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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.

Ȝowr, Yowr, possess. adj. Also: ȝowre, yowor, -er, (ȝowris), ȝour(e, your(e, ȝhour, yhour(e, ȝiour, yiour, ȝur(e, ȝhur, yhur, ȝore, yor. Pl. yhourz, ȝurez. [ME and e.m.E. ȝiure (a1175), eour, eower, ower (all c1175), ȝure (c1200), ȝoure (1297), yur (Cursor M.), your (c1330), ȝour (Manning), ȝor (1370-80), ȝowre (?a1400), yowr (c1514), OE éower, genitive of ᵹe > Ȝe pron.]

1. Of, belonging or connected to you. With sing. and pl. referent, in general use addressing person(s) present or reader(s) of a document, etc. Also with pl. ending.The examples in sing. (d) may be editorial representations of ȝo^r generally expanded as ȝour.(1) sing. 1375 Barb. ii 129.
Mychty God for his powste Graunt that he that thow pasis to & thow in all tyme sa weill to do That ȝe ȝow fra ȝowr fayis defend c1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 21.
We consail yow that yhe lat hym wyt yowor entent thar of for owtyn delay c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 97/4.
Schir, I complane of injuris: A refing sonne off rakyng Muris Hes magellit my making, throw his malis, And present it in to ȝowr palis 1637 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 51.
That yow give such orders as yow sall find necessarie and which is in yower power, for printing and receaving of the new [psalms](b) 1375 Barb. i 417.
Schyr heyr I to ȝow bryng This child that clemys ȝour man to be 1375 Barb. xiii 372 (C).
Relye Your men about ȝow richt straitlye a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 222.
Gud sir, but delay Get one ȝoure horse & pas ȝoure way! 1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 19.
And gerre vs be payit of the other xl libras the quylk ve haue layde doun fore yhoure howse of Coldynghame c1420 Wynt. iv 412.
Yhoure [C. ȝhour] lattyre day yhit mon yhe byde 1422 Thanes of Cawdor 10.
We confermit to your fadir a tailye betwix him and youre bruthir 1446 Raine N. Durham App. 22.
We charge ȝhu & … ȝhour deputis … in our borowis & al othir placis sene spedefull to ȝhu c1450-2 Howlat 255 (A).
It neidis nocht to renewe all myn vnhele Sen it was menyt to your mynd & maid manifest a1500 Seven S. 235.
It was … to ȝour swet ȝouthhed That I haf kepit my madinhed c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 40/4.
My hunny my houp my hairt my heill I haif bene lang ȝour lufar leill 1537 Hamilton P. I 42.
The Creature Almychty we pray be youre haly kepare 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2190.
This michtie bair betakinnis ȝour persoun, Throw quhais greit micht, wit wisdome and renoun, This haill impyre ȝe gyde 1577 Buch. Wr. 57.
Your Inglessmen ar fund liars in thair cronicles 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 448.
Ye man be gude, my Lord, And to your man misericord 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 2/7.
My sone … it sould be ȝour chief and princelie cair To follow verteu 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 68/60.
To knaw the quantitie of ȝour lang or short fete in they lynes, quhilk I haue put in the reule … I haue markit the lang fute with this mark—and [etc.] c1616 Hume Orthog. 2.
Your courteoures, quha on a new conceat of finnes sum tymes spilt (as they cal it) the king's language(c) a1400 Leg. S. iii 330.
Egeas sad, ‘To sic fals thinge Ȝur God taucht in his prechinge' a1400 Leg. S. xl 1120.
Ȝe sal haf thred as of ȝure man, Of nowt, schepe, hors and ky ?1423 Edinb. Chart. 213.
A portion of our gudis … to be lent to the refressyng of yhur hey estate 1424 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 15.
Ȝhur honorablez lettres tyl vs present be ȝhur noble squyer(d) a1400 Leg. S. iii 974.
