▪ I. † sonyie, n. Sc. Obs.
Also 5–6 sonȝe, 6 sounȝie, sunȝie.
[var. soign n.]
1. Excuse; plea.
| 1438 Bk. Alexander Grt. (Bann. Club) 24 Quhan he sawe that na man wald ga, In the message bot sonȝe ma. c 1480 Henryson Fables, Wolf & Fox vii, All thy sonȝeis sall not auaill the. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxix. 3 My coumpt, I sall it mak ȝow cleir, But ony circumstance or sonȝie. a 1585 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 796 Thou will hing but a sunȝie. c 1685 R. MacWard Contend. (1723) 93 But I knew, your last sonzie and shift will be, that they admitted..non-indulged to preach in the pulpits. |
2. Hesitation; delay.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 97 Bot for his tre litill sonȝhe he maid. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxvi. 72 Mony slute daw and slepy duddroun, Him serwit ay with sounȝie. |
▪ II. † sonyie, v. Sc. Obs.
In 5–6 sonȝe, 6 soinȝe, sounȝe, sonye, swnye, sunyie.
[var. soign v.]
intr. To hesitate, delay, refuse. Also refl.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace iii. 110 Than graithit thai thaim till harnes hastely, Thar sonȝeit nane of that gud chewalrye. c 1500 Kennedie Passion of Christ 1526 He sonȝeit him, or he wald forthir pas. 1508 Dunbar Poems vii. 31 Withe us to liue,..Quhilk never sall swnye for thy saik to bleid. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) II. 242 Quhy sonye ye, maist vailyeant campionis? quhy pas ye nocht forthwart with gret spreit? 1573 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxix. 368 He soinȝeit not to ga him self and se. |