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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.

Cry, v. Also: cri-, crye, cray. [ME. cry(e, cri(e, early crien, OF. crier.]

1. intr. To use the voice loudly and with effort; to call, shout. 1375 Barb. iii. 735.
Men mycht her wemen hely cry Ib. viii. 305.
Men mycht her … The voundit so cry and rar, That it anoyus wes till her a1400 Leg. S. iv. 102.
The fendis furth can fare … Ȝouland and cryand in the ayre Ib. vii. 113.
A gret menȝe … criyt faste, & lud canne ȝele c1420 Wynt. v. 2727.
They fell on kneys and cryid sa fast That thai hym devyd at the last 14.. Acts I. 28/2.
Tua leil … nychtburis that herde the chylde cryand or gretand or brayand c1450-2 Howlat 956.
He carfully cryd, He solpit, he sorowit c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 46.
Ȝour burgh of beggeris is ane nest, … sa piteuslie thai cry and rame 1513 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 143.
That all wemen, and specialie vagaboundis, … be nocht sene vpoun the gait clamorand and cryand a1540 Freiris Berw. 190.
Evin with that thay hard the gudman cry, And knokand at the ȝett he cryit fast 1549 Compl. 40/36.
Than ane of the marynalis began to hail and to cry 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9740.
All the lipper thay clappit and thay cryit 1567 Acts Jas. VI (1597) 15.
Quhen ony thieues repairis … that all … liegis … rise, crye, raise the fray and follow them a1578 Pitsc. II. 86/2.
All men cryit and blasphemit the governourfig. 1533 Gau 16/9.
The sine aganis nature the quhilk is callit ane of thayme quhilk criis to the heuine 1651 Balfour Ann. IV. 318.
[All these things] do cray so loud in the eares of all quho haue eares to heire

b. Said of birds, etc. c1450-2 Howlat 202.
The cok … that crawis and cryis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 159.
Quhen thow heiris ane guse cry in the glennis Ib. xlviii. 59.
The birdis did with oppin vocis cry 1513 Doug. iii. viii. 128.
The grisly Ethna dyd rummyll, schudder and cry

c. To be in childbed. 1695 Foulis Acc. Bk. 178.
To Pat Jonsouns man to drink, for his horse to my wife and me when my Lady Raith cryed yisternight

2. tr. To utter (specified words) in a loud voice or with a shout. 1375 Barb. ii. 383.
Till his folk he criyt hey; ‘On thaim! on thaim!’ Ib. xvi. 407.
Than with ane schout on thame schot thai, Cryand on hicht, ‘Douglas, Douglas!’ a1400 Leg. S. vii. 310.
Sudandly this cryit he, ‘A voyce fra este [etc.]’ Ib. xvi. 475. c1420 Wynt. viii. 4520.
A man Apon the Scottis halff cryid than, ‘Allace, oure men has tane the flycht’ c1450-2 Howlat 839.
He cryid ‘Allace’, with ane rair c1475 Wall. i. 236.
‘Help’, he cryit, ‘for him that deit on tre’ c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 221.
Than carlingis cryis, ‘Keip curches in the merk’ Ib. xv. 7.
Ane fule … Cryis ay ‘Gif me’ in to a drene 1513 Doug. ii. i. 54.
On far, ‘O wrachit pepill’, gan he cry Ib. xii. 19.
That I durst … clepe and cry … on hycht Ful dolorusly, ‘Crevsa! Crevsa!’ 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1206.
Scho cryit oft tymes full lowde ‘allace’ 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix. 72.
Commonis may crye, ‘lang mot that frendschip stand’ a1578 Pitsc. II. 62/9.
Suddanlie than with hiche woyce cryed the accusar … ‘Thou heretik [etc.]’

