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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ox, n. Also: hox, oxe, oix, oxx. Plur. oxin(e, -yn(e, -yng, oxen(e, oxon(e, oxne, oxxin, oxsyne, oxson, oixin; owssing, owsy(i)n, oussin(g; oxes. [ME. and e.m.E. oxe, M E. also ox (Cursor M.), late ME. hox (c 1475), plur. ME. and e.m.E. oxen(e (c 1290), ocsen (c 1200), oxone (15th c.), e.m.E. also oxeson (c 1511), e.m.E. also oxens possess. sing. (1607), also ME. and e.m.E. (14th c.–1542) oxes (Gower), oxis, OE. oxa weak masc., pl. oxan.The plur. form owsen, ousen etc. is also mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dial., whence also a sing. owse, ouse etc., in the mod. north-eastern Sc. and north. Eng. dial.]

An ox.Also, a share in the ownership of a plough-ox; hence half ane ox.For further examples of the sing. or the plur. forms see various defining terms, as Cassin(e ppl. adj., Dart adj., Drawing vbl. n. 2, Fed ppl. adj., Gild adj., Harit ppl. adj. 2, Hereȝeld(e n. 1., Lawting n. b, Pleuch n. and see also Hoching vbl. n.Attested earlier in place-names. as Oxeham (a 1177 Reg. Paisley 74), Oxland (12 … Reg. Dunferm. 146), Oxinfalde (c 1320 Liber Calchou 200), Oxinham (e.g. 1324 Liber Melros II. 366), and in the personal name Andreas Ox (1371 Reg. Episc. Morav. 172).a. sing. c1420 Wynt. iv. 2658.
Ane ox and ane as 1424 Acts II. 8/1.
That ilk man of sympil estate … haf other half ane ox in the pluch or ellis [etc.] Ib. I. 386/2.
The ox that he tuk to hyr 1456 Hay I. 240/4. Ib. 64/28, etc.
Sen he occupyis in werk the tothir oxis place, quhy [etc.] a1500 Henr. III. 171/44 (Ch. & M.).
Noucht reulit be reson, mare than ox or asse 1497–8 Acta Conc. II. 99.
A yong ox c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 142.
Beggand koy and ox 1513 Doug. x. Prol. 105.
Intill ane oxis stabill 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 207 b.
Ane hox 1549 Compl. 28/20.
Ane ox that repungnis the brod of his hird 15.. Wyf Awcht. 18. 1583 Elgin Rec. I. 172.
Ane airedome ox 1596 Dalr. I. 29/27.
This oxx or bull a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1028.
Mussill not the ox mouth(b) 1567 Inverness Rec. I. 148.
Oxe 1567 G. Ball. 3. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 286.
The blake oxe hes neuer trampit yit vpoun your foute(c) 1521 Dundee B. Ct. I. 32 b (6 June).
The clame of ane oix 1525 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 78.
Ane boll of mel for ane oix hyr 1527 Ib. 91.
For demembring of the oix 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 95.
Oix

b. plur.Also used as a sing.(1) 1375 Barb. x. 381.
Oxin Ib. 388.
Oxyne a1400 Leg. S. iv. 349; etc.
Oxine 1389–90 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 18.
Ten oxin and fyve ky 1401 Aberd. B. Rec. (S.H.S.) 210. c1420 Wynt. vi. 1973.
Oxyn 1427 Acts II. 13/2.
That … ilk man telande with a pleuch of viij oxin sal saw … ilk ȝere a ferlot of quhete [etc.] 1439 Cop. St. A. 178.
xxxv drawin oxson 1456 Hay I. 239/28. Ib. 241/28. 1490 Thanes of Cawdor 74.
Of corn oxyne c1515 Asl. MS. I. 166/6.
Quhyte lyonis als gret as oxen c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 43.
Aucht oxin and ane wane Id. l. 17. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 517.
Drawin with viii oxin … and ane hors 1513 Doug. iii. iv. 22; etc.
Flokkis and herdis of oxin and of fe 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 196.
Oxone 1522 Ib. 262.
Oxon 1527 Carnwath Baron Ct. (ed.) 61.
Oxson 1528 Acta Conc. MS. XXXVIII. 185.
To bring oxin for the karying of the artalȝery 1531 Bell. Boece I. lv (see Lib v.² 1). 1532 Treas. Acc. VI. 157.
To the gadman that callit the oxin 1546 Lochleven Compt Bk. 17 b.
Fowr oxyng & ane hors 15.. Wyf Awcht. 45.
Scho lowsit oxin aucht or nyne And hynt ane gadstaff in hir hand a1568 Jok & Jynny 47.
Withouttin oxin I haif a pluche 1571 Sat. P. xxix. 9.
The plewche befoir the oxin go, the best the man to gyde 1573 Davidson Ib. xlii. 723. 1578–9 Reg. Privy C. III. 110.
They hochit and slew the aucht oxin gangand in his pleuch 1584 Ib. 647. 1596 Dalr. I. 32/2.
Oxne 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 113.
Calling his oxin to the pleuchis to haif yokit tham 1604 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 174.
Oxene 1608 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 117.
Oixin 1632 Milne-Home MSS. 200.
Oixin 1657 Galloway P. 28 April.
Tua oxxin(b) c1420 Wynt. i. 787.
Thare owsyn ar wytht hornys thre 1461 Montrose Baillie Ct. 16 b.
That na owsyin gang in the linkis 1489 Treas. Acc. I. 116.
To gar him get owssing to the gunnis 1551 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 15.
Owsyn 1596 Dalr. I. 29 marg.
Ky, oussin and wylde bullis(c) 1562 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 28.
Scheap kyn and oxes(2) 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II. 374.
quasi-sing. v ky with twa calffis and a oxin 1560 Inverness Rec. I. 47 (see Oxin-bow n. sing.).
Ane browne oxin clamit [etc.] 1581 Brechin Test. I. 46.
Ane tuithles oxine

