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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.

Ȝon(e, Yon(e, demonstr. adj. and pron. Also: ȝhone, yhon(n)e. [ME and e.m.E. yhon, yon, ȝone (all Cursor M.), ȝon (Piers Plowman), ȝhone (a1400, north.), OE ᵹeon.]

A. demonstr. adj.1. That or those other or at a distance. Qualifying a person or thing mentally or physically remote from the speaker or protagonist, specif. a. With derogatory or depreciatory force, esp. of an enemy, stranger, etc. or of a thing or situation belonging to or involving an enemy.There is considerable overlap between the senses.(a) 1375 Barb. v 595.
Ȝon [C. ȝhone] ?1438 Alex. i 2419.
Thay of Grece ar haill the flour, … And ȝon [F. cil] Emynedus thair ledar ?1438 Alex. ii 6616, 6625.
On Tysday arly I sall fecht … But the trewis I will … Be kepit … Sen ȝow in ȝon [F. ce] ald herauldis hare Hes fundin ressoun … It sall be kepit … Syne efter happin as destany is For vther way sall neuer … His wening ourcummin be Of ȝon inchantouris sone c1475 Wall. viii 80.
The erll Patrik with mony likly man At Coburns peth he had his gaderyng maid … Wallace ansuerd … 'With ȝon power he thinkis bargane to bid' c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 214/19.
Be I liberall gentill and kynd … Ȝit will thai say … Ȝon man is lyke out of his mynd 1513 Doug. vi xiv 77.
Efter he venquist haue Corinthe … And … the worthy Grekis bet dovn … he ȝon other, Quintus Metellus sal conques 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1173 (Ch.).
Thay put Veritie in the stocks and returne to Spritualite … My lord wee haue … Bucklit vp weill ȝon bledrand baird Urquhart Jewel 189.
Because of his being of this or this or that or yon or of that other religion ?1665 M. Bruce Six Dreadful Alarms 9.
What need you to spear what the minister was on in the Sabbath? read it in yon mans practice throw the week … Mortification has been much pressed on the Sabbath, see ye it not in yon mans using the world(b) 1375 Barb. vii 23.
War ȝone deuillis hund away I roucht nocht off the lave 1375 Barb. xv 142 (H).
Yone [E. this] 1460 Hay Alex. 1885, 1887.
Suppois ȝone man ane gyant be Ȝit God may grant me grace to win the gre For all ȝone iolie geire and ryche aray: To traist in God is mekill better ay a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 172 (see Lusty adj. 6). a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 530, 531.
Ȝone lord hes mair affectioun … vnto ȝone lazarous Than to vs all c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 354.
I gert the renȝeis rak … I maid that wif carll to werk all womenis werkis … Se how I cabeld ȝone cout with a kene brydill 1533 Boece 67a.
Ȝone vnmercifull tyran c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1002.
This woman … Gart me [sc. Adam] eit of ȝone plesand tre 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6776.
The end … sall … put vs to confusioun, Ȝone seuin maisters leidis ȝow in sic abusioun