b. To call out or shout (a war-cry, announcement, demand, etc.). Freq. with clause as object. 1375 Barb. xv. 497.
Than his ensenȝe he can hye cry c1420 Wynt. iii. 847.
Cryand fast that he suld de, Quha ewyr hym maid on bak to fle a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 978.
The Iowis cryit him for to crucifye c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 139.
Corrupt carioun, he sall I cry thy senȝie 1533 Boece iv. xviii. 159.
Out of the samyn [camp] was cryit … Romanis desirit commonyng with Scottis 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 701.
We sall … mak ȝow saif … Cryand for ȝow the cairfull corrynoch a1578 Pitsc. I. 67/29.
The thrid tyme thir same wordis war more wgsumlie crayit nor befoir 1631 Acts V. 424/1.
It is havelie complainet vpon and cryet furth [etc.]

3. To announce or proclaim publicly. 1398 Acts I. 212/1.
The schiref … sal publy ger cry the namys of tha that may nocht be arrestit Ib. 341/1.
It is speidfull that the dittays be cryit on xx^ti days warnyng or mar 1405 James of Douglas Letter to Henry IV in Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
I gert cry in diuerse placis the trewis to be kepit c1420 Wynt. ii. 69.
Scho gert oure all hyr landys cry Be statute ordanyt fermly That [etc.] Ib. iii. 976.
Quhat kyn gamyn … In the Olympy cryid were 1456 Hay I. 52/10. Ib. 55/27.
Thai … gert cry that all maner of man, that had bene … banist out of Rome, suld cum agayne c 1476 Lennox Mun. 107.
Tak gude tent gif the bref be cryit tyl a certane day c1475 Wall. iii. 341.
This pees was cryede in August moneth myld 1498 Treas. Acc. I. 319.
Passand with the Kingis lettrez … to ger wapynschawingis be criyt a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 281.
Wallace gart cry ane counsale in to Perth c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 8.
Mahoun gart cry ane dance Off schrewis … Aganis the feist of Fasternis evin c1515 Asl. MS. I. 225/21.
Thair was cryit ane gret indulgence gevin to Glasgw, … contenand iiij monethis 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 88.
The but at the Nether Bow to be cryit fre to be tane away be quhasumeuer that pleissis 1573 Peebles B. Rec. 355.
The counsale … ordanis the Vanelaw to be ropit … and in the meyn tyme that it be cryit waist … hanyng 1603 Moysie 127.
The Princes … wes cryed and called be the lyon harrald Lady Elisabethe 1611–2 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 563.
For extraordinaris furneist … quhen the ordour of the bairnis was cryit 1661 Stirling Comm. Good MS. 3.
To the colman for crying the sitts of the 3 fair

4. To call loudly for (mercy, vengeance, etc.). c1420 Wynt. i. 639.
We mon appere in jugement, And to cry mercy, is to late a1500 Henr. Fab. 2753.
It cryis ane vengeance vnto the heuinnis hie c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 235.
Cry grace, tykis face, or I the chece and sley Ib. xxii. 4.
Gud consciens cryis reward thairfoir 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 456.
Thou prynce of poetis, I thé mercy cry 1533 Gau 20/7.
Thay sinnis quhilk criis ane wengence to the hewine c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 780.
Thay wer fane to leif the feild, Cryand mercie a1578 Pitsc. I. 5/11.
I will now cry that … graice and mercy may on me fall

b. To call on (a person) to appear. Also with upon. a1500 Henr. III. 157/56.
Now of our sawlis bydand the decreit Of his godheid, quhen he sall call & cry a1578 Pitsc. I. 67/11.
Thair come ane thunderand woyce out of heawin cryand and sowmmondand him to the extreme iudgement of God 1622-6 Bisset I. 155/9.
Ane uther [macer] … for ressaving … frome the clerkis the names of the parties to be cryed upoun

