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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.

By, prep. Also: bi, bye, buy, bay. [ME. by, bye, early bi, OE. bí, biᵹ. The unstressed OE. form is represented by Be prep.]

1. Beside, close to, near (a person or place).In verse, for the sake of rhyme, freq. placed after a pronoun (or noun) at the end of a line.(1) 1375 Barb. ii. 250.
The mekill mycht … off thaim that wes him by Ib. vi. 252.
A gret stane than by him saw he a1400 Leg. S. ii. 1151.
Than come a schadow … & stud hyme by Ib. xxvii. 125.
To tak the ded barne … & vndir his clathis by hym lay c1420 Wynt. ii. 337.
Scho … walde have gert hym ly hyr by Ib. v. 225.
All that herd and stude hym by c1450-2 Howlat 197.
Obeyand thir bischoppis, and bydand tham by a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 15.
I micht se on euerie syde me by c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 197.
The bataill broucht on bordour hard vs by 1513 Doug. ix. ix. 138.
Mezentius hys scheild syne by hym lays a1540 Freiris Berwik 72.
Cum hidder, … and sett ȝow down me bye a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxx. 1.
Vnder ane birkin bank me by I harde [etc.](2) 1375 Barb. vii. 404.
Sa hapnyt … that he By a vode-syde to sett is gane c1420 Wynt. i. 829.
By wattyrys twa, Lyis a land calde Parthia 1535 Stewart 44512.
Foirnent Beruik, neirhand by Tueid a1598 Ferg. Prov. 18.
Seldome lyes the devil dead by the dyke side 1628 Conv. Burghs III. 257.
The landis by and foregainst and vpone the north west thairof

b. Implying possession. 1375 Barb. i. 205.
Gyff that ony man thaim by Had ony thing 1644 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi. 57.
As for my detis … ; thair is als mouch monays bay me as to pay them

2. Past; so as to pass or go beyond. 1375 Barb. iii. 696.
By the mole thai passyt ȝar c1420 Wynt. viii. 1538.
The wayis thai kepyt sa stratly, That he mycht na way get thaim by 1456 Hay I. 234/7.
Sa … come stalkand by him stillely … Caym c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 428.
Full oft I blenk by my buke Id. v. 20.
By Sanct Petir … scho stall prevely 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 28.
Oryon … Bewavit oft the schipman by hys race Ib. xi. vi. 82.
We cachyt ar … far by Our natyve bundis 1531 Bell. Boece I. 180.
In the nicht … , the Romanis slippit by the tentis of Scottis 1535 Stewart 38650.
So hapnit him to ryde … in by ane montane syde 1542 Soc. Ant. III. 163.
The watter tabill … to schout the watter by the wyndowis 1574 Inverness B. Rec. I. 238.
The wrangus passing wyth thair sukkyn by the Kingis myln to the myln of Kilbean 1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 38 b.
With ane frie gait … as ane wayne may gang by ane vther 1587 Warrender P. 41.
It wes a custom … to goe by the eldest at tyms and mary the yonger 1596 Dalr. I. 30/19.
Clyd rinis by the craig on the ane sid a1598 Ferg. Prov. 14 b.
Likelie lies in the myre, and unliklie goes by it 16.. Hist. Kennedy 57.
He … cuming by the toune, ryding one ane small haiknay 1746 J. Row Sermon 4.
The ass bogled … , but Balaam got by the Angel 1687 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 187.
He had seen servants … carrieing cornes by Iames Buchanes hall door