b. Qualifying something known from previous mention in the text or story, esp. at some remove. 1375 Barb. x 557.
Wilȝame Francus … That in-till hys ȝoutheid had bene In the castell … said … 'Ik wndertak … To ken ȝow to clymb to the wall … Quhen I wes ȝoung … My fadyr wes kepar of ȝone hous' 1460 Hay Alex. 1142.
Quhan he saw the kingis sone … His harte vprais … 'I haue ȝone child in mony cuntre socht' a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 48.
Ane ciete thai se … I rede we send furth ane saynd to yone ciete And ask leif at the lord yone landis suld leid a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 54.
Than carpit king Arthur … 'I rede we send furth [etc.].' Schir Kay carpit to the king … 'Grant me, lord, on yone gait graithly to gay' a1500 Seven S. 2632.
The king … said … Thre ravynnis are euer on me rolpand … The child … said … This mater sa sall I declaire That he sall heir ȝone ravinnis no maire 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 833, 851.
Als into Venus' court full fast thay demit Sayand, ‘Ȝone lustie court [etc.] … Ȝone is,' quod thay, ‘the court rethoricall … Euerie famous poeit … Is in ȝone rout. Lo ȝonder thair princes' 1513 Doug. xii xiii 75.
I thé beseik … to knaw quhen that … With happy wedlok … Ȝon pepillis twane sall knyt vp peax for ay a1540 Freiris Berw. 277 (B).
Will I … tell ȝow off thir silly freiris two Wer lokit in the loft … Be thay come heir it wes so verry lait Curfur wes rung and closit wes thair ȝait And in ȝone loft I gaif thame harbrye a1578 Pitsc. II 89/28.
I mervell of thir gentillmen that hes hald this castell so lang I can nocht count thame for no man of weir that [etc.] … quhilk might … [have] condamnit the said castell … thairfor ȝour lordschip sall sie … that I sall mak eassie passage to ȝone castell 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 291.
To come back … to the third verse … First he setteth down the defeat generally … As to this defeat he saith [etc.] … Now gif we shall compare [etc.] … it is commonly speired already and will be speired till the end of the world, where was yon great defeat done? 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 129/2.
Bot haue ye respect … to yone [1603 these] three speciall causis [sc. outlined above] 1599 Maxwell Mem. II 9.
Yone tale … is … most untreu 1629 R. Bruce in Wodrow's Life of Bruce 138.
Yon belieing of me is a great argument of malice 1650 Culross 236.
That what they had learned further concerning the prophane … carriage of yon young men

c. Qualifying something perceived or pointed out in the scene being described, esp. at some distance. 1375 Barb. xvi 280.
The king has hard a woman cry, He askyt quhat that wes in hy. … said ane … 'hyr child-ill rycht now has tane And mon leve now behind ws her, Tharfor scho makys ȝone iwill cher' c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2581.
‘Quhar is Pirrus?’ And he said ‘heir downe at hond All wery is cummyn to the lond And to ȝone dyche is gone … ' And with his honde he schewed quhair a1500 Henr. Fab. 2791.
‘Seis thow,’ quod scho, ‘of corne ȝone iolie flat … ? I am hungrie and fane wald be thair at Bot I am stoppit be this watter greit' a1500 Henr. Robene & M. 11.
I … keipis my scheip vndir ȝone wid; Lo quhair thay raik on raw a1500 Colk. Sow i 256.
And as thay lukit on a lee Thay saw an vther menȝe … Ȝone folk our awin freindis ar c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis 9b.
His majestie is luiking furth at a window and sies them all going together and seing them King sayes … is not yon four of thir, and thir ministeris of Scotland? 1558-66 Knox II 70.
Quhill the seige thus continewit ane suddane fyre chanceit in Leith … the Lord Erskin … said … ' … yon fyre is nocht kindellit be man' a1578 Pitsc. I 338/9.
Quhene the king depairtit … the hieland men sett all this fair palice in ane fyre … Then the ambassadour said to the king, ‘I merwell that ȝe sould tholl ȝone fair palice to be brunt' 1600 Crim. Trials II 156.
The Maister of Gowrie was lyand, quhidder deid or hurt he knew nocht … he saw Sir Thomas Erskin [etc.] … standin with drawin suordis … 'Theiff, giff thow be innocent of ȝone sklauchter come furth'

d. Qualifying persons or things known to the protagonists from their general knowledge, shared culture, etc. a1500 Seven S. 1242.
That I had lever be far' de Or ellis be drownit in ȝone se 1530 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 107.
We ordand Jame Craufurd to produce his evidens and rychtis he hes for yone [MS ȝone] tenement of land 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 61/8.
Thairfore be the contraire at youre first entrie to youre kingdome to yone [1599 yone, 1603 that] quinquennium Neronis 1587 Cal. Sc. P. IX 529.
I was at a lang conference uith yone erl of ouris efter youre depairting yistrein

e. Referring to something in the distant past or, perhaps, further examples of c above c1420 Wynt. v 2763.
That had this state or I wes borne As Tytus and Wespasiane … Thai gave in byddyng … That nane suld barne or women sla … Now sen sa gud before oure dayis … Bettyr me ware wnborne to be Na … All yhone innocentys to sla 1535 Stewart 3758.
I traist ȝe knaw the greit crudelitie Of king Drustus and sic mortalitie Of oure fatheris befoir as he hes maid … With mort battell rycht pertlie on ȝone plane