5. With prepositions: a. To call on or to a person (for help, etc.). a1400 Leg. S. ix. 86.
One the apostol criyt he: ‘Thi haly bedis brynnis me’ 1456 Hay I. 273/6.
Quhen thi bataill war in the stoure … [if] the appelour cryit up to the prince c1450-2 Howlat .
I haue appelit to ȝour presence … That ȝe wald cry apon Crist … [etc.] a1500 Rauf C. 946.
I haue Cristin men sene … Full oft on him cry 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 348.
Giffin to ane wif that brocht cheries to the King and criit on him for siluer 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8471.
About this place resortis rauins thre, … and euer on me cryis c1600 Montg. Suppl. 234/58.
Quhen Susanna was in point of deid, To me scho did boithe cray & call

b. To call or ask for (also after) something. c1450 Cr. Deyng 259.
Fyrst he prayd, … syne criyd efter help a1500 Henr. Fab. 2880.
Till at the last scho cryit for ane preist c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 109.
Than cryd Mahoun for a Heleand padȝane c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5139.
Happy is he the quhilk hes space Att his last hour to cry for grace 1560 Rolland Seven S. 224.
Sa on the morne he cryit efter his clais 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 53.
That nane of the saids persouns lipperis cry or ask for almis otherwayis nor be thair said clapper

6. With adverbs: a. To call out. Also with on (= against, in blame of) a person. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 124.
Upon Venus and Cupide angerly Scho cryit out c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 136.
Decrepit karlingis on Kennedy cryis owt Ib. 218.
The boyis … cryis owt ay ‘Heir cumis our awin queir clerk’ 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 122.
Thir pestilent precharis ar to be cryit out on be al men of godlie lerning 1562-3 Winȝet II. 25/16.
Quhen … on al sydis thai cryit out al on the noueltie of the mater

b. With in (= from without, to those inside). 1603 Moysie 86.
The erle of Bothuell come to the Nether bow and cryed in, desyring ony man to bid the chanceller come and tak him

7. With down: a. To forbid, suppress, disown, etc., by proclamation. c1475 Wall. viii. 714.
Thai gert the king cry all thar merket doun, … That in thai boundis na man sould wittail leid 1483 Acta Aud. 132*/1.
The said letter was of nane avale, becaus that his sele was cryit doun a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 31.
Say Deo mercy, or I cry the doun 1514 Acta Conc. MS. XXVI. 171.
Thai wald all selis on athir syd new maid war cryit doun 1530 Soc. Ant. II. 393.
It wes thocht expedient that the mercat be cryit downe … for this contagious pestilens 1539 Misc. Spald. C. II. 194.
We charge you … at the mercat croce of our burgh of Edinburgh … cry doun and discharge the said signete 1550 Reg. Privy C. I. 102.
Understandand that the clippit sowsis … ar cryit doun in the realme of France, and nane hes passage bot hale sowsis vnclippit a1578 Pitsc. I. 169/21.
Quhen the wyffis wald refuse the said cunȝie … and said to him that it wald be cryit doun 1657 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 385.
His freidom to be cryd doune, … and his name to be scorit out of the book 1669 Ib. III. 116.
His burges tickit … to be cryed doune and riven

b. To reduce (money) in value by proclamation. a1578 Pitsc. II. 319/31.
This counsall causit to cry downe all the hardheidis and new plackis 1603 Moysie 138.
The counyie als weill our awin as forrene wes cryed doun c1650 Spalding I. 235.
King Charles turnouris … wes, be proclamatioun, … cryit doun fra tua pennies to ane penny 1670 Lamont Diary 216.
Be proclamation … the dollars, comonly called the Leg dollars, were cryed downe to 56 s. 1696 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 585.
Losse by crying doun the 44 s. pieces to 40 s., 540 whereof were sent to Edin[burgh] the same day they were cryed doun

c. To suppress by disapproval or protest. 1644 Baillie II. 145.
In this he was cryed doun as impertinent Ib. 146.
All cryed him doune, and some would have had him expelled

8. With up: To raise in value by proclamation. 1603 Moysie 139.
The conyie wes ordeanit to be cryed vp againe 1651 Lamont Diary 29.
The parliament apointed the money and the golde of this kingdome to be cryed vp