Obs. exc. Sc. and poet. Forms: 1 lyft, 2–3 luft(e (ü), 3 leoft, 4 lefte, lifte, lijft, 5–6 lyft, 4– lift. [OE. lyft masc., neut., fem., corresponds to OS., OHG., MHG. luft masc., fem. (Du. lucht, G. luft fem.), ON. lopt neut. (see LOFT), Goth. luftus masc., fem.] The sky, upper regions; † in early use also, the air, atmosphere. Also pl., the (seven) heavens.
Beowulf, 2832. Se widfloʓa … nalles æfter lyfte lacende hwearf.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 146. Romane him … worhton eorþ hus for þære lyfte wylme & æternesse.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 79. Or þe uisces iþe wetere and fuȝeles iþe lufte.
c. 1205. Lay., 25585. Com an wunderlic deor, æst in þan leofte [c. 1275 in þan lufte].
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 2124. Ich schal … leoten toluken þi flesch þe fuheles of þe lufte.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 5685. Þo hurde he … angles singe … Vpe in þe luft a murye song.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10479. Sco lift hir hend vn-to þe lift And þus to prai sco gaf a scift. Ibid., 12871. Als he loked vp til heuen Open he sagh þe liftes seuen.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1444. Now se we þe lyfte clere and faire.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxviii. (Margaret), 316. Crist … þat … with mony sternis sere payntyt þe lyft.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 276. A vois was herd on hih the lifte Of which al Rome was adrad.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 326. The lyft lemit vp beliue, and licht was the day.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxxv. 49. Quhill that twa monis wer sene vp in the lift.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xlviii. 182. The lift begouth for to ouercast with shours.
1759. Rural Love, 10. The dearest lass beneath the lift.
1785. Burns, Winter Night, 4. When Phœbus gies a short-liv’d glow’r, Far south the lift.
1826. J. Wilson, Noct. Ambr., Wks. 1855, I. 130. The sweet calm moon in the midnight lift.
1862. Hislop, Prov. Scot., 107. If the lift fa’ the laverocks will be smoored.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. IV. 40. The moon shines dolorous From out the rainy lift.
b. attrib. and Comb., as to † lift-fowl; lift-like a., heaven-like.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 2245. Fode to wilde deor, & to luftfuheles.
1839. Bailey, Festus, xxi. 274. Long shroud-like lights Lit up its lift-like dome.
