Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1704-1744, 1818-1822, 1875-1927
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OE, n.1 Also o, oi(e), oy(e), oey. See also Ieroe. [o; oe; oi]
‡1. A grandchild (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ork., Cai. 1903 E.D.D.; Uls. 1908 Traynor (1953); Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Rs. 1949 Gsw. Herald (7 Feb.); n.Sc., Arg. 1964), specif. an illegitimate grandchild brought up by its grandparents (Cai. 1934).Sc. 1704 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 349:
To Katharine to give john Gibsone my oy at Corstorphine . . . 14s. 6d.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 16:
Among you be't, Priest's Bairns, for 'am but a Priest's Oye. Spoken when we see People contending, in whose Contests we have little Concern.Sc. 1735 Morison Decisions 4262:
Robert and James Frogs her lawful oyes, sons to the deceased James Frog her eldest son.Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 66:
The father buys, the son biggs, the oye sells, and his son thiggs.Sc. 1744 Curiosities Sc. Charta Chest (Forbes 1897) 149:
Poor woman she has a numerous family of about 18 o's.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian viii.:
That auld trooper's wife and her oe.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xcviii.:
He spoke in the most contemptuous manner on the ludicrous idea of Martha Docken's oye being evened to his daughter.Abd. 1875 G. Macdonald Malcolm I. ix.:
A murdered mither maun be an unco skaith to oye's oye.Wgt. 1877 "Saxon" Gall. Gossip 265:
"The wean's my O," — meaning that it was her grandson.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 76:
Da lass 'at he wis mairried on, Wis oy-in-law ta Maaly.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 319:
Id cinna be dooted ane waas a oe or eerie oe o' the tither.Per. 1910 W. Blair Kildermoch 97:
She keepit a bit oe, a bairn o' a dochter.Cai. 1916 J. Mowat Cai. Proverbs 7:
He's biggin a hoose for his oyes.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xvii.:
Ye're the oy o' the miller o' the Roodfoot.
Comb.: †brother oye, a great-nephew or niece.Inv. 1712 Inv. Session Rec. (Mitchell 1902) 236:
Margaret McBain relict to Lachlan Mc Intosh & brother oye to Provost Dunbar.
2. A nephew (Kcd. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1947).
[O.Sc. o, grandchild, 1479, oye, nephew, 1596, Gael. ogha [o:, oə], grandchild, nephew, which the spellings oy(e) may orig. represent. The diphthongal pronunciation [oe] prob. indicates the dim. form.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Oe n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/oe_n1>
