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

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

Ȝa, Ȝe(a, adv. (n.). Also: ya, ȝaa, ȝha(i, ȝhay, yha, ȝai, ȝae, ye(a, ȝee, yee, ȝei, ȝey, ȝie, ȝoy. [ME and e.m.E. ȝe (c1175), ȝa (Orm), ya (1228), ȝei (c1230), yai (Cursor M.), ȝee (Piers Plowman), ȝhe (Wyclif), yee (Gower), ȝie (c1400), ye (c1440), yea (1568), OE ᵹéa.]

A. adv.1. As a simple affirmative a. In answer to a question: Yes. b. Expressing concurrence with a statement or command. c. To sa ȝa, to express agreement, to concur. d. In collocation with na(y (not) (Na adv.³, Nay adv.). Chiefly with say. Also following quhither.a. 1375 Barb. iv 470 (C).
The kyng … sperit … Giff ony … couth tell tithand Of any strange man in that land. ‘Ȝai' [E. ‘Ȝhis'] said a voman … 'Of strange men I can ȝow say [etc.]' 1375 Barb. vi 613 (C).
‘Swa is thair ony help with thé?' … 'Ȝha [E. Ȝa] schir,' he said, ‘all that I may’ 1375 Barb. xii 450 (C).
Ȝaa 1385 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 7.
Jon askyt me [etc.] … I … answeryt that suthfastly yha 1425 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 20 Feb.
Alexander Hepburne ane of the sayd ballis sperit at the sayd assyse gif thai war accordyt, qwhilks ansuerit ȝa c1475 Wall. viii 1720.
‘Saw thow Wallace … ?' And he said, ‘Ȝa' 1492 Misc. Bann. C. II 129.
Socratis said … 'will ȝe that I ensing & teche ȝow how ȝe sall kepe ȝow frome all evillis? Thai answerit ‘Ȝa' 1494 Loutfut MS 3b.
Thai salbe demandit … gif thai … ar the parteis that suld fecht. And gif thai say ȝha [etc.](b) a1400 Leg. S. ii 114.
Ȝey ?1438 Alex. ii 666, 670.
Ȝea … Ȝe a1500 Henr. Fab. 447.
‘Knew ȝe my father?' quod the cok … 'Ȝea [H. Ȝe], my fair sone' 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 187.
Than hes my self bene gyltie? Ȝe [L. ȝa], I-wis 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 239.
Ȝee 1513 Doug. i Prol. 93.
Lord Sanct Clair … Prayt me translait Virgill … Half disparit this wark I tuke on hand, Nocht fully grantand nor anys sayand ȝee, Bot only to assay quhou it mycht be 1524 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 390.
The … bailȝies askit at Alexander Senȝour seriand … gif he hade put the summonds till executioun … the quhylk seriand said ȝe [etc.](c) 1563 St. A. Kirk S. 162.
Sche sperit at Barbara gyf the father wald grant wyth the barn … And Barbara ansuerit saying, ‘Ye! fayth wyl he!’b. ?1438 Alex. ii 8859.
I knaw … That ȝe na will him pryse bot small Gif that ȝe cum in his meting. ‘Ȝea, gif God leiffis me!' said the king a1500 Henr. Fab. 1558.
‘Go, lous him sone,’ and thay said, ‘Ȝe, gude brother' a1500 Lanc. 2843.
‘Madem, if ȝhe remembir, so it was' … 'Ȝha,' quod the qwen, ‘rycht well remembir I’ a1500 K. Hart 555.
‘This quhyle bygane thow has bene all to glaid.’ ‘Ȝa, Consience' 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 176.
The hynys wife clepis vp Katheryn and Gill, ‘Ȝa, dame,' said thai, ‘God wait, with a gude will’c. 1513 Doug. ix Prol. 11.
Be nocht rakles to say sone ȝa, I wys, And syne of this the contrar wyrk expresd. (1) ?1438 Alex. ii 7872.
Than Marciane said … 'I wald ȝe were Richt sik as he [etc.]' … Clarus vox rid … He said na word, nouther ‘ȝe' nor ‘nay’ c1450-2 Howlat 271 (A).
The fader … franyt … Gif thai the howlat mycht helpe … Sum said … nay, and sum ȝa, Baith pro and contra 1535 Stewart 18505.
Greit argumentis amang the lordis wer than … Sum said ȝe and vther sum said nay 1551 Hamilton Cat. 62.
Bot your talking sal be, ye ye, na na, for quhatsaevir is mair thane this, that cummis of evil 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3575.
Ȝour grace sayis nouther ȝe nor nay 1581 Burne Disput. 139.
For Christ … vas not ‘Ȝea and na' bot vas ‘Ȝea' onlie 1613 Cramond Ch. Aberdour 9.
After … lawful tryell of his knowledge … they may say yea or na to his admission(b) a1570-86 Maitl. F. 160/43.
Thow may mend tua nayis with anis said ȝoy [: noy](2) 1651 Rutherglen B. Rec. I 1.
Anent the question proponit quhither [etc.] … yea or no 1670 Ayr & W. Coll. IV 91.
Referred the mater debaitable to his oath, quhither yee or not

