A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1599
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Noy(o)us, a. Also: noyouse, -os, noious, nayouse. [ME. (Rolle) and e.m.E. noyus, -ous(e, noious, late ME. also nuous (1422): cf. Anoyus, Ennoyus.]
Fraught with harm or trouble; hurtful, injurious; vexatious, grievous, painful; also, ? odious.Also applied to persons, and absol.(1) 1375 Barb. xix. 742.
That mos … It wes richt ane noyus way a1400 Legends of the Saints v. 536.
Na pane Of noyus vyndis na of rane a1400 Ib. xxiii. 195.
He … to God cane pray That noyus stryfe til debat a1400 Ib. xxvii. 1419.
It is a full noyus thing Of dere frendis the departynge a1400 Ib. xl. 576. a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow ii. 4.
My noyous noyis, nycetie and negligence 15.. Clariodus iv. 472.
When I was in my maist distres noyous(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 970.
Than thocht I that scho wald be Sa noyus & sa wrath with me a1400 Ib. xxiv. 284.
Til nane oythire be noyus ?1438 Alex. 1608.
The fecht richt fell and noious was a 1500 Edinb. Univ. Lib. MS. No. 27 fol. 288.
The payne … that sal ful nayouse be c1450-2 Howlat 251.
Ane owle noyus [B. noyos] in nest c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke xviii. 5.
This wedo is noyouse to me 15.. Clariodus ii. 602.
Clariodus Whais lang absence hes beine to me noyous 15.. Ib. v. 1958.
Clariodus Whois wound … was ȝit sumthing noyous 15.. Ib. 1496. a1568 Bannatyne MS 73 a/67.
Raw fruct thay ar verry noyusabsol. c1450-2 Howlat 47 (B).
Nyrar that noyus [v.r. noys] in nest I nycht in ane
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"Noyus adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/noyous>
