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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.

Voyd(e, Void(e, adj. Also: woyd(e, woid(e, voyid, woyid, vod(e, wod(e, wad. [ME and e.m.E. voyde (c1290), voide (Manning), woyde (1422), wyde (1502), OF voide. Also in the later dial.]

1. Of a place or space: Empty, devoid of occupants, etc. Also const. of the occupants, etc.(1) 1375 Barb. xix 755 (C).
The Ynglis men saw the herbery Quhar Scottis men war wount to ly All woyd [E. woid]
?1438 Alex. ii 9208.
Ane menȝe … That fled and left all voyd the plas
c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 164.
On the quhele was lytill void space
a1500 Bk. Chess 2051.
In his first moving may he saifly go … to void poyntis
c1515 Asl. MS I 186/22.
For to seike voide landis and inhabit tham
1513 Doug. iii ii 107.
The lugyngis voyd and reddy to thar fays The sete left waist
1513 Doug. xii xi 112.
Thou … Walkis at avantage on the void grene
c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xii 44.
He cummis and findis it [sc. his house] voide and clenget with besommes
a1538 Abell 25a.
The Romanis seand the feld woid [etc.]
1558-66 Knox II 134.
The king … was … caryed to ane void house
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 92.
The saidis lordis depairtit euerie ane of thame to thair lugeing and left the said palice woyid
1600-1610 Melvill 81.
The place … continowed void for the space of a lang houre
1615 Melrose P. 229.
Finding the kingis house in Keanloch woid, without any in it
(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 8170.
The citte War voyd of men
c1420 Wynt. viii 4585.
Till Abbyrdene held strawcht thaire way, That till have fwndyn woyd off men
1596 Dalr. I 184/15.
Quhen king Donald … was slane … Donald of the Iles … invades the realme finding it than voyd … and bair of strang handes to defend it
1632 Lithgow Trav. viii 372.
The countrey voyd of villages riuers or cultiuage

2. Of houses, land, etc.: Unoccupied, untenanted. Also const. of an occupant. b. In collocation with Red v.2 or Rede v.2, chiefly as void and red, cleared of occupation. See also Red ppl. adj. 3 (2), (3) and Rid p.p. and ppl. adj. 2 for further examples. Also, once, to reid and maik void. c. Voyd possession, vacant possession. See also Rede ppl. adj. b for a further example.There is some ambiguity with 1 above.(1) 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 32.
The tennand is a way out of the countre be a lang tyme & that tenement is woyde & nocht distrenȝeabill
1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III 62.
[The council] vnderstanding … that his lordschip desyrit to be ludgit in maister Thomas Makcalyeonis hous and that the said maister Thomas was willing to laitt his said ludgeing for maill, ordanit the said ludgeing to be maid voyd that my lord provest may enter thairto
1563–4 Perth B. Ct. 21 (2 Feb.).
To deliuer to Johnne Syald the key of the chalmer … and mak the chalmer wode
1570 Inverness Rec. I 191.
The commond pastuyr beand manurit occupeit and possedit be certan personis quhilkis aucht and suld be woyd
1587 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 510.
Vnderstanding that thair is sindrie of the cordiner chops presently voyde … swa mony thairof as may be had [to] be imployet to the resaving and lugeing of the puir littell aynes
1691 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 157.
[The houses] are either ruinous or those in repair standing void
(2) 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 67.
Letters … chargeing the sade Anthone to decist … fra all … intrometting with the sade warde landis … and that he leif the sammyn void of him and his complicis and thair gudis
b. (1) 1561–2 Old Dundee I 35.
[To make the street] red and wad [of the hucksters]
1566 Prot. Bk. J. Drummond MS 67b.
The said scheref deput fand the samyn [house] oppin woid and red and na maner of gudis nor geir thairin
1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 4.
To have flittit and removit thame selfis … fra the saidis aikeris of land … and … ceis fra all ferder occupiing thairof and leif the samin void and red
1642 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 38.
That the saidis landis were … woid red and patent to the said Androw houssis and biggingis thairof for the said Andro Smith his entrie
(2) 1562–3 Waus Corr. 32 (see Rede v.2 3).c. 1592 Haigh Mining P. 3 Sept.
Entres the said Sir Dauid [etc.] … to the wod possessioun therof
1660 Galloway P. 11 May.
To repossess the said erle in the voyd and reall possession of the said lands

