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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.

Nevo, n. Also: newo, nevoy(e, -woy, -vw, -wu, -vew, -veu, -wew(e, -vow, -wow(e, -vey, -vay, -vy; navow; neivoy; nefo; nefvieu [ME. and e.m.E. neveu (1297), neweu (c 1350), nevew, neffewe (15th c.), nevu (Cursor M.), nevou (Tristrem), nevow, north. e.m.E. newoy (1509), e.m.E. nevy (north., 1530), nevie (1555), OF. neveu, ONF. nevu, nevou, nevo, f. L. nepōt-, nepos (Nepos n., Nepot(e n.) Cf. also Nepvo.]Very common, espec. in the form nevo, throughout the period. In addition to the allocated examples, many others exist for which an allocation between senses 1 and 2 has not been attempted, e.g.:(a) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1262.
Newo 1469 Echt-Forbes Chart. 65.
Johane of Forbes nevo and ayr apperande til Marjory Stewart 1498 Acta Conc. II. 168. 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 47.(b) 1518 Peebles B. Rec. I. 46.
Nevoy 1522 Acta Conc. MS. XXXIII. 9 b. 1545 Reg. Privy S. III. 193/1. 1567 Acts II. 572/2.
Newoy 1570 Leslie 35. a1578 Pitsc. II. 2/n. 2.
Newoy 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI. 285 b.
All his newoyis 1636 Kirkcaldy Presb. 106.
Nevoy 1668 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 28 (21 July).
His nevoyes right 1682 Brodie Diary 472. 1699 Anal. Scot. I. 359.
Nevoy(c) 1433 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 286.
Forquhi that we hafe vnderstandyn be Jone of Carmichel oure nevow … that [etc.] c1515 Asl. MS. I. 251/26.
Newow(d) 1684 Brodie Diary 490.
The burial of Cowbin's nevey Ib. 505.
He and his nevay

1. A nephew; the son of one's brother or sister, also, by extension, of one's brother- or sister-in-law.(a) 1375 Barb. xvi. 44.
The Erll Thomas Of Murreff that his nevo [E. newo] was c1475 Wall. ii. 431.
Welcum, neuo, Welcum, deir sone, to me Ib. iii. 321.
Newo Ib. iv. 17.
His der neuo Ib. vi. 414.
His newois heid a1500 Seven S. 706.
Till his eme come his newo hame 1521 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xv.
The weylfar … of his derrest nevo 1533 Boece ii. ii. 59.
Oftymes emys contrare nevois, and emys sonnys and nevois contrare fader bredir [etc.](b) 1535 Stewart 6492.
Our prince Guydeir, His sister sone and his nevoy so neir a1578 Pitsc. I. 107/18.
Dawid Lyndsay, … quhois nevoy, sone to Johnne his brother [etc.] (c 1580) Alex. i. 1250.
I hecht Pyrrus And neuoy is to Emynedus … Emynedus sister son am I a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 219.
And wald cary with himself his awin nevoy the sone of Angus c1615 Chron. Kings 66.
Robert Stewart … newoy to Dauid King of Scotland(c) c1420 Wynt. iv. 2386.
Octovyane than newew [v.rr. newewe, nevow] Till Julyus that [the] Romanys slwe Ib. v. 381.
[Caligula] nurre [was] and newew [v.rr. newowe, nevo] nere Tyll the lord off Rome Tybere c1590 J. Stewart II. 243/175. ? 1615 Melrose P. 249.
Nevew(d) 1559 M. Napier Mem. J. Napier 64.
My navows ?1438 Alex. ii. 3079.
Neuow(e) 1533 Boece xiv. ix. 558 b.
Thomas Randale nevy to King Robert

b. As the euphemism for an illegitimate son of an ecclesiastic.e.m.E. nephue in this use (1587). c1610 Melville Mem. 29.
This Paip dispones to his bastard bairnes or neveus — the nyxt Paip reuokis the landis Ib.
The Paip … poussit be twa of his neveux

2. A grandson; also, a great-grandson.The localised exampies appear to refer chiefly to the southern part of the country.(a) 1408 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 70.
Till his neveu John Kenedy, the son and the ayre of qwhilum his son Jamis Kenedy [sc. of Dunure] 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 188.
The cro of the newow of a than c1420 Wynt. viii. 339.
The heldare douchtyr yhour modyre bare, My modyr hyre systyr wes yhongare, To the stok [I] am swa newu [v.rr. newowe, nevow], Pro-newu yhe ar Ib. 370. 1478 Home MSS. 168.
The Lorde Home and Alexander Home his newo c1515 Asl. MS. I. 259/6. 1500–1 Reg. Privy S. I. 95/1.
Alexander Setoun, nevo and are to the said Alexander, his grantschir 1508 Ib. 264/2. 1513 Doug. ii. v. 24.
Pelyus nevo Pyrrus Ib. iv. iv. 70.
The ȝong Ascanyus, Nevo to Kyng Dardan and to Venus Ib. i. v. 103, ii. xi. 41. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 50/27.
He was nevo [L. nepotem] to the samyn Hostilius 1533 Boece xiii. iv. 505.
Erle Bewmont nevo and dochter son of William bastard 1545 Reg. Privy S. III. 210/2.
Hew Montgomery, nevo and air to umquhile Hew, Erle of Eglingtoun 1549 Crawford Mun. Invent. I. 92 (2 Apr.).
[He] chesit and be lauchfull adoptioun maid Dauid Lyndesay now Maister Craufurd nevo of the said vmquhile Erle his sone 1556 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 101.
As nevoy and air to his gudschir 1562 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson 156.
Nevoy and ane of the foure airis of … vmquhile Agnes Gray his gude dame c1575 Balfour Pract. 117. 1573–4 Douglas of Morton 807.
Contract between Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, knight, and James Douglas his nevay, fear thereof 1626 Edinb. Test. LIV. 21 b.
For the weill of my hous childrene & neivoyis(b) 1606 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 5.
Walter Thorbrand nefo and aire to James Thorbrand … his grandschir 1615 Melrose P. 202.
In granting to my nefuieu that honour

b. Also, in literary use, a descendant more generally.Cf. the similar poetic use of L. nepos. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 529.
Nero thy nevow, Golyas thy grantsire 1513 Doug. vi. xv. 44.
Quhidder his son or sum nevo worthy Ib. vii. i. 168.
Of quhais stok the nevoys and ofspryng Ib. vi. xv. 90. 1533 Boece i. iii. 36 b.
Thareeftir fra Iber descendit lang successioun of his nevois regnand abone the Spanȝeartis

3. Applied to females: a. A niece. b. A granddaughter.Except for the first, the quotations do not make it clear which of the two possible applications is in use. 1535 Stewart 42190.
To my nevoy Matildis that hes richt Till all Ingland intill hir faderis sicht 1564 Edinb. B. Deeds 152.
I Marioun Loche nevoy and air of vmquhile Williame Loche 1570 Crail B. Ct. 24 Apr.
Agnes Wely his nevoy 1572 Edinb. Test. II. 242 b.
To George Johne Doweall McGregouris and Katherine McGregour my nevoyis, to ilk ane of thame 1592 Ib. XXIV. 63.
He … lewis … to Jonet Vennesone his nevoy ten merkis, item to Agnes Mortoun his nevoy ten merkis 1597 Ib. XXX. 43 b.
Helene & Grissell Gawis his nevoyis