foy

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle French foy.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔɪ

Noun

foy (countable and uncountable, plural foys)

1. (obsolete, rare) Faith, allegiance.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     He Easterland subdewd, and Danmarke wonne, / And of them both did foy and tribute raise, / The which was dew in his dead fathers dayes […]

2. (obsolete) A feast given by one about to leave a place.
   • 1661 November 25, Samuel Pepys, The Diary of Samuel Pepys: 1661, 2006, Echo Library, page 124,

     To Westminster Hall in the morning with Captain Lambert, and there he did at the Dog give me and some other friends of his, his foy, he being to set sail to-day towards the Streights.

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Middle French

Etymology

From Old French foi.

Noun

foy f (plural foys)

1. faith
   • 1532, François Rabelais, Pantagruel:

     Saigneur Dieu oste moy de ce torment, auquel ces traitres chiens me detiennent, pour la maintenance de ta foy.

     Lord God remove me from this torment in which these traiterous dogs are holding, to help me keep your faith.

Descendants

• French: foi

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Portuguese

Verb

foy

1. Obsolete spelling of foi.