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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Away, adv. Also: awaye, awai(e, awy, auay, avay(e, avey; awa, ava. [ME. away(e, awai, awey(e, awei, OE. aweᵹ (awæᵹ, aweiᵹ), reduced form of on weᵹ: see Way n.]The following are examples of the form with final a: — a1400 Leg. S. xx. 113.
Than rase the chyld & a-va cane ga 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 29.
Schynyng [it] went awa And hyd it in the forest of Ida Ib. xi. xi. 24.
A lettir tane awa [: Casmylla] 1535 Stewart 2186.
Considder syne and put the wers awa 1562-3 Winȝet I. 124.
Awa with ȝe!

1. Denoting motion: a. From a place; to another place or to a distance. Sometimes with verb omitted.(1) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 115 (ore he ȝed avay); xl. 1007 (he went away). c1450-2 Howlat 696 (quhen the fische war away flemyt). c1475 Wall. x. 702 (thai to-gyddyr passyt away). a1500 Lanc. 219 (how he fra that stede away was tak). c1515 Asl. MS. I. 216 (mony hurt that gat away). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiii. 6 (thow away man pas out of this vaill). 1513 Doug. xi. xi. 133 (myself the corps sall cary away). 1533 Bell. Livy I. 118 (quhilk sal abide vnchasit away fra his mansioun). 15.. Clar. iii. 451 (he him absentit and hes fled away). 1560 Rolland Seven S. 86 (thay wan to the gold and vnscryit come away). a1578 Pitsc. I. 322 (he staw away); II. 248 (my lord Flemyng was convoyit avay).(2) 1375 Barb. viii. 63 (thai on na syde mycht avay); x. 624 (avay! I se ȝow weill); xiv. 108 (quhar him behufit neyd avay); etc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxix. 27 (quhy wald thow hald that will away?).

b. Occas. placed before a verb or p.p., forming a loose compound, as away ga, away have, away carreit (see also Away-had, -led); more freq. in comb. with vbl. nouns, as Away-biding, -bringing, etc. 1428 Wemyss Chart. 55.
To wyn … and away hafe til his awne propire oyse turfe, pete, and hathir 1456 Hay II. 130/32.
All growth gais bakwart, and all grenes away gais a1568 Bann. MS. 137 a/31.
North Berwick law … This carling … wald away carreit

2. Denoting disappearance, removal, change of direction, etc.a1400 Leg. S. iii. 245 (thai wanyst awai sone); v. 581 (quhen the licht vent avay). c1450-2 Howlat 974 (all ȝour welth will away). a1500 Henr. Bl. Serk 107 (sa suld we wryth all syn away). 1490 Irland Mir. I. 39/36 (as the sone puttis away the myrknes of the nycht). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 60 (the claith thai raif away). 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 94 (als far as catal had eyt and knyp away). 1533 Gau 63/25 (the lord hes tayne away thy sine). 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 107 (to tak awai al question). 1560 Rolland Seven S. 26/31 (all the perrell I sall auoyde away); 35/4 (he wryit his face away). a1570-86 Maitland M. Fol. xxi. 12 (all houshaldaris is worne away). a1570-86 Hudson Ib. clxxxi. 1 (the slyding tyme sa slilie slippis avey).

b. To do away, in various senses.c 1350 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 14 (do away, glossing L. alienabunt). 1375 Barb. v. 33 (he durst nocht do it [sc. the fire] away). a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 253 (Godis lam that of this warld dois awai syn). c1475 Wall. v. 979 (‘do away’, he said, ‘tharoff as now no mar’). c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 242 (thai drank and did away dule).

3. Denoting place or position: Out of, removed from, a place; at a distance; out of sight or presence; absent.1375 Barb. ii. 482 (the Erle of the Leuenax wes away); vii. 23 (war ȝon deuillis hund avay). a1400 Leg. S. v. 582 (avay he wes, that thar lay); xxv. 633 (quhy duelt thu sa lang awey?). a1500 Rauf C. 274 (wachis and wardroparis, all war away). c1475 Wall. ix. 1630 (this hour thow mycht haiff beyn away). 1531 Acta Conc. XLIII. 63 (he absentis him and bides away). a1578 Pitsc. I. 292 (thair was na wastland men away).

4. Denoting absence or lack through removal, cessation, etc.a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 920 (quhy is my gud thus away?). c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 783 (of hys lyf all hope away frome hyme excludede was). 13.. Wynt. vii. 3621 (away wes sons off ale and brede). c1420 Wynt. viii. 6592 (till bryng till the Scottis fay landis that lang had bene away). 1456 Hay II. 140 (quhill all the bitternes be away). a1500 Henr. III. 171/37 (peas is away). 1513 Doug. i. i. 42 (the causys of wreth war nocht away). a1540 Freiris Berw. 540 (the werst is all away). 1562 Inverness B. Rec. I. 74 (the substance of the malt is away). a1585 Maitl. Q. lxx. 14 (our schift and gaine is quyte away).

5. Out of this life.1600-1610 Melvill 36 (when all thought he was away). 1623 in Strathbogie Presb. p. xii (he thought his bairn was taken away).