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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hey, Hei, a. Also: heye, heie; compar. heyar(e, heyer(e; superl. heyast, -est(e. [ME. hey, hei, heyȝ, heiȝ, heȝ, OE. héaᵹ- in inflected forms of héah, as héaᵹe, héaᵹan. Cf. He a. and Hie a.] High, in various usual senses.Rare except in the earliest texts. In Barbour's Brus the spelling hey of the Edinburgh MS. is proved to be original by the adj. rhyming only with other words ending in -ey for earlier -eȝ. In other texts this rule is not observed.(1) 1375 Barb. iii. 371 (E).
[They] wandryt emang the hey montanys Ib. vii. 109.
The more … wes bathe hey, and lang, and braid a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 812.
In that roche hey & stay c1420 Wynt. i. 1028.
A wattyre gret, … Wytht bankys hey on evyrilk syd Ib. ii. 660.
The land off Egypt, hey and law Ib. vi. 1757.
The heyast gallows that man mycht se c1460 Regim. Princ. 215 (M).
God of heiast hewin c1552 Lynd. Mon. 283.
A famous flude … Quhose sound abufe the heyest heuinnis dinnis(2) 1375 Barb. i. 276 (E).
Bath pur and thai off hey parage Ib. viii. 234.
Angelys hey off hewynnys ryk a1400 Leg. S. vii. 38.
Of Jerusalem he Wes mad byschope of heyest gre Ib. xxvii. 1128.
Sek na heyere thing c1420 Wynt. vi. 982.
He desyryd oure mesoure Hey statis wyth honowre Ib. 1754.
The heyast man I sall thé ma Off all Ingland Ib. viii. 3707.
Agayne the Kyng and his hey crown 1424 State P. MS. (Reg. H.) No. 15.
Rycht hey, mychti, maist excellent Prince 1599 Fraser P. 155.
Subtennentis of na heyar degrie nor ourselff(3) 1375 Barb. vi. 322 (E).
Thai for his hey wndretaking … ȝarnyt hym to se Ib. xi. 309.
In his hey chewalry Thai assoweryt a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 1131.
Quha is, Goddis wit ma knaw, Or ȝet his consall hey or law? c1420 Wynt. vi. 308; etc.
With solempne and hey serwys He wes enteryd in Saynt Denys Ib. viii. 2184.
Heyare and heyare ay wes hys fame Ib. ix. 3111.
Wyth hey reward of honeste 1606 Haddington Corr. 117.
Theme of the lower hows hes challenged the heyer hows with a disgrace(4) 1375 Barb. vi. 115 (E).
His hart that wes stout and hey c1420 Wynt. viii. 1701.
This Kyng Edward gave sentens … For hys hey rebellyown(5) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 110.
Syngand with hey voice & clere c1420 Wynt. v. 5794.
Answeryd he was than wyth hey stewyn(6) 1375 Barb. viii. 164 (E).
The king … saw the hey gat liand wes Apon a fayr feild a1400 Leg. S. iv. 204.
A mane … In the hey gat lay thame by 1511 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 81.
To … red the heygait of all swyne cruffis — c1420 Wynt. vi. 840.
As … The kyng was rydand hys hey way Ib. 2204.
Malcolme … past … to Tay, Wp that wattyre the hey way(7) c1420 Wynt. vi. 780.
A tysstyre … On the hey awtyr standard Ib. viii. 2919.
In the Freris at the hey awtere 1425 Coll. Aberd. & B. 525.
Apon the hey altare of Ellone 1474 Reg. Morton II. 223.
In the college kyrk of Dalkeith vpon the hei altar 1503 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 356.
Apone the heye altar of Aberdene