† solf, v. Obs.
Also 4–6 solfe (5 solfon), 5 solue, solph-, 6 solff, soulfe; 4 solfye, 5 solfy. See also sowff v.
[ad. OF. (also mod.F.) solfier (cf. Sp. solfear), f. sol fa sol-fa n.]
1. intr. = sol-fa v. 1. Also fig.
| c 1330 in Rel. Ant. I. 292, I solfe, and singge after,..I horle at the notes. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 423 Ȝete can I neither solfe ne synge ne seyntes lyues rede. c 1400 Beryn 396 He had nede to solue Long or it wer mydnyȝt. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 464/1 Solfon, solfo. a 1529 Skelton Agst. comely Coystrowne 23 He solfyth to haute, hys trybyll is to hy. 1542 St. Papers Hen. VIII (1849) IX. 238 They are lyke to solfe for y{supt}; for the King chargethe them..with thinsurrection. 1570 Foxe A. & M. (ed. 2) I. 301/2 Their singyng was turned to scoldyng,..and if in stead of the Organes they had had a drumme, I doubt, but they would haue solfed [1596 solfaed] by the eares together. |
2. trans. = sol-fa v. 2. Also fig.
| 1525 Bp. Clerk Let. to Wolsey (MS. Cott. Vit. B. vii. f. 127), To make the Venetians the more afrayd and to make them to solfe sumwhatt a highar notte. 1553 Respublica i. iv. 410 Come on; ye shall Learne to solfe Reformacion, Sing on nowe, Re. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 21 [æneas] This kyrye sad solfing, thee northern bluster aproching Thee sayls tears tag rag. |
Hence † ˈsolfing vbl. n. Obs.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 464/1 Solfynge, solfacio. c 1500 in Grose's Antiq. Rep. (1809) IV. 409 For thy sophisticall solphynge,..take it forthe! |