An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language Part 60

_Wyntown._

This, however, may mean, bellowed, roared, from A. S. _bell-an_, Su. G. _bal-a_, id. Chaucer uses _belle_ in the same sense.

BELE, _s._ A fire, a blaze.

V. ~Bail~.

_To_ BELEIF, _v. a._ To leave; pret. _beleft_.

A. S. _be_ and _leof-an_, linquere.

_Douglas._

_To_ BELEIF, BELEWE, _v. a._ To deliver up.

_Douglas._

It is also used as a _v. n._ with the prep. _of_.

_Barbour._

A. S. _belaew-an_, tradere; _belaewed_, traditus.

BELEFE, _s._ Hope.

_Douglas._

_To_ BELENE, _v. n._ To tarry; or perhaps, to recline, to rest.

_Sir Gawan._

A. S. _bilen-ed_, inhabited.

V. ~Leind~.

Or allied to Germ. _len-en_, rec.u.mbere.

BELEWYT, _imperf. v._ Delivered up.

V. ~Beleif~, _v._ 2.

BELGHE, _s._ Eructation, E. _belch_.

_Z. Boyd._

BELYVE, BELIFF, BELIUE, BELIFE, _adv._

1. Immediately, quickly.

_Douglas._

2. By and by, S.

_Barbour._

This seems to be the only modern sense of the term in S.

3. At length.

_Douglas._

4. It is used in a singular sense, S. B. _Litle belive_, or _bilive_, a small remainder.

_Popular Ball._

Chaucer _belive_, _blive_, quickly; Gower, _blyve_, id. Hickes mentions Franc. _belibe_, as signifying protinus, confestim; and Junius refers to Norm. Sax. _bilive_. This is certainly the same word; from Alem. and Franc. _belib-an_, manere; A. S. _belif-an_, id.

_To_ BELY, _v. a._ To besiege.

_Spotswood._

TO BELL THE CAT, to contend, with one, especially, of superior rank or power; to withstand him, either by words or actions; to use strong measures, without regard to consequences, S.

_G.o.dscroft._

Fr. _Mettre la campane au chat_, "to begin a quarrel, to raise a brabble; we say also, in the same sense, to hang the bell about the cat's neck." Cotgr.

_To_ BELLER, _v. n._ To bubble up.

_Bp. Galloway._

Isl. _belg-ia_, inflare buccas.

BELL-PENNY, _s._ Money laid up, for paying the expence of one's funeral; from the ancient use of the pa.s.sing-bell. This word is still used in Aberbrothick.

BELL-KITE, _s._ The bald Coot.