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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Voce, Voyce, Voice, v. Also: woice, woyce, voyse, voyis. [Late ME and e.m.E. voyse (1453), voice (1458), voyce (1659).]

1. tr. To speak about (a person). a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxvii 10.
Tym will not remane Nor come agane if that it once be lost. Sen we ar voced, whairfor suld we refrane, To suffer pain for ony bodies bost?

2. To elect or nominate (a person) to some civic, etc. office. Also const. out.(1) 1600 Prestwick B. Rec. 84.
Johne Mertene … woices John Michell [etc.] … to be bailleis 1644 Lothian and Tweeddale Synod 152.
Mr Samuell Tailfer [etc.] … and James Murray … being voycit to be upone the lites for the clerkschipe … the said James Murray by ther haill voyces wes electid 1646 Lothian and Tweeddale Synod 182.
The assemblie … unanimouslie voyced the said Mr Johne to be transplanted from the kirk of Lintoun 1650 Dumfries Kirk S. 7 Nov.
The sessione vnanimouslie have voyced & elected Robert Glencors … to be [etc.] 1661 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 150.
The provest baillies and counsell voicit nominat and choosit Maister Robert Patrie … ther commissioner 1667 Rothesay B. Rec. 141.
The said inqueist hes voycit the said Major David Ramsay to be cancellar(2) c1650 Spalding II 363.
He desyrit the moderatour to voice out tuelf of thair bretheren to sit … at thair committee

3. To require (someone) to give an opinion or come to a decision. 1616 Stirling Ant. III 305.
The brethren being voicit about the preserving of the town's rights, consented that [etc.]

4. intr. To take part in making communal decisions, to vote in such circumstances. Also, to voice affirmative.(1) c1650 Spalding II 79.
Ilkane did voce priuatlie be billatis c1650 Spalding II 173.
Mr. Alexander Spang … cam also to this assemblie, who wes … admittit to voce with the bretheren(b) 1635 Aberd. B. Rec. III 85.
[He] hawing got the letis from the handis of Mr. Robert Farquhar, baillie, to woyce as a counsellour and begun to wote [etc.] 1638 Glasgow B. Rec. I 394.
That the said Patrik … sould, … voit that the said assemblie sould sitt and not desolve, … and that he sould woyce for establisching of the said assemblie judges to the saidis bischops 1639 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 605.
The communitie electis and chuises William Carnoquhen … to voyce for them in the electioun of the magistratis 1639 Baillie I 127.
I remember not how his grace voyced; bot it was his custome to voyce rather by way of permission, then to say any thing that might import his direct assent 1640 Alyth Par. Ch. 75.
[Elders were duly sent to Meigle to] voyse for chusing commissioners to the next generale assemblie 1640 S. Leith Rec. 33/2.
The whole sessione and congregatione having voyced for to have Mr. Alexander Gibsone … to be or second minister 1641 Baillie I 318.
Sundrie who had voyced or reasoned against bills presented by the deputie in parliament a1650 Row 109.
All pastors, doctors, elders, may voyce in an Assemblie 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 462.
He sent his voyce by his proxie to James Duke of Lennox, who voyced for the Earl of Southerland in his own rank & degree 1652 Protestation Given in by the Dissenting Brethren to the General Assembly, July 21 18.
Was the parliament 1649 praelimited and unfree, because the Committee of Estates excluded therefrom all that sate and voiced in the former? 1656 Rec. Old Aberd. II 51 (see 5 b below). 1658 Lanark B. Rec. 165.
To returne, sitt, voyce, and conclud anent the said electioune 1659 Stirling B. Rec. I 230.
To reasone, voice, determine and conclude in all things which … shalbe ordeanit 1687 Shields Hind Let Loose 130.
The prelates being … re-admitted to voice in parliament(2) 1618 Bk. Univ. Kirk App. liii (see Voceing vbl. n. (1)).
To voice affirmativé

5. tr. Of a matter, etc.: To undergo the process of decision by voting. Const. a. Passive. b. Clause object.a. 1641 Newes from Scotland 5.
Read, voiced, and past in Parliament the twenty eight day of August 1666 Rothesay B. Rec. 129.
Thair proveist haveing … offerit … the excyse … and the same being voycit they did condiscend be moniest voyces that … the commissiouners sould sett the same to any they pleasit 16… R. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 400.
Such things as the Lords of the Articles faund fitt to come befor the Parliament, and to be voycedb. a1650 Row 92.
The Assemblie all in one voyce deposes him [etc.] … The Assemblie first voyced him worthie of such a sentence, whereupon [etc.] 1646 Ross Pastoral Work 183.
The Sessione … after some debate about his censure, resolves to voyis whether he shall satisfie publicklie befoir the congregatione, or only be privately admonished 1656 Lanark B. Rec. 157.
At the last electione it was then proponit and since voycit and concludit by the counsell … that [etc.] 1656 Lanark B. Rec. 157.
Being voycit wither the first artickle of the gildrie that the deane should be alwayes ane merchant … , the … counsell condiscendit and aggriet the deane … sall be alwayes ane merchant 1656 Rec. Old Aberd. II 51.
The former motione … is refert to voiting Mr. Heugh Andersone being the mane nominat. Mr. Thomas Gordoune woyces that he is not to voyce agains Mr. Heughe Andersone bot till he be farther advyced … he is to be silent. Patrick Gellie voyces he knowis nothing against the said Mr. Heugh bot [etc.] … David Still woyces vt supra [etc.] … After the forsaid woycing [etc.] 1660 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 17.
The meitting lykwayes at that tym voyced whether on not they shuld fall upon the choyssing [etc.]