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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.

Ouk, Owk, Oulk, Olk, n. Also: -e, ouck, houk, owlk, houlk, howlk, ouik, owik, -yk; wk, ulk; ok, oik (and Houk). [Sc. variant of Wouk n., with loss of initial w- before the labial vowel as also in Oull n. Cf. also ODan., Norw. uke, Dan. uge. Also in the modern dial.] A week.

1. The cycle of seven days from Sunday to Saturday, or from Monday to Sunday; a particular instance of this cycle.In the ouk, also = per week: cf. Oukly adv. 1 c. Also in collocation with the name of an ecclesiastical festival or other specific day, designating a particular week of the year: for further examples see Martimes, Pace, Passioun, Witson, Ȝule, etc.(1) 1580 Inverness Rec. I. 279.
[They] vald be at the sermond on the sabotht day and a landwart wther dayis of the owke 1584 Melvill 182.
Ther salbe a ouk in the monethe dedicat til … publict humiliatioun 1597 Elgin Rec. II. 48.
The haill four quarteris … sall cum in this ouk to be catechised 1625 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 564.
The Tyisday and Furisday ilk ouk salbe imployit in grinding of malt … and the suckines meill to be grind at all vther tymes of the ouk(b) 1550 Elgin Rec. I. 105.
The tua mercat dais in the oik(c) 1590 Reg. Morton I. 169.
My cummyng to Edinburgh … in the nixt owyk 1661 Thanes of Cawdor 315.
By the first ouik as it is ye shall get it(d) 1493 Acts II. 234/2.
Fre to bring and sell victual all the dais of the oulk alsweil as on the merket day a1499 Contempl. Sinn. in c1515 Asl. MS. II. p. 187 heading.
For euerilk day of the oulk and first for Monunday 1536 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 17.
Othir one the merkat day or ony othir day in the howlk 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 15.
Thre dayis in the samyn owlk c1575 Balfour Pract. 37. a1578 Pitsc. II. 323/5. 1597 Skene Verb. S. (ed. 2) s.v. Hebdomas. 1604 Crim. Trials II. 443.
In the oulk befoir Palme Sonday last 1622-6 Bisset I. 116/23.
The clerk of the register … oulklie on Setterday to gif the names of the absentis of that oulkpossess. 1544 Reg. Soltre iii.
One Saterday at the owlkis end(e) 1532 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 375.
All uthir materis … apoun all the dayis of the olk except Friday 1595 Reg. Great S. 96/1.
Thurisday in the first haill olk of Lentroun(2) 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 342.
For half ane ulk's wage deiduceit in the last compts of the Yule ulk and siclik of the ulk of Witsonday 1574 Cal. Sc. P. V. 10.
[In the] oulk [before Whitsunday]

2. Any period of seven days; a seven day unit of time. 1375 Barb. ix. 359.
Quhen sex owkis of the sege ves gane 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. ii.
ix ouckis befor ony terme 1491 Prot. Bk. J. Young III. 108.
Efter that the space of 10 olkis be bipast 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 114.
Be the space of ten okkis last bypast or thairby 15.. Clar. v. 2743.
Oulkis 1565 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 22.
xlv olkis c1475 Wall. (1570) ii. 273.
Hir dochter had of twelf oukis ane knaif 1597 Skene Verb. S. (1599) s.v. Hebdomas.
For like as oulk or weik in Dutch is called woch [etc.]possess. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 177.
Efter seven oulkis rest

