CONVOY v. to accompany

I was reminded of this original use of convoy when a male friend offered me his arm “to convoy ye doon the road”. On checking this in the Dictionary of the Scots Language (www.dsl.ac.uk) I found that indeed this usage is Scots and is given the following definition: “To escort, accompany, conduct (without any idea of armed protection). This sense has now died out in English.”

This meaning goes back to 1375 and Barbour’s Bruce: “Till the men off Northummyrland Suld cum armyt, and … Conwoy hym till hys cuntre” although this example sounds as if the person is being convoyed a bit further than “doon the road”.

Moving into the “modern” period Boswell’s London Journal of 1763 has the following example: “He convoyed me up Snow Hill as far as to Cheapside.”

There are also many up-to-date examples in DSL which begin in the early 20th century. From Aberdeen in the 1920 work In Country Places by Charles Murray: “The fite-fuskered cat wi’ her tail in the air Convoyed him as far as the barn.” At the other end of the 20th century the following comes from the Aberdeen Press and Journal of July 4 1992: “To “convoy” somebody is so much couthier than “accompany”. I still go for a “traivel” rather than a walk.”

And into the 21st century James Robertson in his novel from the year 2000 The Fanatic gives us: “I was at the Netherbow Port, inspecting the guard and now I am on my way to a prayer-meeting. I would be obliged if ye’d convoy me to the Grassmarket.”

Scots Word of the Week is written by Pauline Cairns Speitel of Scottish Language Dictionaries located at 9 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh.

Visit their website at www.scotsdictionaries.org.uk

You can also contact them by email at mail@scotsdictionaries.org.uk.