b. Apart or away from, out of. (In various special senses.) By his wyfe (or hir man), adulterously. By (his) mind, by (him)self, out of (his) senses, insane.(1) c1420 Wynt. viii. 3293.
He … had in wown, By hys wyff, offtsyis to ly, Othir syndry women by 1596 Dalr. I. 121/25.
Punise her that lyes by her man, and with that sam pane him that lyes by his wyfe(2) 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 324.
To a woman by hir mynd, at the Kingis command, iij s. 1532 Reg. Privy S. II. 185/1.
As we ar informit … that Johne Wardlaw of Torry is now presentlie by himself, nocht havand power nor witt to gyde himself, bot furios and furth of his mynd c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1788.
Than thay thocht hym by his mynde, Quhen he so furiouslie did flyte 1570 Sat. P. xxiv. 27.
Crabit but caus, and caryit by thy sensis a1585 Polwart Flyt. 152.
I will write verse … To crabe thee … by thy mind 1596 Dalr. II. 353/10.
Normond with this ansuer was halfe by his mynd 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I. 87.
Scho rann wod and by hir mynd 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 161.
Its a wonder to see resonable men so by themselves(3) 1535 Stewart 39821.
Foull appetyte … causis thame oft till go by the rycht Ib. 55927.
Scho forthocht that scho ȝeid by the gait 1549 Compl. 72/2.
O ignorant … pepil, gone by the path vaye of verteouse knaulage 1551 Hamilton Cat. 31.
Cursit ar thai quhilk gangis by the commandis of God 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 106.
Swa no man that held ane grip of the cord could gang by the way 1596 Dalr. I. 181/1.
Quhen Athirco was put by the gate [L. sublato] c 1687 Cromarty Corr. I. 56.
Your letters have fallen by my hand, so that I cannot find them(4) 1559 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 276.
All this by my pretence [= design] I haif wryttin 1560 Rolland Seven S. 82/31.
At this time scho is put by hir mark a1578 Pitsc. I. 250/1.
He was not ane good clark, and his cardinallis had put him by his intandement Ib. II. 221/31.
So he was put by his purpois and utterlie refusit 1600 Bruce Bruces & Cumyns 615.
This piece of cross … will nocht trubil you, nor put you mukle by dyatt

c. Without; at variance with; contrary or in opposition to, against.In common use after 1550. (Cf. Avise n.¹ 3.) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 20.
For hys redempcioune, By skill and ageynes resoune, They woll haue all hys gold awey 1533 Bell. Livy I. 51/17.
Tullus gaif sic chargis … , that thai suld attempt na thing by his command 1533 Boece ii. x. 79.
By thare avise [he] wald deliuer na thing concernyng the commoun weill 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 12.
By all way of justice the saidis leters … ar stoppit at the signet 1551 Hamilton Cat. 10.
Jugis quhilk for lufe of rewardis dois ony thing by the ordour of justice 1555 Stirling B. Rec. I. 64.
Johne Cowane allegeit the dene of gild chosin by actis of parliament 1559 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 48.
The saidis lordis declarit that thai wald compell na man to do by his conscience 1562-3 Winȝet I. 74/6.
That the persones … may mary agane … by the practise … of the Catholikis. marg. ‘By’ in Scottis and in Inglis toung is nocht ane a1578 Pitsc. I. 280/26.
Scho tuik him to hir husband by the advyse and consall of the lordis 1581 Burne Disput. 144 b.
That God may do na thing by the established order of the varld 1596 Dalr. I. 33/29.
Quhilke … is … weil walled about, by [L. præter] the consuetude of vther townis with ws 1600-1610 Melvill 121.
We … fund him bedfast by his custome Ib. 716.
The Metropolitan wes mychtily dashed, by expectatioun 1638 Johnston Diary 339.
I praysed God, that he had keiped me in this toune by my wil be his providence 1648 Falkirk Par. Rec. I. 154.
They answered that if any had been it was bye their knowledge

3. a. In comparison with or distinction from. a1400 Leg. S. ix. 47.
The taknys … tell ws quhare-by we ma Knaw hyme by vthire men c1475 Wall. ix. 104.
Rycht weill ȝe may him ken … by his men Ib. x. 879.
Thar schip by owris a burd was mar off hycht 1535 Stewart 19507.
Impediment it wes to thame … For to decerne thair freind by thair fo

