Obs. Forms: α. 1–4 woh, 3 woch, 3 (5 Sc.) wocht, 4 woht. β. 1 (3) dat. wo (woo), 3–4 woȝ (4 woȝh), 3–5 wogh, 1 dat. woȝe, 3–4 woȝe (4 woȝhe), 3–5 woghe, 5 wothe. γ. 3 wou, 3–5 wow; 3–4 wouh (3 pl. wouhwes), wouȝ (5 wouȝh, wowȝ), 4 wough, 5 wugh, Sc. weuch; 5 wouche, wou-, wowȝe, woughe. [OE. wóh (inflected wó-, wóʓ-), neut. of wóh WOUGH a. used as sb.]
1. Wrong, evil; injury, harm.
α. c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., VI. x. 264. Þa sæde him hiora an,… þæt he woh bude.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Th.), xciii. 4. Hi … woh meldiað.
c. 1205. Lay., 11589. Þat wes swiðe muchel woh.
c. 1250. Death, 261, in O. E. Misc., 184. Lete us hatie þat woh and luuie þat riȝte.
c. 1250. Orison, 16, ibid., 160. Þu brohtest dai and eve niȝt, Heo broȝte woht, þu broȝtest riȝt.
c. 1300. Harrow. Hell (Harl.), 52. Mon haþ do me shome ynoh wyþ word ant dede in heore woh.
β. c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xl. § 7. Englas … nanes wos [v.r. woʓes] ne wilniað. Ibid. (c. 897), Gregory’s Past. C., xlv. 343. Hie … nyllað wietan mid hwelcum woo [v.r. wo] hie hit ʓestriendon.
c. 924. Lett., in Birch, Cartul., II. 236. Ic him wolde fylstan to ryhte and næfre to nanan wo.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 165. Al riht is leid and wogh arered.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1550. Þus hym frayned þat fre, and fondet hym ofte, For to haf wonnen hym to woȝe.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 544. For þat were swiche a woȝh þat neuer wolde be mended.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 2812. As me is wa for þi woȝe & þi wrange bathe.
γ. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 126. Wouh þet me mis-deð us, oðer of word oðer of werc. Ibid., 190. Wel is us nu, Louerd, uor þe dawes þet tu lowudest us mide oðre monnes wouhwes.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 7279. Of two þynges wakned hys wough.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 1117. Ȝif þou wole a-menden his wouȝ, Þou most deþ þolen þorw strong pyne I-nouȝ.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 1333. Her hertes was full of sorow and woughe.
2. In phrases: a. To do or work wough. Also const. to, on (a person) or with dat.
(a) c. 1205. Lay., 22456. Þat ne scal þe king woh don.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 158. Vor þolemod is þe þet þuldeliche abereð wouh þet me deð him.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15828. Wit þair bastons bete þai him And did him mikel wogh.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 119. To William did he wouh, He did brenne Helwelle, & William broþer slouh.
c. 1400. Rowland & O., 119. For here schall no man do the woghe, till aughte dayes.
(b) 1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7687. Vor no mon ne durste him wiþsegge, he wroȝte muche wou.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24340 (Edin.). To me his moder did þai þat mis, þat wroht on him þis woh.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 622. Þay laften ryȝt & wroȝten woghe.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 700. The wyis wroght vthir grete wandreth and weuch. Ibid., 1199. To wirk him wandreth or wough.
c. 1550. Hunt. Cheviot, xxvi. in Child, Ballads, III. 308/2. He wrought hom both woo and wouche.
b. To have wough: to be in the wrong.
c. 1205. Lay., 3327. Leiuedi þu haues mochel wouh. Ibid., 5043. Þu hauest woh & [he] haued riht.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 54. Me leoue sire, þu hauest wouh.
c. 1275. Passion of our Lord, 332, in O. E. Misc., 46. Seye þu me soþ, Yf þu ert gywene kyng oþer hi habbeþ woh.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 1531. Þai seiȝen he hadde þe riȝt, Þe steward hadde þe wouȝ.
c. 1400. Solomon’s Bk. Wisd., 284. Ac so wys clerk ne worþ þer non, Þat ne schal haue to don ynouȝ, fforto disputen aȝeins hym þeiȝ he haue þe wouȝ.
c. Mid or with wough: wrongfully. (OE. also on wóh.)
c. 885. Ælfred’s Will, in Birch, Cartul., II. 177. Þæt ic mine mæʓecild oððe yldran oððe ʓingran mid wo fordemde.
c. 960. Laws Edgar, II. iv. & se þe oðerne mid woʓe forseggan wile, þæt he [etc.].
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 29. Þas ruperes and þas reueres þet nemeð oðres monnes eahte mid wohe.
c. 1205. Lay., 24811. Of Frolle þan kinge, þat þu mid woȝe at Paris asloȝe.
a. 1240. Lofsong, in O. E. Hom., I. 205. Summe tide ich habbe iheued of oðer monnes mid woh.
c. 1290. Beket, 1239, in S. Eng. Leg., 142. [They] tolden þe kinge of al þe wo þat seint thomas hadde with wouȝ.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 161. Herode kyng wit wogh For crist sak þe childer slogh.
13[?]. Guy Warw., 5080. Ich on of hem þat he toke, he slouȝ, Were it wiþ rizt, were it wiþ wouȝ.
[c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 4806. Wiþ gode riȝt & no wouȝ.]
d. Without(en) wough: truly.
13[?]. Guy Warw., 6876. Ich it seye, wiþouten wouȝ.
c. 1400. Merlin, 1415 (Kölbing). Herkneþ alle, wiþ owte wouȝh, Y schal ȝow telle, why y louȝh.
14[?]. Sir Beues (S.), 2135. Certes, madame, with out wowȝ.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 1172. Suche virtuose werkus he wolde welle do Fulle sotelyche wt-owte ony wothe [rhyme bothe] Ibid., 2100.
c. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 1638. Withe Syr mador, with-outen woughe, Full sone acordement gon they make.
