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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

By, v. Also: bye, bay; p.t. and p.p. bocht, boght, boych(t, boucht, bowcht, bowght, bowth. [ME. by(e, byen, early bien, biȝen, substituted for biggen, buggen, OE. bicgan, bycgan.]

1. tr. To buy, to purchase.(a) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 733.
As the Jowis Criste cane by Ib. xxx. 425.
Thare witale … to by 1386 Rotuli Sc. II. 85/2.
At thai may … pesibly by thar vitailles c1420 Wynt. ii. 383.
Hys brethir than come … To buy off hym wyttayle 14.. Acts I. 24/2.
Na marchande uncouth may by … woll na hydis [etc.] 1449 Reg. Episc. Glasg. 370.
Our leigis … that bryngis ony gudis … to sell or by 1456 Hay I. 114/7.
A knycht aw nocht to by landis c1420 Ratis R. 992.
Quhat thing thow byis, se to the price 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I. 37.
To by ij bassingis for hir chalmire a1500 Henr. Fab. 1258.
Ane schiref … Quhilk byis ane forfalt 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 6.
Thai byand thar corn … fra the said stabillaris 1546 Misc. Bann. C. III. 96.
Als mekill mone as wil by als mekle annual 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 205.
To by on the tounis expensis thre tunnis wyne 1569 Inverness B. Rec. I. 96.
He sall nocht by nor blok ony tymmer Ib. 167.
He beand byand and chaipand the samyn a1578 Pitsc. II. 128/3.
That it sould be liesome that Frenchmen may by land with thair money 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Barratrie.
Men passand to Rome and byeand benefices 1610 Peebles B. Rec. 360.
To by coillis, lyme or peittis 1624 Ib. 412.
To bye ane pair of schone 1644 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi. 57.
Two thousand marks … to bay ane jouel with(b) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 344.
Fele palace … That with nane vthire thing ar bocht [etc.] c 1380 Charter (Reg. H.).
Landys … the qvylkys … Alayne bocht c 1456 Edinb. B. Rec. MS. 2.
To preif … that scho bocht … 3 stain ȝarne c1460 Thewis Wysmen 378.
Thai … wald neuer pay the thing thai bocht c1475 Wall. ii. 83.
Quhen he had tane of sic gud as he bocht 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 93.
For a hors boycht to the king 1489 Ib. 106.
For cowrting cordis that he boycht c1500-c1512 Dunb. vi. 49.
Syne leif I the best aucht I bocht 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 295.
The Kingis schippis boght and as ȝit uncum to Scotland 1541 Elgin Rec. I. 62.
Ane hors boych … fra the said Angnes 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 270.
Ane Hamburgh schip, bocht be the toun 1566 Fleming Q. Mary 502.
For luit stryngis that he has bocht 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 217.
The talloun bocht be him 1596 Dalr. II. 248/15.
Quhilke thay bocht with nocht a lytle soume of money 1614 Crim. Trials III. 297.
He boght some trunscheour plaittis 1641–2 Misc. Spald. C. V. 159.
Payet … for the pickes and muskates bocht from the Marques of Huntlie 1657 Melrose R. Rec. I. 161.
For allar spars boght fra the persewers 1691 St. A. Baxter Bks. 26.
The same stuff shall be bocht be the deacon of the craft(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 112; Ib. iv. 1567.
Marchandys, Bowcht and sawlde on syndry wys 14.. Acts I. 304/2.
Ane ox boucht in the markat 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 207.
For thre greit cutts of awld tymmar bowth in Leyth a1578 Pitsc. II. 315/10.
He … boucht rank poysone c 1614 Rep. Hist. MSS. I. 138.
Ane westcoitt … boucht at the Hors schue 1662 Melrose R. Rec. II. 25.
His yaird, the fruite quherof they had boucht 1670 Lamont Diary 223.
The Lord Dunkell … bowght the lands of Carnbie

b. absol. To engage in buying. c 1390 Reg. Morton I. App. xl.
iiij^c li. of sterlingis, swilk as men byis and sellis with in Scotland 1449 Lanark & Renfrew 171.
To cum, gang, by or sell, frely and pesabli c1420 Ratis R. 1002.
For merchandice wald … By and sell with reddy pay c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 70/12.
I haue synnit … byand gud chape and selland our dere 1538 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 87.
Thairafter euery freman may bye thairof 1555 Acts II. 496/2.
All mesouris … to be of ane quantitie to by with 1592 Edin. B. Rec. V. 67.
That na maner of persouns … bye or blok into the merkatt before the tyme of day appoyntet 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Forisfactvm.
To bye and sell freelie throw-out all the partes of the realme

c. In various pregnant senses; esp. to buy over, bribe. 1456 Hay I. 31/18.
The quhilkis lordis … may nocht be bocht to be agayne the lautee Ib. 288/28.
He suld nocht sett him to by the electouris of the empire 1461 Liber Plusc. 399.
Al the warld murmuris that thou art bocht 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 82.
With gret price wald by My deth Agamemnon … and Menalay Ib. x. viii. 157.
Desyrand he mycht by for mekill thing That he [etc.] 1570 Sat. P. xx. 88.
[To] clame the crown Be bludy murther bocht 1611-57 Mure Misc. P. xxi. 23.
Greatnes boght with blood

2. fig. Of Christ: To redeem (man). 1375 Barb. xvii. 336.
Mary That bare the byrth that all can by a1400 Leg. S. xxii. 686.
He … passit to God, that bocht hyme dere c1420 Wynt. v. 5304.
Set God had noucht Thame wyth hys precyows Passyowne boucht ?1438 Alex. ii. 114.
Be all that God sall by a1500 Henr. III. 164/71.
Lat nocht be tint that thow sa deir hes bocht a1500 Rauf C. 180.
Ȝe ar welcum heir, Be him that me bocht 1490 Irland Mir. I. 159/16.
Without travale he boght ws and ransonit c1500-c1512 Dunb. viii. 27.
The Lord that hes him bocht so deir c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 432.
For him that ws all bocht 1567 G. Ball. 158.
Man culd find na remedie, To by man fre againe a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxviii. 1.
Think on God that thé bocht

b. To buy off, ransom (an offender). 1556 Lauder Office Kings 23.
No geir sulde do the faltour bye

3. To pay for by some loss or harm. Usually with dere adv. (Cf. Aby v.) 1375 Barb. xviii. 184.
Bot gret outrageouss succudry Gert thame all deir thair vorschip by Ib. 514.
War it nocht that he war Sic a caitiff, he sulde by sair His wourdis ?1438 Alex. ii. 1209.
Thow sall it by Of Iezonas the sueit drowry Ib. 2287.
Clarus sall by his barganyng 1461 Liber Plusc. 397.
Quhilk for thair playnt sal deir by the payn a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 354.
My blaspheming now haue I bocht full deir c1475 Wall. vi. 241.
The womannis dede, will God, thow sall der by Ib. viii. 1380.
Ingland sen syn has boucht it der enewch c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxi. 23.
Thy leiges leill thy byding byis full deir 1535 Stewart 50178.
Richt weill tha wist … it wald be richt deir boucht c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1181.
All this game he bocht full deir a1568 Scott ii. 97.
He suld deir by be thay had dyned a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvi. 29.
God wat that barrat deir I buy