Pl. waifs. Forms: 3–7 wayf, 4–9 waife, 5 wayffe, 5, 7 weif, 6 wayfe, wayff, 6–7 weife, 7 wafe, waiefe, weyfe, wayve, waive, wave, 9 waiff, 6– waif. Also pl. 5, 7 wayves, 5 weyves, 6 wavys, 6–7 waives. See also WEFT. [a. AF. waif, wayf (Sk.), weif, weyf (Britton), gwayf (in Kennett), (Anglo-L. waivum, wayvium, weyvium) = OF. (Norman) gaif, gayf (fem. gaive, gayve) sb. and adj.; early mod.F. (Cotgr.) vuayves (sb.), and (choses) guesves or gayves; prob. of Scandinavian origin, with the primary sense ‘something loose or wandering’; cf. ON. veif something flapping or waving (cf. WAIF sb.2), related to veifa trans. to wave, vibrate. Cf. WAIVE v.] A. sb.
1. Law. A piece of property that is found ownerless and which, if unclaimed within a fixed period after due notice given, falls to the lord of the manor; e.g., an article washed up on the seashore, an animal that has strayed. Often waif and stray or † straif: cf. STRAY sb. 1, STRAIF.
Not evidenced as Eng. before 1377; the bracketed quots. represent the AF. use of 13–15th c., in which the word is often collect. sing. meaning lost property collectively or the right of the lord to such property.
[1223. in Kennett, Par. Antiq. (1818), II. 275. Recognitum est … quod ad nos spectat le Gwayf &c in terris nostris.
1228. in Mem. Ripon (Surtees), I. 52. Wrek, weyf, stray, merchet.
c. 1290. Fleta, I. xlvii. (1647), 62. Si quis … libertatem Weyvii habere clamans, animal vagans in feodo suo invenerit.
1293. Rolls of Parlt., I. 115/1. Omnia Animalia que dicuntur Wayf, inventa n predictis terris.
1372. in Kennett, Par. Antiq. (1818), II. 151. Dicte xix marce seisite fuerunt ibidem tanquam Wayf in manum prioris.
1400. in Liber Custum. (Rolls), 486. Quod prædictus Dux … haberet … omnimoda catalla vocata ‘Wayf’ et ‘Stray.’]
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. Prol. 94. Of wardes and wardmotes, weyues and streyues.
1444. Rolls of Parlt., V. 126/2. All maner Wayffes and Strayes, and othur godes forfeted.
1447. Shillingford, Lett. (Camden), 99. He and his predecessours … have had view of Frank Plegge weif and straif and all other profits longing to a view.
1455. Rolls of Parlt., V. 311/2. Wrecke of the Sea, Weyves, Estrayes.
1546. in Sel. Pleas Crt. Admiralty (1894), I. 148. The sayde Leonard Sumpter fyndynge the sayde shyppe … dryvynge with the streamys as a wayff and forsaken of all creatures toke and seased uppon the sime as lawfull wayff and thynge forsaken.
1547. in J. H. Glover, Kingsthorpiana (1883), 93. That all wavys and strays from hense forthe shalbe delyvered to the Baylie by the Thurbarrowes.
1622. Callis, Stat. Sewers (1647), 22. When an owner cannot be found, the Common Law gives it Domino Regi, as Waifs, Strays, Wreck of the Sea.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. viii. 292. Wrecks, treasure trove,… waifs, and estrays, may be granted by the king to particular subjects, as a royal franchise: and indeed they are for the most part granted out to the lords of manors.
1826. Scott, Woodst., ii. Sir Henry Lee is keeper of Woodstock Park, with right of waif and stray [etc.].
1852. Ida Pfeiffer, Journ. Iceland, 85. He has a right to all the waifs, which is a privilege of some importance, on account of the wood drifted from the American continent.
1866. Kingsley, Herew., vi. The country folk, who were prowling about the shore after the wails of the storm.
incorrect use. 1871. Ruskin, Fors Clav., I. iii. 18. Hearing that a considerable treasure of ancient coins and medals has been found in the lands of Vidomar, Viscount of Limoges, King Richard sends forthwith to claim this waif for himself.
† b. (See quots.) Obs.
1579. Expos. Terms Law, 186. Wayfe is when a theefe hath feloniously stolne goodes, and beinge neerelye followed with hue, and crye,… flieth away and leaueth the goods … behind him, then the queenes officer or the Reeue or Bailife to the Lord of the manour … may seyse the goodes so wayued to their lordes vse.
