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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.

Joy, n. Also: joye, jol, joie. [ME. ioy, ioi, ioie (a 1225), OF. joie, joye. See also Jo n.]

1. Joy, happiness, rejoicing, or an instance of these.(1) 1375 Barb. iii. 523.
Mekill ioy … May ger men … amowyt be ?1438 Alex. ii. 2408.
I say that behalding Reuis luffaris ioy throw abasing 1456 Hay I. 52/14.
Quhat nobles, quhat riches, quhat joye, quhat solace, … in Rome is towrnyt in grete distres Ib. II. 144/17.
All the remaynand of the day thou suld convert in joy and solace a1500 Henr. Fab. 290.
Efter joy oftymes cummis cair a1500 Seven S. 2358.
Thai had hartlie joye perfyte c1515 Asl. MS. I. 263/21.
King Alexander … come hame with gret artalȝe, joye, riches and tryvmphe c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 154.
Cum blowme of joy with jemis to he cround 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 27.
O luf, quhidder art thou joy or fulychnes? c1552 Lynd. Mon. 184.
Quhilk did prouoke myne hart tyl natural ioye Ib. 982.
Of joye than wer thay destitute 1651 Lamont Diary 27.
Ther were many bean fyres … in token of ioy(2) a1400 Leg. S. xlvii. 37.
[Quhy] me deferris [thou] for to wyne The ioy that my delyt is in? a1500 Henr. II. 312/218.
Thair is no ioy that will my harmis wraik a1500 Seven S. 486.
The joye of armes thair gaf he owre 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 30.
The joy of the approaching of the croun to th[ai]r hous(3) a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 46.
I herde neuere rede … That man fra ioy to ioy suld fare For-oute it that diseseful ware c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvii. 27.
Quhair I of a joy cowth tell, I culd of truble tell fyftene a1585 Maitl. Q. xlviii. 85.
To behauld … Hir gudlie grace … It is a ioy compleit(4) a1500 Colk. Sow iii. 30.
The saule … In spirituall joyis only dois fructefy 1490 Irland Mir. I. 139/11.
Hire joy was oure all joyis excellent 1540 Lynd. Sat. 275.
The fresche fonteine … Repleit with ioyis dulce and delicious

b. spec. Heavenly joy or joys; worldly happiness or pleasure.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 873.
The gret joy, that God to med Has grantit tham that will hym dred Ib. iii. 961.
And fore this joy falȝeand thu Ay-lestand joy has chosine nov 1456 Hay I. 33/31.
The everlestand lyf that is the soverane joye of Paradis c1450 Cr. Deyng 237.
[To] tholl perpetuall joy or payne a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 653.
To Purgatorie, Hell, or joye celestiall 1571 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx. 181.
Repois thy spreit apon that hewinlie joy(2) 1456 Hay II. 63/31.
Think … of the grete joyis and glore celestiall of hevyn c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6160.
So thair joyis sal be without mesour a1578 Pitsc. II. 223/32.
Thairfoir the michtie God tuik him the schonnar frome ws to his joyes(3) a1500 Henr. Orph. 89.
Off wardlie joy, allace, quhat sall we say? c1500-c1512 Dunb. xii. 4, etc.
All erdly joy returnis in pane 1535 Stewart 2321.
No joy thair is in erth that ay will lest 15.. Dum Wyf 29.
His eirdlie joy is turnit to noy

c. In phrases with for, in and with.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 718.
For joy as wod men he ferd Ib. xxix. 839.
He … kissit & for joy gret als 1513 Doug. i. xi. 107.
The gyld and ryot Tyrryanys dowblit for joy(2) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 250.
In joy thai lad it in a bate Ib. xxxv. 254.
Quhare scho but end sal be In gret ioy and angel gle c1420 Ratis R. 1749.
Lyf in joie sal sic as he, Baith in his tyme and efterwart a1585 Maitl. Q. xciv. 13.
Lang sal he liue, in joy, in bliss, in helth(3) 1456 Hay I. 62/9.
Julius Cesar … was ressavit with grete joye c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 60.
Birdis … That ilk ȝeir, with new ioy, ioyis ane maik Ib. 479.
All my luffaris lele … [They] fillis me wyne wantonly, with weilfair & ioy 1513 Doug. i. xi. 85.
Hallow this fest with blythness and with joy 1533 Gau 30/10.
Schw buir hir sone with ioi and blythnes withoutine paine 1560 Rolland Seven S. 595.
With all glaidnes, mirth, melodie and ioy 1596 Dalr. I. 210/12.
He … was admitted and approuen with joy and gladenes

d. In phrases with the verbs have, tak(e, mak(e and in impersonal constructions with be.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 800.
In yll the tyrand had sic joy Ib. vii. 570.
He had sa grete joy of it, That he tynte nere heile & wit a1500 Henr. III. 141/45.
Richt swa thay sall that hes joy or desyre to gife his eir to heird with patience(2) c1460 Wisd. Sol. 519.
To tak joy and plesans of the gudis that he has … wynynge c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 379.
The lord of him tuik sa greit ioy, That he him self wald him conuoy c1568 Lauder Minor P. v. 3.
The butterflie … to flie scho dois nocht stint Unto the candle, scho taks thairof sick joye(3) 1375 Barb. x. 440.
Apon Fastryn Evyn is The custom to mak ioy and blis a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 1477.
The clergy than full gret joy mad That thai sa worthy faddire had ?1438 Alex. ii. 3147.
The king made ioy and solace To Cassamus Ib. 3615.
Ilkane made ioy to vther, I het 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2061.
Quhen maist he makis him self for to distroy … than makis thow mirth and ioy(4) a1500 Henr. III. 106/4.
It wes grit ioy to heir of sic ane thing c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 43.
The rosy garth … Arayed was … So nobily, that ioy was for to sene 1535 Stewart 4238.
Greit joy it was that tyme to se thame meit

2. Applied to persons: One who is a source of joy to others. a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 784.
Thu [Mary] art bewte of angelis al, & joy of halouys we thé cal c1420 Wynt. v. 888.
Wyth all mankynd off his eyld, He wes the joy callyd a1500 Colk. Sow iii. 120.
Lady Wagtaill his joy and all his hairt

3. As a term of endearment, = sweetheart, darling, beloved. = Jo 2. Also plur.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i. 103.
Petir, my joy, my blis a1500 Peblis to Play 27.
That spak hir fallowis that hir kend, ‘Be still, my joy, and greit nocht’ a1568 Bann. MS. 134 a/7.
I hard ane sweit full softly say, ‘Ga way, my ioy, and latt me be’ 1572 Sat. P. xxxiii. 251.
‘Ȝon carle’, quod scho, ‘My joy, dois beinly dwell’ 1603 Philotus xiv.
Thocht he be auld, my joy, quhat reck 1619 Calderwood VII. 364.
‘My joy, Johne, hold your toung,’ said Alexander Clerk(2) Knox Hist. 94 (Jam. (1808) s.v. Jo).
Thair was hard nothing of the queinis parte, but, ‘My joyis, my hairtis, what aillis yow? … Ye ar all my luifing subjects’ 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix. 255.
Ingratious pepill! … Alace, my joyis, ȝe had bot lytill skill [etc.]