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.
O, interj. (n.). Also: oh. Plur. also ois. [ME. (12th c.) and e.m.E. o, e.m.E. (a 1548) oh, L., F. o.]
1. Standing before a noun or pronoun in the vocative relation or in invocation.c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 383 (C).
Bot, o God, sene the prest Thoas … Hath lever peryse the cite … than [etc.] Ib. 837.
O felloune traytour c1450-2 Howlat 800.
O Deremyne, o Donnall, o Dochardy droch 1456 Hay I. 297/23. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 3624.
O Alexander, he said, full wais thé a1500 Henr. Fab. 79 (Makc.).
O gentill iasp! o rich & nobill thing Id. III. 171/49. ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 40.
O sueit lord [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxvi. 13.
O lamp lemand … O mater Jhesu 1513 Doug. ii. iii. 19.
O ȝhe, quod he, euerlestand lampis brycht Ib. v. 59. a1538 Abell 10 b.
Leir heir o Cristiin man ane document a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxii. i. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1222. 1603 Philotus i. 1609 Melvill 784.
O Lord [etc.] 1622 D. Lindesay Heavenly Chariot 65.
O my soule a1658 Durham Blessedness Death (1713) 21; Cloud of Witnesses 95.
O! sirs, look not on this as a story
2. Prefixed to an exclamation or to another exclamatory word, or standing on its own, expressing some emotion.c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2339.
O, how blyth was Penolope Ib. 2341. 1535 Stewart 1762.
Till heir him sa he gart thame cry o peis a1538 Abell 97 b.
O quhow far wes it fra the word of our saluitour in His deid a1568 Bann. MS. 220 a/60.
O allace a1605 Montg. Son. xxxiv. 8.
My sorrie song is, oh and welauay! 1584 Melvill 214.
O fy! 1605 Ib. 604.
O fy for schame! that [etc.] 1604 Craig i. 15.
Since thy fortunes are so rare: o than! a1649 Drummond I. 4/14.
O mee! 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 204.
O for that cloud of black wrath … that is hanging over the land! ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 140.
O fy!
3. The exclaiming of ‘Oh!’, treated as noun.a1450 Fifteen Ois 326.
Quhen ȝe haue said thir ois to ane end a1570-86 Balnaves Maitl. F. cxxix. 109.
With o and I to ȝow I say … Quhone best is play pas hame away