3. Used as a unit of time in keeping accounts.In Perth and St. Andrews, oukis penny = oukly penny, Oukly a.(1) 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 344.
To the marinaris wage … for iij owkis bigane 1507 Ib. IV. 34, 1515 Ib. V. 26; etc. 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 133.
Compt of expensis … Fra Sabbato xxv^o Februarii to Setterday xi^o Martii for ij oulkis 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 101.
Oulk 1576–7 Reg. Privy C. II. 582.
Owlk 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 54 a.
iii oukis he kepet the schepe, ine the ouke is xl s. 1608 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 334.
28 Januarij 1608 thrid owlk 1627 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II. 136.
For ilk ouk of fyve ouks halding 10 sheippossess. (a) 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 88.
To the quareouris … four owkis wage 1506 Ib. III. 203.
To the other xx marinaris … thair olkis wage 1529 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. i.
Ane olkis werk 1551 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale I. App. xcii.
Thre oulkis wagis 1590 Black Bk. Taymouth 300.
Quhairof thair was restand of the last oulkis compt [etc.](b) 1531 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 57.
Ane ulkis expensattrib. 1569–70 Haddington Treas. Acc.
or possess. For that owke werke … for hes owke laberellipt. 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 108.
To Arthour Hammiltoun maister wrycht tua oulkes … Robert McCaill tua weikis … Ninian Lauder ane oulke … John Sutherland ane weik(2) 1531 Perth Tailors 6 Aug.
Thir personis vndervretin hes consentit to gader ther oukis penneis for ther awin guid 1533 Perth Hammermen 30.
The quhilk day George Lathangy hes tane the oulkis penny for ane yeir, and to pay ilk oulk iij s. for the said oulkis penny 1538 Ib. 38; etc. 1566 St. A. Baxter Bks. 12.
That thay baik nocht quhill thir owkis pennies … be … pait

