# oyez

> English word · Interjection · IPA /ˈəʊˌjeɪ/

## Definitions
1. Hear ye. Attend. (Called by public criers or in court usually three times to secure silence and/or attentiveness).

## Etymology
From Middle English oyes, from Old French oyez, the imperative plural of oir (“hear; listen”), from Latin audīre.
Commonly folk-etymologized as (and pronounced homophonously to) O + yes in the early modern period.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/oyez