1571 Ferg. Serm. iii Malachi in 1563-72 Tracts 66.
That quhilk was sanctifyit and dedicatit to God

4. To ward off the power of witches (from oneself, a thing), by invoking a blessing or other ritual act. 1662 Crim. Trials III 604.
An quhan any sies thes strawes in a whirlewind, and doe not sanctifie them selues, we may shoot them dead at owr pleasour Ib. 605.
And to keip the eall from ws, that we haue no power of it, is to sanctifie it veill