3. Of a place, space, etc.: Unencumbered with unwanted objects, etc., free of obstructions, rubbish, etc. Freq. to mak voyd. Also const. of the obstruction. b. Of sheet metal: Free (from cracks).(1) 1513 Doug. ix vi 35.
I sall … mak voyd [Ruddim. vode] passage and way
1613 Conv. Burghs II 387.
The said peirmaister [sc. of Campveir] salbe haldin to intertynnie the said plaice of the schore void and cleane
1670 Dunkeld Presb. I 380.
The Presbitrie … allott … all that roome betuixt the laird of Bamffe's seat and the middest of the pillar wher the repentance stool now stands, and for making it voyd for him
1676 Edinb. B. Rec. X 262.
Workmen … to make the said passadge voyd and clear
1680-6 Lauder Observes 98.
The Lord Russell was found hiding himselfe … in a void place above the chimley
1686 Cramond Kirk S. II 29 Aug.
The heretors had granted to them that voide or ruinous queir at the east end of the church for ane buriall place
1692 Lanark B. Rec. 241.
To build two stairs … upon the voyd roume quhair the traps now stand
(2) ?1507 Aberd. B. Rec. I xxxix.
Certefeing all … tennentis of the landis quhom befoir the said myddingis lyis that an thai dycht [nocht] cleng and mak the kingis gait woyd of the samyne [etc.]
b. 1635 Stirling's Royal Lett. II 819.
His artifice of making thairof [lead sheeting] more solide, less porie, and consequentlie more voyd of all craks

4. Of land: Cleared, having no buildings occupying it. 1533 Bell. Livy II 75/7.
His hous to be sa evertit that of it sall remane na memorie, bot onelie to be ane vode place like ane barne ȝarde
1633 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 119.
The saids buithes to be rased to the grund and that pairt of the streitt maid voyd

5. Of a receptacle, etc.: Having no contents or nothing inside it. Also devoid of contents. Also fig. b. Of land: Devoid of movable goods. c. To hald woid of, to be kept from containing something.(1) 1513 Doug. i vii 103.
The hors hym harland behynd the void cart Hyngand wyde oppyn
1513 Doug. iii v 43.
Hectoris voyd tumbe
1513 Doug. iv ii 65.
Amyd a voyd bed scho hir laid adoun
15.. Clar. iv 543.
All voyde befor hir com ane chariot bricht
(2) 1456 Hay II 126/26.
That thy stomak be emptyd and voyde of the last mete that thou ete
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 120.
My face … had tofoir bene paill and voyde of blude
fig. a1568 Scott xv 17.
My breist is woyd and purgit of pussoun; I feill no pane
b. 1510–11 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 11.
The said grond unstrenyeable and vod of ony movable gudis … the … seriand passit … to the said grond and thair fand nathing strinyeable for the said annuel
c. 1580 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 110.
The kirk aucht to be haldin woid of ony buriall and the samin to be maid in the kirkyaird

6. a. Of an office or position: Unfilled, vacant. b. Of a person: To be declaired voyd of an office, to be banned from filling it. c. Of a population: Lacking a ruler.a. c1604–5 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIX 269.
When anye of the ordinarie places of the Session are voyde by decease of anye of the Senatours
1624 Crim. Trials III 558.
The place & office of the Justice of this our kingdome is now voyde
1641 Acts (1817) V 677/2.
That the voyid places of session … be filled with the fittest men
1671 Dunkeld Presb. II 461 f.n.
That in stead of having his roome made voyd for him, that he had found it prepossessed by another who had no title … to it
b. 16… Canongate Hammermen in Bk. Old Edinb. C. XX 109.
He sall be declaired voyd of ever being ane frieman
c. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 505.
The inhabitants being left void of a gouernour

7. In heraldry. Of a lozenge: Unfilled, empty (of the colour of the outline). 1494 Deidis of Armorie 14.
Gif ȝe will knaw quhat is losenge voide vydee it is pareil till ane macle
1494 Deidis of Armorie 57.
Macles ar lik as losenges saiffand at thai ar void within and fillit with othir colour than it is of

8. Of a thing: Unattended, abandoned. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 54.
The congregatioun depairtit furth of Edinburgh … and left thair artailȝerie void vpoun the calsay lyand and the toun desolate
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 271.
The saids lords of the congregatioun … left thair artailȝerie standard woid vpoun Edinburgh calsay

