A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1438-1590
[0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Moy, a. [Appar. MDu. mooy (Du. mooi) elegantly dressed, handsome, beautiful, pretty: cf. Norw. dial. møy quiet, gentle, appar. of the same origin.] Mild, gentle, demure; also, meek, submissive.In the second Alex. quot. appar. as a mere rhyming convenience in a conventional allit. phrase. ?1438 Alex. ii. 5844.
Idorus that was myld and moy Sang richt myrrely and cleir ?1438 Ib. 11091.
Pypis, fistulis soundit raith, That all was baith myrrie and moy [: joy] c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 349.
Thar myght na molet mak me moy na hold my mouth in c1500-c1512 Id. xliii. 11.
Thir ladyis fair … With littill noy thay can convoy Ane mater fynaly, Richt myld and moy and keip it coy On evyns quyetly 1513 Doug. xiii. xi. 2.
Venus … Amyd the hevynly hald, rycht myld and moy [: ioy] c1590 J. Stewart i 56/3.
[Cupid] Vith semblant sueit he smylith sum thing moy [: boy] To schaw he dois be craft his sute alluir
b. To mak (our, sa etc.) moy, to behave demurely, affect demureness, delicacy or gentility. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1275.
Ȝoung wantoune menn … mak thai neuer sa moy We sall thame hame agane in Grece conuoy a1487 Gud Wyf & D. 20.
Suet and hamly, sempill and coy, Vith fenȝeit fair nocht mak our moy 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 8014.
Sum makis sa moy, sa gymp, as dynk and dane, Howbeit ȝe speik scho will not blenk agane a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xxxiv. 6.
Ladyes … Quhan thay ar ȝung … Thay do appeir for to excell sa wonderous moy thai mak it
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Moy adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/moy_adj>