c. Attrib. and comb. (in sing. and plur. forms).With -beif, -beist, -byre, -calf, -coldoch (Coldoch n.), -draught (Draucht n. 2), -drivare, -flesch, -hyde, -hochar, -hyre, -pintill, -pris, -silver, -stirk, -tail.Also Ox-ee, Ox-gers, Ox-hide, Ox-toung, and Oxin-bow, Oxin-tilth, and Oxgang, Oxingang, etc.(1) 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 101 b.
For ane kartar of ox beif 1656 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 163.
The best ox beeff to be sold at tu elff pund(2) 1670 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 64.
[For] uplifting of ane ox beist quhilk pertainet to the said kow(3) 1660 Lamont Diary 125.
The corne-girnell … looked toward the oxe baire(4) 1670 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 64.
Of ane uther ox calfe quhich is now going at hir foot(5) 1564 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 29 July.
Williame Meldrum … is absoluit fra the calf clamit the ox draucht the proffitt of the kow(6) 1643 Fife Synod 136.
Cadgers, oxin driveris and load callers(7) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5640.
He gaue him oxin flesche to eit 1596 Dalr. I. 89/22.
Grettest delyte thay had in oxin flesche, and in kyefleshe(8) 1640 Dumbarton B. Rec. 63.
Hydes best ox ruch aucht merks 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 264.
Four barkit oxin and kyne hydis(9) 1597 Skene Acts Table s.v. Oxen hochers, and strickers of them (10) 1515 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 31.
Thomas Crukschankis [is] to pa the ox hyre for als mony yeris als he had the ox haill and fere 1518 Wigtown B. Ct. 83 b.
iii firlottis of meill of ane oxhyir 1524 Carnwath Baron Ct. (ed.) .
For the vrangus haldin fra him ane ox hyr 1676 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 12 Jan.
To the said John Kessock ane boall of corn for ane ox hyre — 1520 Wigtown B. Ct. 106 b.
iii furlottis of meyll for oxin hyir 1533 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 134.
Awnd twa bollis of meill for oxsyne hyris(11) 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 129.
With ane tangit or than with ane ox pintill(12) 1530–1 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) .
For ane ox pris of xx^ti s. 1671 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 97 (23 Feb.).
As the rests of ane oxe pryce(13) 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 108.
Curst … for Henry Leskis ox siluer 1625 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I. 157 b.
In ox siluer iij s. c1650-1700 Descr. Zetl. 19.
And their land-duties payed partly to the King by scatt, wattell, langer, ox-silver, sheep-silver, &c. — 1561 Liber Scon 216.
Summa of the haill money of mailis … secund teindis oxin sylver and kirk sylver beffoir mentionat(14) 1677 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 37.
Ane black kow with ane blak ox stirk 1697 Rental of Brabster, Caithness in Old-lore Misc. VIII. ii. 73.
Two ox steirkes, kellow, humbled — 1563 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson MS. 14.
In the housis … thre oxin stirkis of twa ȝeir auld 1677 Thanes of Cawdor 334.
The educt of my cowes, whither qwees or oxen stirks(15) 1669 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 230.
[To pay 30 s. for] ilk ane of sex oxen tailles his dog at his hounding pulled away 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) 17.