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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.

Ourga, v. Also: oure-, owr(e)-, ore-, oer-; p.t. -ȝude, -yude, -yhud(e, -ȝhuyde, -yhoude; -ȝeid; p.p. -gan(e, -gayne, -gaen. [Sc. var. of Overga, Overgo(e. Also in the mod. dial. as owergae etc. (Cf. also Ourgang v.)In the pres. and past tenses appar. more often written as two words, in the p.p. as one.]

1. intr. and tr. To go across, cross; to pass over, ride over; to travel over, traverse. 1375 Barb. vi. 364.
His vit hym schawit the strat entre Of the furde and the ysche alsua, He thoucht that thai mycht neuir our-ga Apon a man that wes worthy c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 84.
Ane serpent … Quhilk … oureȝeid all baith hirn nuke and wra c1475 Wall. vi. 725.
Feill … was … Stampyt in mos and with rud hors ourgayne 1513 Doug. vi. xiii. 99.
Nevir … Hercules … Samekil space of erth or land ourȝeid [Ruddim. ouer ȝede]

b. transf. ? To go over, describe; ? to pass over, omit. c1420 Wynt. iv. 1264.
I Now wyll our-ga thame [his deeds] mar lychtly

2. tr. To pass or spread over, esp. in a hostile or injurious way; to overflow; to overrun, infest.Said freq. of floods but also of other material and non-material things. Freq. passive.In some instances there is ambiguity with next sense, q.v.(a) c1420 Wynt. i. 231.
That fyre and flwde sulde all oure-ga(b) c1420 Wynt. i. 406.
Bath felde and fyrth oure-flet that flude And wndyde all that it oure-yhoude [v.rr. our ȝude, oure yude] Ib. ii. 572.
Paddokkis syne thare land our-yhude [C. our ȝhuyde] Ib. 1572.
And landys sere thaire mycht oure-yhude Ib. v. 5374.
The spatys and the flud The wallys off Rome a part ouryhud(c) c1420 Wynt. ii. 493.
For sua the spat had all oure-gane c1475 Wall. vii. 470.
Quhill the rede fyr had that fals blude ourgayne a1500 Lufaris Compl. 54.
And law vilais with fludis ar ourgane 1545 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 541.
And becaus it is instantly ourgane with pest c1554 Makeson Genesis f. 2.
The heythest montanis wyth vattyrs war our-gaen a1605 Montg. Flyt. 300 (T).
Ourgane with angilberreis as thow growis auld 1606 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 3 Jan.
The gaittis of the toun ourgane with beggaris

b. In passive, with the agent understood: Overrun, subjugated (by a hostile force). c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 4488.
Bot or he come the land wes all ouregane

3. To overcome, overpower, get the better of.Chiefly or only of non-material things and freq. passive const. with, in.In some instances there is ambiguity with prec. sense. ?1438 Alex. ii. 7358.
Thare may na power ws our-ga! a1500 Henr. III. 174/59.
Wit is with will soir ourgane c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 99.
With gredines I sie this world ourgane c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 88 b/86.
And lat no moir the weid ourga the corne Ib. 287 b/35.
Becaus thow art all with the glaikis ourgane a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 285 (W).
I was sa alterrit and oregane [Wr. ou'rgone] Throw drowth of my disease 1662 Soc. Ant. XXII. 222.
She … said he was all oergane in that disease

b. To surpass, excel. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 179.
Johne Baptiste … oure-gais prophetis al

4. intr. a. Of time: To pass. b. To pass away, vanish. ?1438 Alex. ii. 7530.
And in lyking the day our-gais c1460 Thewis Wysmen 15.
For word but writ as vynd our-gais

c. Chiefly in p.p.: Past, at an end, gone by.Also a yhere our gane, = a year having gone by, a year after.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 618.
Til mony ȝeris war ourgane c1420 Wynt. v. 3497.
All the yheris war oure-gayne Off Constantyne and Julyane Ib. vi. 1096.
A lurdane … That he confermyd in Crystyn fay Befor that oure-gane bot a day c1420 Ratis R. 1425.
Syk tyme is raklesly our-rwn, and eild our-gan, na grace begwn c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 149.
All the folk … hyd thame quhill the tempest was ourgane(2) c1420 Wynt. i. 424.
That ilk day a yhere oure gayne That thai yhede that schype wythtin Ib. v. 322.
Saynct Jhon the Baptyst als wes tane And efftyre that a yhere owre gane … Herrode gert hym hevydyd be