A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Fo, n. Also: foo, fone. Pl. fois, fon(e, foyn. [ME. foe, foo, fo (c 1200), pl. fone. Adopted from Eng. poetry in place of Sc. Fa n.] A foe, enemy.(a) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxi. 4.
I knaw nocht … Quha is my freynd, quha is my fo [:wo, mo] 1535 Stewart 29580.
With Brit and Pecht, and Saxone to also, He maid gude peax withoutin ony fo 1567 Sat. P. vi. 99.
All wicket papistis proud, and Christis fois [: depois] c1590 J. Stewart 105/6.
Than dascht sall bie my fois [: rejois](b) 1513 Doug. xi. xiii. 3.
Camylla … apon hyr foyn [v.r. fone] Proudly pransys lyke a wench Amazon 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 498.
So for to schaw that he aferit no fone, Out throuch his realme he wald ryde hym alone c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 331.
Fra that thay knew that he was Venus fone [: ilkone] a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xli. 36.
To feght with thair fone [: gone]
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"Fo n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/fo>