English Interjections in Fifteenth Century 39 
7. Calls to Animals 
hyte. A word of encouragement to urge a horse forward. 
Towneley Plays, Il, 55: harrer, morall, iofurth, hyte! 
stow(e). A call for hawks. In modern use as an interjection 
in the Shetland and Orkney Islands, with meaning of hush! 
silence! See English Dialect Dictionary. 
Magnyfycence, 912: Fansy, craynge: Stow, stow! Magn., 
968, Fansy: Stowe, byrde, stowe, stowe! 
teuyt. Meaning is obscure. Like stow above, it may be a call 
to a hawk. 
Magnyfycence, 1005, Fansy: Teuyt, teuyt! 
tyr. A call to sheep, meaning skip! go on! Apparently opposite 
in meaning to whyr, below. 
Towneley Plays, xii, 114, Pastor: I say, tyr, now agayne! 
Towneley, xii, 113: I say, tyr! 
war. A hunter’s call. 
Towneley Plays, 1i, 29, Caym: War! let me se how down 
will draw. 
whop. A call to sheep. Its apparent meaning is go on! for the 
first shepherd is always urging them, as opposed to the second 
shepherd. The word is found in the Yorkshire dialect in the 
sense of to hurry, to pass by swiftly. See the English Dialect 
Dictionary. 
Towneley Plays, xii, 19, Primus Pastor: Whop! 
whyr. A call to sheep, meaning, evidently stop! be quiet! as 
opposed to whop above. 
Towneley Plays, xii, 117, Secundus Pastor: Tup, I say, whyr! 
XVII. Oaths 
The following oaths are merely listed, with citations of their 
occurrence. No attempt is made to give examples in full, with 
the connection, since there is little danger of ambiguity. The gen- 
eral classification is in part based on that suggested by W. L. Ram- 
say in his edition of the Magnyfycence (E. E. T. S., extr. ser. 
98, p. 83). 
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