oyez, oyes, int. (n., v.)
(əʊˈjɛs)
Forms: 5– Oyes, O yes, (5 Oyas, 6 Oies, O is, O ys, ooyess); 6–7 Sc. hoyes; 7– Oyez, (7 oiez, O yez, oh yes, O ace, 7–9 oyess).
[OF. oiez, oyez, hear ye! imperative pl. of oir to hear:—L. audiātis, pres. subj.; orig. pronounced oˈyets, but subseq. reduced to oˈyes, and so identified in sound with the two words O yes! and hence often so written.]
A. imp. v., and int. ‘Hear, hear ye’; a call by the public crier or by a court officer (generally thrice uttered), to command silence and attention when a proclamation, etc., is about to be made.
| [c 1286 Stat. Excestre in Stat. Realm I. 211/1 Ceo oyez vus A. e B...Re jeo dirrai verite.] c 1440 York Myst. xxx. 369 Pil. Cry, Oyas! Be. Oyas! Ibid. xxxi. 319 Do crie we all on hym at onys. Oȝes! Oȝes! Oȝes! Ibid. 360 O yes! if any wight with þis wriche any werse wate Werkis. 1567 Triall Treas. (1850) 21 O yes, O yes, I will make a proclamation. 1584 Lyly Campaspe iii. ii, O ys, O ys, O ys, all manner of men, women, and children. 1654 E. Johnson Wond.-wrkg. Provid. i. 2 Oh yes! oh yes! oh yes! All you the people of Christ that are here Oppressed. 1682 N. O. Boileau's Lutrin iv. 212 With Stentors Voice he make loud Proclamation O yez! I' th' Chapter House, A rare Collation Stands ready dress't. 1822 T. Mitchell Aristoph. II. 257 Oyes! oyes! in virtue of my office—Waits any member of the court without? 1842 Barham Ingol. Leg., Misadv. Margate xvi, But when the Crier cried, ‘O Yes!’ the people cried, ‘O No!’ |
B. as n. A call or exclamation of ‘Oyez!’ Plural † oyesses, also † oyes.
Quot. 1635 has O's ace, an eccentric plural of O ace (pronounced in the north O yas or O yess).
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 615 The sayde tayllours..wold nat cease for speche of the mayre nor oyes made by the mayres sergiaunt of armes. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 4 And there with all, commaunded his Heraulde to make an Oyes. 1589 R. Harvey Pl. Perc. (1590) 13 Crier, make an o yes, for Martin to come into the Court. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. v. v. 45 Qui. Crier Hob-goblyn, make the Fairy Oyes. Pist. Elues, list your names: Silence you aiery toyes. 1600 W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 131 Going with oyesses vp and downe the streets. 1619 Dalton Countr. Just. xxii. (1630) 61 He may cause three oyes for silence to be made. 1635 R. Brathwait Arcad. Pr. ii. 196 Having first commanded Cletor the pretorian cryer with three O's ace to command silence. 1752 J. Louthian Form of Process (ed. 2) 88 After the crying of three several Oyesses. 1873 H. Spencer Stud. Sociol. v. 110 The oyez shouted in a law court to secure attention. |
b. Erroneously confused with outas (in Latin form huesium).
| 1597 Skene De Verb. Sign., Huesium, hoyesium..ane hoyes, or crie vsed in proclamations. 1609 ― Reg. Maj. 4 Quhen ane man is slane,..or is found dead in any place; in this case, the finder sall raise the hoyes, as said is. |
† C. as v. trans. To proclaim as by cries of ‘Oyez!’ Obs. rare.
| 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuffe 3 When the high flight of his lines in common brute was ooyessed. |