9. Of a person, thing, etc.: Not having received something, empty-handed. Only in Nisbet after Purvey. b. Devoid of something required or desired. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark xii 3.
Thai tuke him, and strake him, and left him void [L. vacuum]
b. 1567 G. Ball. 117.
Thair bodyis … Unburyit was void of all sepulture
a1578 Pitsc. I 35/5.
They brocht them togither … woyd of all waponis
a1578 Pitsc. I 380/15.
Ane barbarous contrie destitut and woyde of all commoditieis
1649 Ruthven Corr. 109.
Sinc I am intendet to take a houss to leawe in, I am woyd of all furnetor to it

10. Of words, etc.: Empty, vain. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 417.
Woid wordis ful of vanite
1513 Doug. ii v 70.
Onto thir wordis he nane answer maid, Nor to my voyd demandis na thyng said
c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 58.
He Did lichtlie hir with wordis void and vane
1622-6 Bisset I 95/25.
Decerning all thair attempttattis … to be void and of nane effect
a1665 Sel. Biog. II 71.
The remembrance of it will make void many of our contentments

11. Of a quality: Absent. Only in Nisbet after Purvey. c1520-c1535 Nisbet 1 Cor. xv 10.
Be the grace of God I am that thing that I am; and his grace was nocht void [P. voide; L. vacua] in me

12. Of a ghost: Insubstantial, incorporeal. 1513 Doug. vi iv 116.
Scybilla Tawcht him thai war bot voyd [L. tenuis] gaistis … But ony bodeis

13. Of a legal document or process: Null, void. Also transf. 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 125.
The breff is wode & wane
1569 Reg. Privy C. II 75.
The saidis letters producit thaireftir salbe vode and mak na prufe
1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 14.
The causis quhairby the mariage suld be voyde
1599 Crim. Trials II 86.
Hes be expres Act of Parliament annullit all crymes [etc.] … and hes declarit the samin to be voyd … and of nane availl, force nor effect
1639 Row 525.
That all acts [etc.] … to be pronunced be in themselves null, voyd and ineffectuall
1647 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 76.
This act is ordanit to be annullit and maid woid
1655 Stirling B. Rec. I 217.
All former actis of counsall … salbe fra this furthe voyde and null
1674 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 5 Oct.
In respect he was not burges, the Lords of Session have sustained his ticket voyd
1681 Stair Inst. iv xviii § 3.
Clauses irritant are so called, because they are designed to make void the rights in which they are contained
1691 Farther Vindic. 11 (see Obligato(u)r adj. 2).transf. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xv 6.
Ȝe haue made the comand of God void [L. irritum] for your traditionn
1604 James VI Tobacco (STS) 89.
Of this argument both the proposition and assumption are false and so the conclusion cannot but be voyd of it selfe

14. Of a person, writing, etc. a. Free of faults or inappropriate feelings, etc. b. Lacking, not endowed with (of) virtues, etc.a. c1475 Wall. viii 1624.
Woid off cowatis
1490 Irland Mir. I 13/36.
Thi counsalouris suld be … woid of all hatrent and inwy
a1500 Bk. Chess 103.
Woide he was of all dissimilacioun
1563 Reg. Privy C. I 244.
Personis without ony particular interest, and voyd of all passioun
1611 Crim. Trials III 157.
This discours, rude, informall, and voyde of all ornamentis except treuth
1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. ix 2.
Those eyes quhos smyls seame voyd of wraith
1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 189.
Sir Laughlane Macklain seemed to be void of all suspition
b. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 618.
My cruell fact … sa void of all plesance
c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 61.
I se thé … Of every vertew void
1533 Bell. Livy I 298/4.
Thai war vode of all gude esperance
1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 97.
I (quha am ane man void of all eloquence)
1562-3 Winȝet I 54/25.
Sindry writtingis woid of all humanitie and compatience
1567 G. Ball. 33.
All croce appeiris … distres, Woide of all ioy, but full of painfulnes
1558-66 Knox I 346.
A wicked man, void of Godis fear, and destitut of all vertew
a1578 Pitsc. I 127/26.
The Inglischemen … left thair nichtbouris in battell voyd of thair support
c1600 Montg. Suppl. xx 8.
Pitie him quhois mynd is woyd of rest

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"Voyd adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/voyde_adj>

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