† leven.
Obsolete.
Belief, faith; occasionally trust.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > [noun]
ylevec888
levec950
trowing1303
creancec1380
believingc1384
credencea1393
acceptationa1425
beliefc1425
acceptance1533
leving1533
credency1648
creed1819
society > faith > aspects of faith > [noun]
levec950
beliefc1175
trothc1175
trutha1200
fayc1315
believingc1384
faithc1384
trowa1400
the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > [noun]
ylevec888
levec950
hopec1000
trothc1175
trusta1200
trutha1200
tristc1200
beliefa1225
tresta1300
traistinga1340
traistnessa1340
fiance1340
affiancec1350
affyc1380
tristening1382
credencea1393
faitha1393
levenessc1400
confidencec1430
credulity?a1439
trustingc1450
confiance1490
credit1533
fiduce1582
confidency1606
confidingness1682
c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. viii. 10 Ne fand ic suæ miclo leafa [c1000 Ags. Gosp. geleafan] in israhel.
c1000 Ælfric Gram. (Z.) Pref. 3 Forðan ðe ðurh lare byð se geleafa gehealden.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 5 We sulen habben ure heorte and habben godne ileafe to ure drihten.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 57 Mid al þis haue þu charite and soðfeste leaue.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 2776 Godess þeoww birrþ habbenn her Aȝȝ soþfasst læfe o criste.
a1225 Leg. Kath. 384 Ich iseo wel..þat tu were iset ȝung to leaf & to lare.
a1275 Prov. Ælfred 548 in Old Eng. Misc. Haue þu none leue to þe þad after þe bileued.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 8404 Ȝif heo wulleð Cristindom mid gode lefuen [c1300 Otho bi-leaue] vnder-fon.
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 247 Noþeles he wild haf briggid, þe fals leue & erroure.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
† levev.1
Obsolete.
transitive. To grant permission to; allow, permit. Also (esp. of God or Christ), to grant. With personal obj. (? originally dative) and infinitive or clause; also absol.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > lack of subjection > permission > permit [verb (transitive)]
thave835
unneeOE
levec897
forletc900
i-thavec900
i-unneeOE
allowa1393
licensec1400
admit1418
sustainc1425
usea1450
permit1473
permise1481
withganga1500
tolerate1533
intermit?c1550
licentiate1575
'low1587
dispense1646
beholdc1650
warrant1662
c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care Pref. 4 We hit nohwæðer ne selfe ne lufedon ne eac oðrum monnum ne lifdon.
c1000 West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xix. 8 Moyses..lyfde eow eower wif to forlætenne.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Þet he us leue swa libben on þisse scorte liue þet [etc.].
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 8873 Godd all mahhtiȝ lefe uss swa. To forþenn cristess wille.
c1220 Bestiary 303 Vre louerd crist it leue us ðat his laȝe us fede.
a1225 Juliana 28 Lef me þat ich mote þe treowliche luuien.
a1225 St. Marher. 12 Leaf me gan.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 71 Vre lauerd..ne leue ou neauer stinken þet fule put.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 2532 God leue hem in his blisse spilen Among engeles & seli men.
c1385 G. Chaucer Legend Good Women Ariadne. 2083 And leue me nevere swich a cas be-falle.
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. i. 149 Crist..leue þe lede so þy londe þat leaute þe louye.
c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 28 Þat onely a man vse his power in to ilk þing, as God..lefiþ him to vse it.
c1480 (a1400) St. Nicholas 632 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 499 Þat he wald lewe þam to say þe story of sancte nicholas.
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xix. 126 Of the kyngis Curtasye, That levit [1489 Adv. lewyt] him debonarly Till do of his land his liking.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 262 Wemen thai lewit and preistis, on the morn To pas thar way.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) iv. l. 38 Thocht a subiet in deid wald pas his lord, It is nocht lewyt be na rychtwis racord.
?1506 Lytell Geste Robyn Hode (de Worde) sig. A.viv God leue that he be trewe.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid iii. vi. 203 I am levit with my wordis the to charge.
a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 534 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 111 As our Roy levit The dowglass in armes ye bludy hart beris.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 8048 And þes wordes ho warpit, as hir wo leuit.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
† levev.2
Obsolete.
1.
a. intransitive. To believe in, on, up, upon; also to trust, give credence to a person or thing; = believe v. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > trust [verb (intransitive)]
hopec888
believeOE
trowc1000
levec1175
strusta1250
trista1250
trestc1275
traista1300
affyc1330
assurec1374
restc1384
sover1488
confidea1525
faith1555
relyc1571
build1573
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 75 To luuene ine god mote fif þing.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 939 Hu ȝuw birrþ ledenn ȝuw & lefenn upp o criste.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 11 Cursed be þe man þe leueð upen hwate.
a1225 Leg. Kath. 328 Me hwet is mare medschipe þen for to leuen on him.
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xvii. 20 Lo here in my lappe þat leued on þat charme, Iosue and Iudith.