4. In various other adv. phrases and special collocations.(Similar to those in which other nouns of periods of time, as day, moneth, ȝere, also occur.)The other ouk, see Other a. and pron.¹ A 1 e.(1) a1500 Henr. Fab. 528 (H).
Within ane oulke [Bann. wolk] 1600-1610 Melvill 783.
Mair … guid lairneing [was] forget in ane oulk nor wes … lairnit in a moneth befoir(2) 1537 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 144.
Quhilkis [lands] ar now in the handis of the saidis l. … be the space of sevin oikis or thairby 1538 Treas. Acc. VII. 209.
Owlkis 1547 Stirling Ant. IV. 218.
Olkis a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 63.
Owikis 1592–3 Misc. Spald. C. II. 120.
Houkis(3) 1500 Treas. Acc. II. 70.
To the pur folkis for vij owkis 1565 Gathering of the Halie Signes 15 b.
To fast for sax oukis(4) a1500 Henr. Fab. 731 (H).
I gif thé leif to gust thy mouth with all Twyis in the oulk 1480 Cart. S. Nicholas Aberd. II. 335.
And fyve dais met in the oulk 1527 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 282.
For suffaraige to be dovne … at Sanct Margaret altar anis in the owik 1529 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 8.
Ilk hors … in the olk to thair batis ii firlotis 1535 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 492.
Twa dais in the ovik videlicet Uednisda and Friday 1562-3 Winȝet I. 129/26. 1565 Conv. Burghs II. 480. 1568 Inverness Rec. I. 171.
Tweis in the owke c1575 Balfour Pract. 130. 1600-1610 Melvill 181.
Four sermones in the ouk, twa on the Sonday and twa on the ouk-dayes(5) 1491 Kennedy Aberd. Ann. II. 4.
Ilk ane chaplane being … abdomitar, dekin or chantor for the oulk Ib. 5. 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 675.
Anis in four oulkis 1622-6 Bisset I. 226/16.
That ane of the lordis hepdomadaris quha wes appoynted for that oulk sall [etc.](6) 1529 M. Works Acc. I. 10.
For granis this olk 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II10.
For candill that oulk 1533 Gau 4/9. 1565 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 28.
Gyff scho was with Bessy Forrester this ouke 1574 Reg. Morton I. 80.
The ewell wedder that hes bein this oulk 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 965.
He played a juike That will not be foryet this oulke 1607 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 334.
For jots that owlk 1644 Peebles Gleanings 228.
The magistrattis to convene anes this oulk(7) 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 115.
To tua pynouris … this owk bipast 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 29.
This last olk 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 105.
The greit skayth … done … this last oulk in Scotland 1593 Elgin Rec. II. 36.
Vpoun Wedinsdaye and Frydaye the ouk befoir 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 354.
For dychting the hous … the hynmest oulk 1616 Misc. Spald. C. II. 157. 1628 Sutherland Bk. II. 150.
I receaweit twa letteris from yow the last olk(8) 1566–7 Anderson Collect. Mary I. 48.
This oulk approcheand 1598 St. A. Kirk S. 870.
That the elderis … be … chosin this ouk following(9) 1608 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 115.
The examination to begin the nixt olk 1609 Crim. Trials II. 282.
Meet me … on Tysday the nixt owk 1612 Breadalbane Lett. 28 Nov.
The prince salbe buried this nixt oulk 1630 Elgin Rec. II. 214.(10) 1444 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 11.
That the fleschowaris dicht … the fleschous ilke ouke on Friday Ib. 12. 1503 Orkney Rentals i. 31.
The uphald of ane mes … a day ilk oulk for evir 1519 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 353.
Euery ouk a d. 1562 Reg. Privy C. I. 217.
Foure counsale dayis to be observit everilk olk 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 661. 1605 Inverurie B. Ct. 5 June.
Euerilk olk 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 149.
They make not examination ilk oulk or ilk fiftene dayes 1698 Soc. Ant. III. 196.
Once every oulk(11) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1343.
With reualing and reuay all the oulk hale c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 27.
Saif ȝow allane Na leid I luiffit all this owk 1592 Black Bk. Taymouth 310.
Cumand and gaingand all the oulk a1605 Montg. Flyt. 363 (T).
Scho that … offerris thé ony thing all the lang oulk [H. owke] 1602 Stirling Merch. Guild 19.
All gild breither sall be licenciat all the ouk throu to by fra fleschers within burght(12) 1375 Barb. xiv. 132.
All the folk … war Refreschit weill ane owk [E. wouk] or mair a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 238.
Oukis c1420 Wynt. v. 1391.
Owkys 1502 Treas. Acc. II. 150.
Owkis 1563 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 317.
[She] had the barne thre olkis in hyr hows 1584 Mining Rec. 51.
And he wrocht vpoun the Kingis mynd … sex or sevin owlkis 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 89.
Thow … com in nichtlie fyve or sax oulkis at his windok 1612 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. (ed.) 45.
Be fisching thairwith daylie and ilk day and diveris and sindrie houlkis be the space of a moneth a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
A yow goes eighten owlks with lambe(13) 1559–60 Misc. Spald. C. V. 112.
Adam Herreot … his seruand and his hors, the space of ix owkis ellis bigane 1572 Crail B. Ct. MS. 25 June.
The space of ane owk 1607 Stirling B. Rec. I. 118.
Oulkis(14) c1515 Asl. MS. I. 219/1.
Scho … was deliuerit befor hir tyme ix oulkis of ane knaif child 1574 Reg. Privy C. II. 418.
Sex oulkes syne or thairby 1580 Irons Leith II. 27. 1583–4 St. A. Kirk S. 518.
Quhilk wes gottin … thre ouikis befoir the sengȝe day 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI. 354.
Oulkis(15) 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 195.
Ye haw newir vretin ane letter this sax oikkes bygane to hir 1615–16 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 373.
The guid cheipnes of his mans waigis this xxx oulkes 1616 Ib. (ed.) II. 21.
To William Telfeir … to drink this tua oukis — 1597 Stirling B. Rec. in Misc. Maitl. C. I. 130.
Divers tymis within thir thrie oulkis 16.. Crim. Trials III. 600.
And hes haldin hir in proces … thir sevin oulkis bigane(16) 1600-1610 Melvill 58.
It … continowed about a sax oukes or twa monethe(17) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 36.
& ane of thaim, as cut wald fal, His owk a-bout suld serue al 1582 St. A. Kirk S. 489. 1587-99 Hume 74/193.
Their oulks about on friends they doo bestow 1600-1610 Melvill 55.(18) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1982 (Bann.).
Than scho deit to within ane olk or two 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 86.
Quhill scho it red within ane oulk or tway(19) ?1438 Alex. ii. 5258.
I sall nocht be olk na ȝeir Behynd(20) c1590 Fowler I. 202/6.
Then houers, then oulks, then monethes and yeres to spend 1600-1610 Melvill 424.
Alas! the mounths, alas! the wkes and dayes That I consum'd