b. In addition to, besides. Also by and attour (see Atour prep. 3) or beside(s).(1) 1482 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 45.
And attour … thir custumys to be payit … by the hevin siluir 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 259.
To Schir Andro Makbrek, to dispone to pur folkis and failȝeit folkis by the set almous, xxx li. 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 201.
Ane hundreth merkis … by the ordinar fie, for the sustentatioun of iiij seruandis 1530 Lindores Chart. 32.
Ane taffite tippat by tham that is in the hatts 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3304.
Ane thousand sheip and ky By meiris and hors c1552 Id. Mon. 4191.
Off the Romanis moste worthy weriouris, By presonaris, wer fourty thousand slane 1567 Edinb. Test. I. 49.
Ane blak hameland hors … by the airschipe hors 1570 Ib. 122.
Thrie bollis beir to be sawin … Item sex bollis beir by the seid 1581 Burne Cath. Tr. 129/21.
That the Galatianis had thair auin vulgar toung, and by that the Greik toung 1596 Dalr. I. 5/17.
By [L. præter] mony vthiris seiknessis … , that sair seiknes; … cam nevir till ws Ib. 13/10.
It hes by the bischopes sait … mony monasteries 1630 Bamff Chart. 223.
Of blankets and bed plaidis, by the serwants beds, sewintein pair 1646 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 60.
Consisting of aucht hundreth sojoris by the generall persones and officiars of the regiments(2) 1567 Edinb. Test. I. 16.
Vtensill and domicill by and attoure the airschip 1574 Conv. Burghs I. 33.
At all tymes convenient, by and attour the saidis twa mercat dayis 1587 Dundee B. Laws 478.
And this by and besyddis the penaltie quhilk the Kirk and Ministrie will incure to him 1600-1610 Melvill 146.
By and besyde the inward hand of God, … I haid twa utward speciall comforts 1619 Thanes of Cawdor 248.
I payet that I borrowit … by and attour the uther 300 merkis 1648 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 146.
Many familees ar removeit to the muir, … and that by and besyde manie mae poore persounes wha ar inclosit in thair houssis 1655 Ann. Banff I. 139.
[Allowed 14 marks] for … his charges by and attour the missive deves 1684 Decis. Lords F. 57.
The Lords found, … that by and attour the pleugh goods, there was upon the lands … other goods 1700 Glasgow Chart. II. 287.
The party failyier to pay … expenses in case of failyie, by and attour performance

c. Beyond, above; more than. 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 104.
My brother, … will … keip ane gud part to yowr grace by all the wardyll c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5038.
Haveand sic prosperitie, With so gret ryches by mesoure 1567 Sat. P. iv. 15.
She luid me by all wycht 1568 Haddington Corr. 271.
Miscontent that ony sould haif reull of ws and our court by him 1576 Oppress. Orkney 48.
That thai ar grittumlie wrangit by the rest of Ȝetland 1587 Warrender P. I. 175.
To detene the bearer a tyde by dyet upon the event of thair audience 1596 Dalr. I. 18/30.
The gude wol in quhilke it abundes by [L. præ] all vthiris 1597 Melvill 429.
Fy! on the limmer Lindsay, by the leave 16.. Hist. Kennedy 51.
Gif he had tyme to had experianse to his witt, he had bein by his marrowis 1629 Black Bk. Taymouth 387.
For drinking in M^cFarlans house … quhill he spewit agane. Confesses he drank by dyet c 1636 Maxwell Stuart Mun. 361.
The venting of forrayne coyne, … at a higher rate by their intrinsicque value

d. Except; than. 1581 Burne Disput. 161.
Ȝe man reiect al vther thing by the lau of Moyses 1587 St. A. Kirk S. 594.
That the saidis … be accusit for … purchessing of thame to be contractit be ony other person by the ministrie 1588 King Cat. fol. 30.
Mak me … that by the I may loue na pleasure

4. By, in various senses. (Cf. Be prep.)To set by (= regard, value): see Set v.(1) 1375 Barb. xvii. 292.
He … gert the schippes by the se Bring schot and othir apparale 1424 Lanark & R. 283.
[Thai] sal gife … the lelest and the treuast consale bi thair wytting c1420 Ratis R. 414.
To restrenȝe that foly That baith may be restrenit by c1475 Wall. i. 222.
Fast by the collar Wallace couth him ta 1497 Halyb. 104.
Warit in vad by the awyss of Loys Foray … 25 li. Ib.
Bocht by Rychye in Medylburgh 1513 Doug. II. vii. 109.
By multitude and nomer on ws set All ȝeid to wraik 1533 Boece iv. xvi. 154.
The archearis by and with speris … and vthir fensabill wapynnys inflictit grevous woundis 1649 Wemyss Chart. II. 231.
Bay reson all fleish is mortall(2) a 1350 Facsimiles Nat. MSS. ii. 14.
Iere bi iere [glossing annuatim] a1570-86 Hudson Maitl. F. clxxxii. 7.
His childaris childring florisch day buy day(3) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 47.
Zachary … wes in the tempil gan, By hym ane a1500 Seven S. 666.
He callit the quene by hire allane