Jack Campin wrote:
>
> >> The Online Scots Dictionary at
> >> gives the meaning as "an expression signifying haste".
> > And given by English and American dictionaries as an 'expression of
> > digust, dislike or... being shocked'.
> > In the case of 'fye gar rub her o'er' it could be either. In the case of
> > Killiecrankie it could be either. In several other cases it could not be
> > 'hurry' - 'Fye on ye Peggy' clearly means the disgust exclamation [...]
> > I'd like to see an example of 'fy' used in a context where it could
> > only, definitely mean 'hurry'.
>
> "Fy let us a' to the bridal"
>
That seems definite enough. I think the 'fy' is the 'hurry' as Ted
suggests in rub her o'er wi' strae - the semantics are the same - used
before a verb, does not have any exclamation before it. I think the 'fye
Mackay' is the other word, shame not hurry. Probably just an ordinary
English word while the 'fy' is purely Scots.
David
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