Loved

a. lovid, Sc. 4–5 lowit, luffit, 5 lufyd, lwfyt, 5–6 lowyt, luifit, 6 luvit, 6–7 lovit, (9 arch. lovite). [f. LOVE v.¹ + -ED¹.]

  1.  In senses of the vb.; in attributive use now chiefly poet., exc. with prefixed adv. as dearly-loved, much-loved; ordinarily superseded by BELOVED.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 10416. Þis leuedi was o mikel prise, Loued and lered, bath war and wise.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxvi. (John Baptist), 322. Þis is my luffit sone & dere.

c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, VIII. 1639. O lowit leid, with worschip wys and wicht.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, II. xii[i]. 46. Thy weping … Quhilk thou makis for thi luifit Crewsay.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., III. ii. 46. To compas thy desire, and find that loved knight.

1621.  G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., VI. (1632), 209. In loued lakes they striue.

1706.  Rowe, Ulysses, V. Wks. 1747, I. 407. I’ll fly, as I have sworn For thy lov’d sake, far from the Sight of Man.

1750.  Gray, Elegy (1st draught), 92. Thy once loved haunt, this long deserted shade.

1866.  M. Arnold, Thyrsis, xii. Many a dingle on the loved hill-side.

  b.  absol. or sb. A person beloved.

1435.  Misyn, Fire of Love, II. viii. 87. Þer spekys þe lufyd to þe hart of þe lufar.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., IV. v. 29. Britomart … Upon her first adventure forth did ride, To seeke her lov’d.

1832.  Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. v. By what Pre-established Harmony of occurrences did the Lover and the Loved meet one another in so wide a world?

1898.  G. Meredith, Odes Fr. Hist., 51. This loved and scourged of angels.

  2.  Sc. In royal and feudal documents, prefixed to personal names or designations; equivalent to the ‘trusty and well-beloved’ of English charters. † Often with plural ending.

1460.  Charters etc. Peebles (1872), 135. Our lwfyt burges Ihon Smayll. Ibid. (1461), 140. Our luffit burges and nychtbur Andro Mylner.

1543.  Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 189. Thair lowyt seruitour, Maister Edward Menzes. Ibid. (1545), 217. To our louittis cousingis, bailzeis, counsale, and communitie of Abirdene.

1637.  Sc. Prayer Bk. Proclam. Charles … to our Lovits Messengers.

1868.  Act 31 & 32 Vict., c. 101, Sched. (Q Q), [‘Form to be used under this Act.’] It is humbly shown to us by our lovite A. B., complaner, against C. D. [etc.].