Oyezes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. A formal cry used to call attention in a courtroom or public assembly; a proclamation inviting silence and attention before proceedings begin; a traditional announcement made by a town crier or herald to command order and alert the audience
2. An official call to order made loudly and clearly to summon people to listen in legal or public settings; a recognized proclamation signaling the start of formal events; the customary shout used to gain silence and focus before public announcements
3. A loud declaration issuing a command for quiet and attention in judicial or ceremonial contexts; an established call made by a crier to announce the opening of proceedings; a customary vocal summons requesting an audience’s regard and readiness to hear important information

Etymology: "Oyezes" is simply the plural of "oyez", the cry a court crier makes to demand silence before proceedings begin. Its surface look suggests "O yes", a cheerful exclamation, but that is a folk etymology that took hold in the early modern period; the real source is an Old French command. "Oyez" is the imperative plural of "oir", meaning "to hear" or "to listen", so the cry literally tells the crowd to listen up, and it descends from the Latin "audire" with the same sense. Middle English took the word as "oyes", and the modern spelling "oyez" reflects the French form more closely. Because the word is an imperative addressed to several people at once, its plural-looking ending was already part of the command itself, which is why "oyez" is the standard form in ceremonies, and "oyezes" appears only when someone refers to several such calls as separate utterances.

Synonyms: hears, listens, attends, overhears, heeds

Antonyms: ignores, disregards, neglects, overlooks, misses