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xxxii. 27 Who leeueth to God, taketh heed to the hestes.
a1400 Pistill Susan 358 Who so leviþ [MS. A. leeueþ] on our lord dar hym not lese.
c1430 Hymns Virg. 73 Ȝhe, Conscience, now to þi wordis y leeue.
c1450 Erle Tolous 555 My wele, my wytt, ys all away, But ye leue on my lore.
a1500 Thewis Gud Women (Cambr. Kk.1.5) l. 121 in R. Girvan Ratis Raving & Other Early Scots Poems (1939) 88 Nocht leif to wantone giglotryss.
1508 Golagros & Gawane (Chepman & Myllar) sig. d To leif in thi laute.
1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) II. 168 That all quhilk leuit vpone Christis lair, In his defence sould follow.
1572 (a1500) Taill of Rauf Coilȝear (1882) 944 My treuth I the plicht, That I sall lelely leif on thy Lord ay.
b. Without construction: To exercise faith.
ΚΠ
a900 Old Eng. Martyrol. 8 Nov. 202 Ða lyfde se gode ond fulwihte onfeng.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 81 We wolden sen sum fortocne of þe Warbi we mihten..leuen.
a1352 L. Minot Poems iii. 16 Leves wele it es no lye.
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xix. 4 Who leeueth sone, is liȝt in herte.
14.. How Wise Man taught Son in J. Ritson Pieces Anc. Pop. Poetry (1833) 36 Common women, as j leve Make zong men evyle to spede.
c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 1703 Þenne he laued þat lorde & leued in trawþe.
c1440 Partonope 83 Levyth [printed lenyth] well this ys no fable.
?a1500 Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.) 396 Ther he lyves in flesh and blood, as fully leeven we.
2. transitive.
a. To believe, give credence to (a person); occasionally to believe in, to trust.
ΚΠ
1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 6858 Þe kyng leuede him wel ynou.
a1330 Roland & V. 302 Who þat wil nouȝt leue me, In spaine men may þe soþe y-se.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin i. 11 The lecherye that thow hast told, wher-of I can not leve the.
1508 Golagros & Gawane (Chepman & Myllar) sig. aii* Leif ye the lele.
a1513 H. Bradshaw Lyfe St. Werburge (1521) i. viii. sig. c.vv A mountayne or hyll, soner leue ye me Myght be remoeued.
a1513 H. Bradshaw Lyfe St. Werburge (1521) i. xx. sig. g.viiv They toke hym tenderly, ye may me leue full sure.
a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Certain Bks. Aenæis (1557) ii. sig. Biv Cassandra then..Her propheats lippes yet neuer of vs leeued Disclosed eft.
b. To believe, give credence to (a thing, also with object clause either with or without that); to accept (an alleged fact, a statement); = believe v. 5 – 7a.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > accept as true, believe [verb (transitive)]
ylevec888
leve971
ween971
i-weneOE
takec1175
trowc1175
truth?c1250
thinka1275
believec1300
trustc1325
hold1340
trist1340
to give (one's) faith to (also unto)c1405
accept?c1430
admitc1449
credencea1529
to take a person at his (also her) word1535
credit1547
faith1576
to take a person's word1576
receive1581
creed1596
understand1751
Adam and Eve1925
buy1926
971 Blickl. Hom. 11 Swa is to lyfenne þæt englas hie georne beheoldan.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 75 Þet ne leueð nan bute þe gode cristene Mon.
a1225 Leg. Kath. 430 Ȝef ha nalde leauen þat ha ȝet lefde.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 935 Abram leuede ðis hot in sped.
c1330 (?c1300) Guy of Warwick (Auch.) l. 1584 Allas! Allas!..Þat y no hadde leued þi word!
c1330 Arth. & Merl. 925 (Kölbing) Þine tale ich no leue.
1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. i. 36 Leef not þi licam, for lyȝere him techeþ.
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xviii. 187 Leuestow that ȝond liȝte unlouke myȝte helle.
c1385 G. Chaucer Legend Good Women Prol. 10 But goddis forbode but men schulde leue Wel more thyng than men han seyn with eye.
c1400 (?c1380) Pearl l. 69 Þe lyȝt of hem myȝt no mon leuen.
c1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 333 It wole liȝtly be leeued of lewid men.
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (1839) xx. 221 We wolde never han leved it, had wee not seen it.
1414 T. Brampton Paraphr. Seven Penit. Psalms (1842) 31 Now may no man othir levyn.
c1426 J. Audelay Poems (1931) 12 Leue he is a lyere.
a1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 82 That ye take no yeftes, nor leuithe none euelle counsaile.
?1577 F. T. Debate Pride & Lowlines sig. Fiiiiv And choose him how this matter he wyl leeuen.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > [noun]
ylevec888
levec950
trowing1303
creancec1380
believingc1384
credencea1393
acceptationa1425
beliefc1425
acceptance1533
leving1533
credency1648
creed1819
1533 T. More Confut. Tyndale viii, in Wks. 799/2 Because it is a presumpteous hope, loking to be saued with damnable deuelyshe lieuing.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
† levev.3
Obsolete. rare.
transitive. To lift up.
ΚΠ
1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) xlix. 191 Sadoyne..leued vp his guysarme vpon him.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.c950v.1c897v.2a900v.31490