That mycht be hendringe to myn fame, And lattinge als to ȝore gud name a1400 Leg. S. iii 1029.
Sene ȝe Of sle spekine hes sutelte, With wisdome thare-to at ȝore wil, Sendis ȝe questione hym til! 1602 Old Ross-shire I 345.
My few maills … for Drumvaich and Braneletter 1600 and 1601 … 23 sh. 4 d. … yor lesour not servand ye delayit 1661 Black Sc. Witches 36.
Yow putt yor hands in my throat and thoucht to have woried me 1661 Carstairs Lett. 85.
Your condition is not forgotten by yor friends who have any moyen in heaven(e) 1614 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 218.
I have resaued baith yiour lettirs frome yiour good half-marrowpl. 1375 Barb. ii 341.
Ȝe ar ilkan wycht and worthy … And wate … quhat honour is. Wyrk yhe then apon swylk wys That ȝour honour be sawyt ay 1375 Barb. xii 291 (C).
Ȝhe ar assemblit heir with me; … I warne ȝow … That mair myscheif may fall vs nane [etc.] … Bot quhen I meyn of ȝhour stoutnes [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. viii 28.
The apostol cane thame say: ‘Sa, that ȝe wil tr[e]w to me, & ger ȝour maumentis brokine be' a1400 Leg. S. ix 39.
Fra the appostil Bartholomow Come in ȝoure towne a1400 Leg. S. ix 43.
Til distroy ȝowre goddis all a1400 Leg. S. l 480.
‘Say yhe now furth quhat-euir ȝe will, For to conclud me with yhou[r]e skill' … say abaysit than war thai That thai had na word for to say 1389 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 15.
To yow ioyntly & seuerailly be the tenour of this lettre fermely we bid & commandes that the forsaid wollys at your portis … to be shippit 1436 Coll. Aberd. & B. 393.
Til al and syndry thir present letteris to her or to sie … To yhur vniuersite I mak knawin that 1450 Exch. R. V 425 n.
To the custumaris … of oure burgh of Dunde … that ye … pay to the said Patrik yerly the said sowm of five markis … the quhilkis salbe wele allowit to yhw in yhoure accomptis 1458 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 325.
Reuerendis nobille and worschipfull lordis of parliament I yhour seruiter Alexander of Skene procuratour to my fader … protestis … that [etc.] a1500 Henr. Orph. 28.
Bot first his gentill generation I sall reherse, with youre correction a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 613.
Now, worthie wemen, Ming not ȝour lufe with fals deceptioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 265.
O morall Gower and Ludgate laureate … Your angel mouthis most mellifluate Oure rude langage has clere illumynate 1549 Compl. 90/8.
[To] expel hatrent, diuisione, & auaricius lyffing furtht of ȝour hartis 1562-3 Winȝet I 4/32, 33.
To the quenes maiestie, pastouris, and nobilitie … quhidder sal we begin ȝour commendation and louing at ȝour haly lyfes, or at ȝoure helthful doctrine, we ar doutsum 1578 Conv. Burghs I 57.
With the helpe off Alexander Segait, ȝoure citezane [sc. of Edinburgh] 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xi 1.
Gaise, eyes, on nocht quhich can content ȝour sight(2) 1405–6 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 58.
It is nocht vnkend to ȝoure hee excellence hw thar is trewys takyn … betwix ȝw and my lege lord the kyng of Scotland and ȝouris realmys alswele be see as be land 1424 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 14.
We have ressauit … yhourz honeurablez and graceoux lettrez presentit til vs at yhour burgh of Strivelyn 1562-3 Winȝet I 7/28, 29.
And sua ȝe nobilis specialie, and ȝouris lait progenitours, blyndit be carnal affectioun of ȝouris babis, brether, or vtheris freindis, or be auarice, hes destroyit the trew religioun(b) 1454 7th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 720/1.
We charge ȝu that ȝe mak a sufficiande knavalage pas of the best … personeis within the boundis of ȝurez office