2. Qualifying a noun that is antecedent to a relative clause. 1375 Barb. ii 105.
Ȝon man that he has slayn a1400 Leg. S. xxx 247.
Ȝone ȝung man, that luffis thé a1400 Leg. S. l 439.
Yhone Sibile saug can say, That was sa wis ?1438 Alex. ii 254.
Ȝon ald man … That leanes him on ȝon burdone 1572 Sempill in Sat. P. xxxviii 7.
Ȝone mask the Quene Mother hes maid thame in France

B. demonstr. pron. That person, thing, situation, etc., those people, etc., other or at a distance, in the senses of the adjective. a. As subject of to be. b. As complement of to be. c. As object of a transitive verb. Also with ellipsis of the verb. d. As object of a preposition.a. 1375 Barb. iv 502.
Sothly ȝon is the king I knaw lang quhill syne his blawyng 1375 Barb. xiv 280.
We ar to fer fra hame to fley Tharfor lat ilk man worthi be. Ȝone ar gadryngis of this countre And thai sall fley I trow a1400 Leg. S. i 569.
Than Nero sad … 'Ȝone [sc. Simon Magus; L. hic] is a gud man' c1420 Wynt. iv 2609.
Syne he sawe a madyn fayre Apone ane awtere in the ayre … And … He herd a woice that sayd … 'Yhone [C. Ȝon, W. Ȝone] … The awtere is off Goddis swne' c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 3.
A voce … said ‘Tak hede, man, and behold Ȝonder thou seis [etc.] … Ȝone were the folke [etc.]' a1500 Henr. Fab. 497.
‘Allace,’ quod Pertok, makand sair murning … 'Ȝone wes our drowrie, and our dayis darling' a1500 Henr. Fab. 531.
Ȝone wes ane verray vengeance a1500 Henr. Fab. 1794.
O blind birdis … Lift vp ȝour sicht … Luke to the lint that growis on ȝone le! Ȝone is the thing I bad forsuith that we [etc.] a1500 Rauf C. 704.
He gat ane sicht of the nobill king ‘Ȝone is Wymond I wait' c1475 Wall. iii 123.
Yhonne c1475 Wall. v 789.
It is no witt in wer With our power to byd thaim bargane her. Ȝon are gud men c1475 Wall. vi 293.
The queyne [sc. of England] … can him as He wald desist and nocht in Scotland gang … 'Crystyne thai ar, ȝone is thar heretage' c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 442.
Ȝone is a pete to enprent in a princis hert, That [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece II 358.
On the morow, … sall blaw the gretest wind … Than said the propheit, Yone is the wind that sall blaw c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 140a/2.
Thow leis, loun … Ȝone ar sowttaris be sicht 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 71.
Yon is a parlish ingeneerb. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2977.
Quho is ȝone, mais me suche asking? ?1438 Alex. ii 2723.
Is nocht ȝon Alexander that is thare Ludged beȝond the water of Fare? a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 533.
‘Quhat lord is ȝone,' quod scho 1513 Doug. vi xiii 33.
Quhat maner ȝong gallandis bene ȝon a1540 Freiris Berw. 280 (M).
The gudman … speirit quha is ȝon? 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3781.
We meruell quhilk is ȝonec. (1) a1500 Rauf C. 706.
In clais of clene gold, kythand ȝone cleir 1635 Dickson Wr. 82.
‘Oh!’ say they, ‘some men have told him yon of me’(2) 1571 Sat. P. xxvi 175.
Ane greiter strenth ye gat … Swa will ye ȝone [sc. Edinburgh Castle]d. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6602.
Scho … Deliuerit him the deid knicht … And … to the sey he is past. … This being done to his sister he said ‘Ȝe ar now quyte of ȝone'