A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1596, 1684
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Scry, Skry, n. [Late ME and e.m.E. scrye (1419), skrye (1440), scrie (1581), aphetic f. OF escrier (mod. F. écrier) or AF *ascrier. Cf. ME asscry (c1325).]
1. The loud outcry, clamour or din attendant (chiefly) on a battle; a loud shout of acclamation, fear or alarm greeting an event or happening, (chiefly) the commencement of a battle. Chiefly const. def. art. Freq. in collocation with arise, rise, uprise (raise).(1) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii 839.
The ost, all in [a] gud aray, With the gret scry assemblit thaim about 1513 Doug. ix viii 107.
The trumpettis weirly blastis abundis … The skry, the clamour, followys the ost within, Quhill all the hevynnys bemyt of the dyn(2) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vi 251.
The scry about rais rudly on the streyt c1420 Wynt. viii 5510 (W).
Ane blew a horne … Than in the castell rais the scry [R., C. cry] 1513 Doug. ii v 32.
Slane ar the wachis … Opnyt the portis … Throu the cite sone rays the noys and scry 1531 Bell. Boece I 205.
Quhen the faid had brocht in the wolf … the skry arais, and ilk man went to his gam 1531 Bell. Boece I 277.
The skry and terrible noyis arrayis be furie of weirmen ceissing fra na maner of cruelte [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece II 168.
The skry suddanly up-rais throw terrible rummissing of deand pepil 1375 Barb. (1571) xix 564.
The noyis sone rais, and als the skry [E., C. cry](3) 1533 Boece 223.
The skry rais of the commons rynnyng fra the feildis 1533 Boece 376.
Haistelie rasit was the terribill skry of sum in the extremite of dede and of sum fleand 1533 Bell. Livy II 89/11.
The skry and noyis of batall rissin herethrow rasit … the watche(4) 1513 Doug. xii viii 41.
Vprysis than the clamour, and a scry Quhilk semyt wend onto the starnyt sky. Thar curs abowt than the Rutilianys Hes tane the flyght [etc.] 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 325.
[They] put thame [sc. women] in ane lockit hous to the effect na scry sould arryse
b. fig. The outcry consequent on an act of treachery.1531 Bell. Boece I 210.
The skry arrais efter this slauchter, and maid the nobillis and commonis of Scotland to returne … to revenge the same 1531 Bell. Boece II 80.
The skry rais efter his slauchter, and maid thir men to be serchit
2. a. A cry of alarm or warning, a call to battle.Some examples may rather belong in 1.?1438 Alex. ii 3361.
Thay will ishe blythly to the scry To stanche thare faes 1460 Hay Alex. 4241.
The skry rais the cietie semblit … ane batall strikin was a1500 Sir Eger 1654.
From the castle came a skry: Men did … rin To horse and weapons 1513 Doug. viii xi 33.
Engravyt … The siluyr ganer, flyghterand with lowd scry, Warnand all reddy the gilt entre by 1533 Boece 49b.
Slaying the wachis he brak in oure the trensch … or to King Coill come the skry 1542 Treasurer's Accounts VIII 139.
All man … to be reddy at the heicht of this nixt mone be skry, bale or uther sing to pas forwart for resisting of the Inglismen
b. A hue and cry.?1438 Alex. i 96.
The hirdis, quhan thay haue sene Men seis thair oxin … the scry thay raissit 1596 Dalr. I 98/18.
Throuch silens he dissimilis, that the skry spred nocht in braider 1684 Cramond Ch. Grange 44.
Scryes for stoln or strayed beasts on the Lord's day
3. A shout that something has happened; also const. appositive clause.The appositive example may be a further example of 1 b.c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv 671.
The scry sone rais, the bald Loran was dede c1550 Rolland Court of Venus iv 336.
Than … rais the skry That Desperance was deid —?1438 Alex. ii 10267.
Thay of Inde hes rasit the scry That thay war woxin sa hardy That [etc.]
4. A shout of triumph or joy.1513 Doug. ix x 106.
The Troianys rasyt a scry in the ayr … Ascanyus extolland 1513 Doug. xi xvi 14.
Amyd quhar as thir ȝonkeris rasyt this scry, With schaymfull deth ourtane Camyll the maid
5. A shout, more generally.1513 Doug. ix vii 59.
Tent gan he tak, And hard a scry; harknand quhat that suld be [etc.]
