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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.

Oy(e, n. Also: hoy, oie, oiy, oey(e, oyo. [Common var., with diphthongal pronunc., also in the mod. dial., of O n.¹] 1. A grandchild.(a) c1515 Asl. MS. I. 258/2.
Efter the deid of this Kenneth, Constantyne, Culenis oye, invadit the crovne Ib. 262/15. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 308.
Dewlbeiris bairnis … Belȝebubbis oyis and curst Corspatrikis clan 1510 Breadalbane Doc. No. 38.
Coline Campbell, lauchtfull thrid sone to the said Coleyne and oy to the said Schir Duncane 1521–2 Stirling B. Rec. I. 13.
Oye 1523 Montgomery Mem. II. 96. 1535 Stewart 39194. Ib. 5386; etc.
Duncane his oy … His dochteris sone 1543 Reg. Privy S. III. 37/1. 1549 Prot. Bk. J. Crawford 35 b.
Of his hoyis tochtyr 1551 Banff Ann. II. 380. 1554 Reg. Cupar A. II. 252. 1572 Irvine Mun. II. 14. 1578 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. viii. 28.
To my five oyis, dochteris to my vmquhill sone 1580 Fam. Rose 273.
Oye 1583 Reg. Privy C. III. 592. 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII. 338 b.
Adam Myller and Jonet Myller his oyis 1595 Duncan App. Etym. Thair was S.
Neptis, a woman that is an oy 1596 Dalr. I. 13/1.
Ninian the oy [L. nepos], as we beleiue, of S. Martine Ib. 93/3; etc. 1596–7 Misc. Spald C. I. 113.
Henrie Smart, hir narrest oy 1598 Dunferm. Ann. 250. 1603 Philotus xv.
Mair meit his oy nor wyfe to be 1619 Anal. Scot. II. 397.
Young Laweris … whoe is lykwayis shortlie to marie my eldest oy 1622-6 Bisset II. 27/16. 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 121.
Hir first husbandis brotheris oy a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 267. c1650 Spalding I. 43. Ib. 69.
Thay being his awin brother sone and brother oy 16.. Abercrummie in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 6.
They usually have in all ther families the grandfather and oyes 1661 Red Bk. Menteith II. 164. 1681 Decis. Lords F. 4.
The other service being of the mid-brothers oye as heir to the youngest brothers son 1681 Stair Inst. iii. vii. 5.
But all this holds in oyes(b) 1591 Lennox Mun. 332.
And als oiy, air and successour be progres to … Lord Darnelie our guidshir 1658 Greyfriars Interments 394.
Oie 1686 Dunlop P. III. 30.
Jonet, Mr Lifistonis oiy(c) 1606 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 7.
Oeye and aire of umquhile David Mein 1628 Dumfries Test. I a. 148 b, 160.
Oey(d) 1609 Garden Garden 90.
The father, sonne and oyo [: also]

2. A nephew or niece. c1554 Makeson Genesis 3 64.
Constrainit vas Loth and Abraham For to desewir, in Sodome the oye Stile to remane, the vnkil in Canaan 1596 Dalr. II. 150/8.
To lat her wit that the ȝoung prince his oye [L. nepotem] with him was in als gret affectione Ib. 274/17.
The King promises at large betueine Margaret Douglas, his oye [L. neptem suam] and the Erle of Lenox mariage to treate Ib. 282/30. 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 38.
Chartour maid be John Scrymgeour, C. of Dundie, to John Scrymgeour his oy, the eldest sone of James [pr. Johnm] Scrymgeour of Henderstoun his brother 1622-6 Bisset I. 53/8, 9.
On the samin maner the nepott or oy gottin on the kingis brother salbe preferred to the nepott or oy gottin on his sister