prep. and adv. Also 3–5 forbi, (5 for be), 5–6 foreby, (7 forbay, 9 forebye). [f. FOR- adv. or prep. + BY. Cf. Du. voorbij, Ger. vorbei; also (from Ger.) Sw. förbi, Da. forbi.]
A. prep.
1. Of position: Hard by, near. Obs. exc. Sc.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. ii. 54.
| As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight | |
| Flowne at a flush of Ducks, foreby the brooke, | |
| The trembling foule dismayd with dreadfull sight | |
| Of death, the which them almost ouertooke, | |
| Doe hide themselues from her astonying looke. |
1858. M. Porteous, ‘Souter Johnny,’ 11. The Smith … Had … his snug abode Forbye his smiddy.
2. Of motion: Past; close by. Obs. exc. arch. In early use following the obj.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20883 (Cott.).
| A ded he quickend wit his schade | |
| Quils þat he him for-bi glad. |
13[?]. K. Alis., 5484.
| Alisaunder cometh upon his mule, | |
| Bishiten and bydagged foule; | |
| His mules sides al blody, | |
| And flyngeth gode skowr hem forby. |
c. 1386. Chaucer, Doctor’s T., 125. Sche cam forby ther the juge stood.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 5747.
| Thurgh the helme the spere yode, | |
| And euen forbi the visage glode. |
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. clvii. 191. They passed foreby the frenchmens busshment, and was nat ware of them.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. i. 15.
| All suddenly out of thickest brush, | |
| Vpon a milk-white Palfrey all alone, | |
| A goodly Ladie did foreby them rush, | |
| Whose face did seeme as cleare as Christall stone, | |
| And eke through feare as white as whales bone. |
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. 316.
| Through the fair day she went on toward the sea, | |
| For by the port. |
3. fig. † a. In preference to, before, beyond. Obs. † b. In transgression of. Obs.–1
a. a. 1300. Cursor M., 13312 (Cott.).
| To petre þat he pouerest fand, | |
| Of all he mad him mast weldand, | |
| For-bi all his oþer feris, | |
| Mast priuelege he gaf to peris. |
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 26.
| Men sais in Lyncoln castelle ligges ȝit a stone | |
| Þat Haueluk kast wele forbi euer ilkone. |
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxiii. 107. Sutell of witte towchand any thing þat þai will do, forby any oþer folk of þe werld.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 4930. To take ffleshe of thi wombe for be othere wymmen alle.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3988. For-bi min red, quað ðu non del.
† 4. Beside, in comparison with. Also, by way of distinction from. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 27364 (Cott.).
| Hu soft it her es for to mend | |
| Forbi þat pine wit-vten end. |
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), vii. 25. Þat es þe cause þat þai er so gude chepe þare, forby in oþer places. Ibid., xxii. 101. Wymmen of þat cuntree þat er weddid beres crownes apon þaire heuedes, þat þai may be knawen by forby þaim þat er vnweddid.
5. Besides; not to mention. Only north. or arch.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot., XIII. xvi. Forby thir thre erllis and lord foresaid.
1637–50. Row, The History of the Kirk of Scotland (1842), 108. Twenty-four ministers chosen assessors, forby [besides] elders.
1676. W. Row, Contin. Blair’s Autobiog., x. (1848), 272. The special causes were, forby the confession of sins to beg a blessing to the King that he might be directed of God in the weighty affairs.
1817. Lady L. Stuart, in Scott, Fam. Lett., 11 Jan. (1894), I. xiii. 404. Indeed, forbye the young, I have met with an established Blue-stocking who had never heard of Sir William Temple, and seemed only just to have found out there was once such a person as Lady Russell.
1879. Browning, Ned Bratts, 17.
| Of a reek with laying down the law in a furnace. Why? | |
| Because their lungs breathed flame—the regular crowd forbye— | |
| From gentry pouring in—quite a nosegay, to be sure! |
1894. Crockett, Raiders, x. 69. Now there have been many things said against that wondrous Dutchman, and no doubt he had many a sin on his soul, forbye murder in all its different degrees; but there are two things that no one could ever lay to his charge—that Yawkins was either coward or bad sailor.
¶ 6. = BY 28.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. xi. 17.
| He tooke her vp forby the lilly hand, | |
| And her recomforted the best he might. |
B. adv. 1. Of motion: a. Aside.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 286. He turned not forbi for leue ne for loth.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 3361.
| Ac a little forbi he smot | |
| His hors he hit, God it wot. |
a. 1800. Brown Adam, viii., in Scott, Minstr. Scot. Bord. (1802), II. 18.
| When he cam to his ladye’s bour door, | |
| He stude a little forebye; | |
| And there he heard a fou’ fause knight | |
| Tempting his gaye ladye. |
b. Along, past. Now rare. Also, fig. † To go forby: to be passed over or slighted.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 110. Right ȝede þer forby, þe barons did no skille.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 344.
| Bot I | |
| Will let fele of thame pas [forby]. |
1423. Jas. I., Kingis Q., xxx.
| Unto the wyndow gan I walk In hye, | |
| To se the warld and folk that went forby. |
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, cxvi. 413. He salutyd them in passynge forby, but they made none answere.
1862. W. W. Story, Roba di Roma (1864), I. v. 78. Some one or other may have known one of them for her true-love ‘by his cockle hat and staff, and his sandal shoon,’ that time has been long forbye, unless they are wondrously disguised.
2. Besides, in addition.
1590. J. Burel, in Watson, Collect. Scots Poems, II. (1709), 14.
| That company quha did espy, | |
| The mater wes magnificall, | |
| The other Burgissis forby, | |
| Wer cled in thair pontificall. |
1724. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 25.
| Forby, how sweet the numbers chyme, | |
| And slide away like water. |
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poet. Wks. (1846), 77.
| Yet fame his praise did never rair it, | |
| For poortith’s weeds obscur’d his merit, | |
| Forby, he had a bashfu’ spirit. |
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, xii. There are the bairns forby, the children and the hope of Appin, that must be learned their letters and how to hold a sword, in that far country.
