Obs. Forms: α. 1 léʓ, 2–4 lei, 3 lai, leȝe, leyȝe, 3–4 leiȝe, ley, 3–6 leye, 4 leyhe, 4, 7–8 (dial.) laye. β. 1 líeʓ, líʓ, lýʓ, 4 lie, lyȝe, lyghe, 4–5 lye, 5 ly. [OE. líeʓ (Anglian léʓ) str. masc. corresponds to OHG. loug, lauc (MHG. louc, gen. louges), ON. løyg-r:—OTeut. *laugi-z:—pre-Teut. *louk- abl.-var. of *leuk-: see LIGHT sb.] Flame, blaze, fire. (On) a leye: on fire.
α. Beowulf, 3115 (Gr.). Wonna leʓ.
971. Blickl. Hom., xii. 133. Hie onfengon þæm Halʓan Gaste to heora heortan on fyrenra leʓa onlic-nesse.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 41. He him sceaude an ouen on berninde fure he warp ut of him seofe leies.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 49. Ech cristene oh to habben on honden to-dai in chirche leȝe berende.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 1369. I þe reade leie, & i þe leitinde fur.
a. 1240. Lofsong, in Cott. Hom., 215. Wið þe lai louerd of þe holigost … tend mine heorte.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 6796 (Kölbing). Þo seiȝe þai al þe cuntray Stonden brenand on rede leiȝe.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVII. 297. As wex and weyke and hote fyre togyderes Fostren forth a flaumbe and a feyre leye [C. XX. 172 lye].
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVI. xxviii. (1495), 562. This stone … Crisalitus … yf it be set by the fyre anone it wexyth on a laye [Helmingham MS. it wexeþ a lie, ed. 1535 on a flame].
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 78. The leye off the flaumyd furnes.
1573. Art of Limming, 11. You may … blacke over your paper with the leye of a Kandle or of a lynke.
1674–91. Ray, S. & E. C. Words, 104. Laye, as Lowe in the North, the Flame of Fire; tho it be peculiarly used for the steam of Charcoal or any other burnt Coal. [Hence 1787 in Grose, Prov. Gloss., Suppl.]
β. Beowulf, 727 (Gr.). Him of eaʓum stod liʓe ʓelicost leoht unfæʓer.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 325 (Gr.). Brand & brade liʓas.
c. 1300. St. Brandan, 496. The Lie of the fur stod on heȝ as hit a was were.
13[?]. K. Alis., 3458. The fuyr was on so gret lyghe, That Darie hit sone syghe.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 555. He was … lechourus of kinde Þat in his licamus lust as a lie brente.
1398. [see α].
1422. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 229. Tho that haue a brandynge colure like the lye of fyre.
14[?]. Tundale’s Vis., 716. Owt of the mowthe the fure brast And fowle stynkyng lye com owt fast.