1610. W. Folkingham, Feudigr., III. iv. 71. Waives, Weifes, or waiued goods, import all goods and chattels, which being stolne, are left or forsaken by the thiefe in his fugacie.
1620. J. Wilkinson, Courts Leet, 125. Waiefes are cattell stolne and weived out of the possession of him that stole them.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. viii. 286. Waifs, bona waviata, are goods stolen, and waived or thrown away by the thief in his flight, for fear of being apprehended.
2. transf. and fig.
1624. Donne, Devot., xiii. (ed. 2), 312. What a Wayue, and Stray is that Man, that hath not thy Marks vpon him?
1676. Marvell, Mr. Smirks, Hist. Ess., 49. Whensoever a Christian transgresses these bounds once, he is impoundable, or like a wafe and stray whom Christ knows not, he falls to the Lord of the Mannor.
1690. C. Nesse, O. & N. Test., I. 143. We are faln into our Lords hands … as wafes and strays; the Lord of the Mannor seizeth on us for not paying our fines.
1785. Burns, Twa Herds, i. Or wha will tent the waifs and crocks, About the dykes?
1823. Scott, Peveril, xxxix. You are here a waif on Cupid’s manor, and I must seize on you in name of the deity.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, liii. I had no scruples of conscience in suffering all the waifs and strays of that conversation to float to me as freely as they would.
1855. Tennyson, Brook, 199. Rolling in his mind Old wails of rhyme.
1877. Symonds, Sk. & Stud. Italy (1879), 300. A chiffonnier of Paris,… when the night has fallen, goes into the streets … to rake up the waifs and strays a day of whirling life has left him.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, xxiii. 398. He was now flung as a waif on the shore of a foreign land.
1918. F. Wood-Jones, Probl. Man’s Ancestry, 42. The whole fauna of Australia consists (with the exception of a few waifs) of pouched animals.
b. esp. A person who is without home or friends; one who lives uncared-for or without guidance; an outcast from society; an unowned or neglected child.
1784. Cowper, Task, III. 80. ’Twas hard, perhaps, on here and there a waif, Desirous to return, and not receiv’d.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., iv. I. 26. It’s no possible … that such poor waifes could be guilty of anything like that.
1857. Mrs. Mathews, Tea-Table T., I. 205. Some blest Alsatia … wherein to gather up the waifs and strays that abound in the bye-ways.
1862. ‘Shirley’ (J. Skelton), Nugæ Crit., iii. 159. They are the waifs and strays, and cast-aways of society.
1875. Children reclaimed for Life, 82. Little Jem Jervis was simply a friendless waif.
1916. Whitaker’s Almanack, Advt. 114. Church of England—Waifs and Strays Society needs help for its large family of over 4,600 children…. Over 20,000 Children Rescued.
3. Comb., as waif-wise adv.
1871. Swinburne, Songs bef. Sunrise, Eve of Revol., 63. Whose multiplying hands Wove the world’s web with divers races fair And cast it waif-wise on the stream.
B. attrib. and adj.
1. attrib. or appositive (indicating lost property, a strayed animal, a homeless person, etc.).
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Treat., 155. Ane wafe beast, after zeare and day, is escheit to the King.
1678. Sir G. Mackenzie, Crim. Laws Scot., I. xix. § iv. (1699), 98. He who finds a waife Beast, which hath strayed from the owner.
1681–2. Radclyffe Household Bks., in Northumb. Gloss., Mantayning a wave child in Dilston, 1 l. 8 d.
1754. Erskine, Princ. Sc. Law (1809), 117. Where one finds strayed cattle, or other moveables, which have been lost by the former owner (waif goods).
1898. F. D. How, Walsham How, xix. 267. A Home for Waif Boys had been established.
2. adj. (Sc.) a. Stray, wandering, homeless: = WAFF a. 1.
c. 1730. Ramsay, Vision, i. Mylane I wandert waif and wae.
1806. R. Jamieson, Rosmer Hafmand, iv. Pop. Ballads, II. 203. And wull and waif for eight lang years They sail’d upon the sea.
b. Applied to a report or saying: Floating, current. Sc. rare.
1753. Stewart’s Trial, Append. 102. Depones, That he heard a waif report in the country, that [etc.].
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, xvii. 162. I have heard a waif word in the country … that you were a hard man to drive.
c. Poor or inferior in quality; = WAFF a. 2.
1824. Miss Ferrier, Inher., III. 164. It will be but a waiff kind of happiness.