2. With emphatic force, introducing a statement which affirms and expands on the preceding statement: Indeed, in fact, even. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 153.
[They] joy mad, Ȝey, mare than ma nemmyt be 1513 Doug. iii vi 192.
Fail not … thocht the tyde And prospir wyndis challance thé … Ȝa, thocht thi fallowys cry owt [etc.] 1513 Doug. xiii x 93.
Thai sall return to this … town … Ȝa, quhou oftsys that thai away be tayn, Thai sal return haymwart agane ilkane 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 180.
Sum … Wald ryid to Leith … And wychtlie wallope ouer the sandis, Ȝe, nother sparit spurris nor wandis 1533 Gau 23/10.
Thow sal be meik and marciful and haiff pece and ane cheritabil hart to al man (ȝei to thy inimis) c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 2.
Yee a1538 Abell 97a.
All this pacientlie he sufferit … Ȝe his self with few men of weir sumtyme lefit in woddis of rutis of herbis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 900 (B).
Ȝe sall haive at ȝour govirnance Renfrew and the realme of France, Ȝe [Ch. Ȝea] Rugling and the town of Rome 1551 Hamilton Cat. 106.
Nixt his lyfe, his wife and his geir, his fame is derast to him, ya as necessarie as ony of the laif 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 179 (G).
Ȝae 1578–9 Reg. Privy C. III 83.
Ye 1580 Hay in Cath. Tr. 51/3.
Yea 1596 Dalr. I 20/36.
Ȝie a1605 Montg. Sonn. l 5.
O happy pape, ȝe rather nectar horne, First gaiv hir suck 1622-6 Bisset II 100/29.
It wes fund be the saidis commisseris … that ane of mony executouris may nocht persew withtout the rest ȝea nocht for that pairt of the dett [etc.] 1649 Blairs P. 21.
It is lickely that … he shall haue againe the same, yea grytter power 1685 Murray Early B. Organ. I 505.
The considerable acquisitions which the city of Glasgow hath made within thir few years, yea in building a new town at the mouth of their river

3. Introducing a statement commenting on the previous speaker's statement: Indeed?, well then, well now. a1500 Rauf C. 298.
‘Lat be, God forbid,’ the Coilȝear said … 'That for ane nichtis harbery Pay suld be laid.' ‘Ȝea, sen … thow will haue na pay, Cum the morne to the court' a1500 Henr. Fab. 2671.
‘Quha did the mis, lat him sustene the pane.’ ‘Ȝaa,' quod the wolf. ‘Ȝit pleyis thow agane?' 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3593.
Ȝisterday it was a principall caus That he thoillit not the iudgement & the lawis Was for a taill that the maister me tald Ȝea than (said scho) that is the thing thay wald Prolong the time a1568 Bann. MS 134b/40.
I sall ȝow skart quhill that ȝe bleid He said than, ȝa, ȝa, God forbeid Ȝour bonat I sall kast away a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1082 (Wr.).
There is a sentence said by some [etc.] … Yea, I have heard another yet, ‘Who came uncald, unserv’d shuld sit' 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 88.
The devil replied, yea sir, you speak of prayer with your broad lipped hat

4. Modifying a phrase: Even, verily. a1538 Abell 5*b.
Flechearis ar fenȝet & vnkynd ȝe to fathir

B. noun. An instance of the word ȝa as an expression of affirmation or assent. Only in collocations with na(y. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 173.
Wysmen gud hour in spekin bidis … Thar ȝha is ȝhai, thar nay is nay c1460 Thewis Wysmen 181, 184.
With anys ȝha amend thou may Thocht thow a thousand tymis say nay, Bot thai may nocht tyll domysday Amend thar ȝhay thocht thai say nay a1500 Henr. Orph. 574.
Ilk man … Suld dreid to sers … Thingis to fall vndir the firmament Till ȝe or na quhilk ar indefferent c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 207/36.
Sum micht haif ȝe with littill cure That hes oft nay with grit labour a1568 Bann. MS 135a/42.
Thow ma mend twa nayis With anis said ȝe 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 86.
Libidinous drunckardis … May no man had them be thair yeis and nayis