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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Oyes, v. (interj.) and n. Also: oies, oes, oiȝes, oyas, oyoz, oyesse; plur. oyesses, -is, oyeses, oysses, oyes(s)es, oyases. [Late ME. (15th c.) and e.m.E. oȝes, oyes, oyas, o yes, e.m.E. also oh yes (1654), AF. oyez (c 1286), OF. oiez, oyez, hear ye! imper. plur. of oir v. to hear: cf. also Hoyes.]

1. A call used, esp. by an officer or crier, to attract attention before making a public announcement.a. imperative v. or interj. a1500 Henr. Fab. 848 (Bann.).
[The unicorn as pursuivant] ‘oyas! oyas!’ twis or thris coud cry
1494 Loutfut MS. 2 b.
The cummyn off the provour in the feild: Oies, oies, oies, be the commandiment of the King our lord
Ib. 43 a.
Oes, oes, oes, thai do ȝow to wit til al knychtis and squyeris [etc.]
c1670 Row in Musselburgh 104.
Goe with me to the crosse and in few words … tell the people, after you have cryed oyesse thrise, how yee have been … entysed to faine your selfe to be a blinde man

b. noun. Common in the formula thre (several) oyes(sis, in recording the making of a proclamation or announcing a summons.plur. (a) 1494 Loutfut MS. b.
And set wp a pursewant on hicht and mak him to proclame thre oyes
1565 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 36.
That day Williame Bane messinger past to the mercat croce of Inuernes and thair be oppyn proclamation with thre oiȝes proclamit the King and Quenis lettres
1641 Fraser P. 121.
Efter thrie seuerall oyoz
(b) 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 205.
Bot or he culd cry his oyessis, he wes tane be the … suddartis
1592 Acts III. 534/2.
Thairfoir I past … to the mercat croces of Glasgw and Dunbartane and efter thrie oyesis as vse is thair be oppin proclamatioun lauchfullie summound [etc.]
1616 Orkney & Zetl. Sheriff Ct. MS. 61.
Quhair sho cryit thrie oyesis about the glomeing of the nycht
1631 Justiciary Cases I. 153.
And thairat eftir thre oyesses publicatioun oppin reiding of the saidis lettres [etc.]
1631 Ayr Chart. 63.
Be oppin proclamacioun efter thrie severall oyesses and publict reidding [etc.]
1652 Ellon Presb. (1898) 447. 1672 Kirkcudbr. Test (Reg. H.) 19 July.
Oyeses
1681 Stair Inst. IV. xxxviii. 16.
All executions at market-crosses or at the pier of Leith must be by messengers … and before he read the summons he must, with audible voice, cry three oyesses, the design whereof is to convocate people to hear and give notice
1679 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III. 308.
Newton annulled an inhibition, because it wanted the three several oyeses at the market-cross
1682 Lauder Notices Affairs I. 382. 1687 Mackenzie Observ. on Sc. Statutes 199.
After the horning and executions were registrat, they would not allow the messenger to add the word, three oyesses, in his executions
1690 Misc. Hist. Soc. X. 132.
Oyases
1696 Burnett Fam. P.
Oysses
1637 Rutherford (1891) 490.
The law cometh on with three o-yeses
1689 Acts Sederunt I. 183.
That he cause read the said summons publickly at the mercat-cross … after three severall o yesses
sing. 1638 Cant Serm. 13 June 1638 (1741) 21.
He goes to the market-cross like an herauld with a great oyes

2. Shouting, outcry, in general. 1539 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 211.
We dischairgis all nycht waikstaris makand oyes or showtyng … under the payne of lying in the stokis xxiiii houris

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"Oyes v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/oyes>

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