b. With alleris, = of you all. c. With awin which limits possession or emphasis the possessive. See Awin adj. for further examples. d. With allane.b. c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 113.
I will that gude hope seruand to thé be, Ȝoure alleris frendc. 1562-3 Winȝet I 8/4,6.
Of the rigour to the pure dune on ȝour awin landis, and of the approprying the kirk landis … to ȝour awin kechingis 1567 G. Ball. 1.
Teiching and exhorting ȝour awin selfis with psalmes, & hymnis, and spirituall sangisd. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9436.
Ȝe ar als welcum to me now ȝour allane, As ony man on life excepting ane 1661 Carstairs Lett. 84.
Ye bear not your affiction yor alone

e. In the opening or closing formula of a letter or formal document.See 2 b below for further examples. 1385 Red Bk. Menteith II 260.
Tyl al that thir lettrys herys or seys, Androw Mercer, Lorde of Mekylhour, gretyng in God ay lestand: Tyl yhur vniuersite be wyttyn that [etc.] 1402 Reg. Panmure II 184.
Tyl al that this present chartir heiris or seys Wylyem the Mayle lorde of Pamure sendis gretyng in God aylestande. To yhur universite be it made knawyn me tyl haf gyffin [etc.] ?1423 Edinb. Chart. 214.
Wretyn at yhur burgh of Edynburgh vndre the twa baillees seelis, the tuentyth day of the moneth of September 1596 Dalr. II 416/2.
Ȝour sueit cosuinas Marie 1599 Colville Lett. 201.
I remane your poor beadman … Jo. Colville 1629 Annandale Corr. 283.
I remain your louinge coosine to serue youe

2. As part of a title of respect. a. Used in place of ‘you’ sing. and pl. or ‘yourself’. b. With a possessive noun. In place of ‘your’ sing. and pl. Also in the subscription to a letter. Cf. l e above.a. 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 44.
Fore swilk honest seruice as I may do … to yhour noble lordship [sc. King Henry IV of England] and to yhour lande 1444 Aberd. B. Rec. I 11.
It war great lak … to the king and the realme and lessing of yhour worschip c1450-2 Howlat 95 (A).
Be the rud I am richt rad For to behald ȝour halynes or my tale tell c1475 Wall. v 689.
I trast yhe wald nocht set till assaill, For yhoure worschipe, to do me dyshonour c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 97/14.
Ȝour grace beseik I of remeid 1549 Corr. M. Lorraine 296.
I beseik your grace to be gud prenssis to the Spangyarttis 1561 Knox II 163.
Beseiking your honouris, with uprycht jugement and indifferencie to luyk upone thir oure few articles 1572 Facs. Nat. MSS III lxiii.
I shall … desier yowr lordshippes pardon my longe silence 1608 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 129.
The ontreuthe off that yiour hienes hes bene informed off 1615 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 192.
I hope … ȝiour majestie shall find him prowe nather onwoorthie nor oncapabill of ȝiour royall fauour a1650 Row 123.
As quhair ȝour wisdomes desires to haif mine own opinion concerning [etc.]b. (1) 1532 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 231.
Your Lordischippis ansuer I humelie besekis a1578 Pitsc. I 221/26.
Ȝour grace mon be goode into him and I trust he will come in ȝour graceis will 1582 Conv. Burghs I 147.
We … hes … payitt to ȝoure grace customeris the iust and dew paymentt of oure gudes 1617 Melrose P. 298.
Yiour majesties chappell … micht be … maist manificklie dek't and sett furthe 1633 Aberd. Council Lett. I 379.
Whairby we perceave yor ladyship's discontentment(2) 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 49.
I sal be at yowr g[r]ays on Tayesday, wel God, qwa hef yowr grays in kepen. Be yowr grays sarwand of Glengarnok 1636 Maxwell Mem. II 262.
Your honouris most obliged coussine and servant, A. Hamilton 1644 Red Bk. Menteith I 385.
Your lordship's most affectionat cowsigne and servand, Loudoun(b) c1615 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 259.
Ȝowris effectionat and luffing cussing