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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ȝow, Yow, Ȝew, n. Also: ȝowe, yowe, yhow, (ȝowy), ȝou(e, you, yoow, yoaw, ȝoh, ȝoy, yoll, ȝeow, yeow(e, ȝew, yew, yeu, yhaw, ȝ(e)own. [ME and e.m.E. ouwe (a1300), yow (Chaucer), ewe (Wyclif), yoo (?a1400), yew (1562), yeow(e (1578), yeaw (1587), OE eowu, MDu. oie.] A female sheep, a ewe. Also in fig. context, proverb., attrib. and possess. See also Keb n.¹ attrib. for further examples.(a) 1474 Acta Aud. 34/2.
For xviij ȝowis iiij s. the pece a1500 Henr. Fab. 1068.
Swa come the ȝow, the mother off the lam 1492–3 Acta Conc. I 289/2.
For the proffit of the mylknes of the said iiij^xx of ȝowis be the said thre ȝeris xlviij stane of cheis 1510 Alloway Baron Ct. 4 June (see Dinmont n. (1)). 1513 Doug. v xiii 22.
A blak ȝowe 1513 Doug. vi iv 28.
Ene him self a ȝow was blak of flece Brittnnyt with hys sword in sacrifice 1522 Acta Conc. MS XXXIII 63.
The … pasturing of ane hundretht mylk ȝowis 1522 Fife Sheriff Ct. 262.
x rouch ȝowis wytht thar lammys price of the pece viij s. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 335 (see Ȝeld(e adj. 2 a). 1532–8 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. vi (Young v. Seytoun).
The proffittis of the saidis lviij ȝowis … extending in butire & cheis … to vj li. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 49.
Papists and thair foule merchandice For thay … gar the hippis of ane deid ȝow or skin Assolȝe ȝow of all ȝour deidly sin a1568 Bann. MS 93a/19.
Thay leif ws nowdir cow nor ȝow Stirk nor staig 1575 Edinb. Test. III 327b.
xliiij auld draucht ȝowis; price of the pece ourheid xiij s. iiij d. a1605 Montg. Flyt. 67 (T).
Mony ȝeld ȝow thow cald fra ane know 1593 Brechin Test. I 109.
Auchtene scheip, thairof xij ȝowis 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Bothna (see Bowcht n.). 1606 Inverurie B. Ct. 21 ?
The haill ȝowis to be putt to the commone hird(b) 1483 Acta Conc. II cvii.
viij^c yowis and viij^c yeld scheip 1498–9 Acta Conc. II 302.
[Twelve score of scheep,] weddris and yowis 1501 Exch. R. XI 299.
Ovibus matricibus vocatis yowis 1529 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 101.
Ane furlat of ry and ane firlat of ait mell for twa yowes [MS ȝowes] that he sauld hyme 1531 Bell. Boece I li.
The yowis of this cuntre [sc. Orkney] hes ay two lammis, or ellis thre at anis 1595 Skene in Misc. Stair Soc. I 144.
Everie fyve yowis will yeild tua stanes of cheis with lambe and woll accustumat 1598 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 355.
That na scheip yowis or lambes be inbrocht … efter Patrikmes yeirlie a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 69.
A yow goes eighteen owlks with lambe a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 69 (see Pap n.¹ 2).(c) 1483 Acta Aud. *123/2.
Ȝou 1549 Compl. 66/32.
Ȝouis 1598 Misc. Spald. C. I 126.
Thow tuk the haill substance of the mylk, of my lordis ky and youis 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 370.
Youes(d) 1519 Wigtown B. Ct. 94a.
Ȝois 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I 7.
Tway ȝoyis & lammis(e) c1590 Fowler I 269/9.
As Virgo may with Gemini bewar Quhase yoaw will stryde if Aries be nar(f) 1622 Hawick Ann. 225.
Yoows(g) 1499 Douglas Chart. 171.
Fergus Stele, Thom the Grahame [etc.] … whilk … keped thaire yollis in the Bromeholm(h) 1569–70 Inverness Rec. I 183.
Yeowe 1610 Brechin Test. III 131b.
Ȝeowis 1611 Fam. Rose 300.
In the maynes of Nairne … of yeowes with lambes fyve scoir 1617 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 232.
Yeowis(i) 1572–3 Elgin Rec. I 136.
The pryce of ane ȝew xij s. vj d. 1587 Berw. Nat. C. XXVIII 93.
Yewes 1595 Misc. Spald. C. II 129.
Yew 1596 Dalr. I 19/3.
The scheip … ar litle, and hornes thay beir lyke rames; bot the ȝewis twa, thrie, or four, and the ramis at sum tymes sax 1621 Brechin Test. IV 7.
Ȝewis 1631 Orkney Bp. Ct. 80.
Yew 1636 Galloway P. 21 April.
Ȝewis 1647 Edinb. Test. LXIII 264b.
Yew 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVI a 75.
Ȝewes 1657 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 152.
Yew 1662 Brechin Test. VI 211b.
Yeus 1679 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 302 (20 May).
Yew(j) 1574 Hawick Ann. 32.
Mylk yhawis with their lambs 21 d.(k) c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus Prol. 54.
The watter is comparit to the ȝown Soft, blait and blunt of curagon 1556 Perth Guildry 302 (18 June).
He … coft … certane ȝowng ȝeownis(l) 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I 12.
Ȝowyfig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 113/24.
The tod wes reid the lame wes quhyte; Scho wes ane morsall of delyte He lovit na ȝowis auld tuch and sklender 1528 Lynd. Dreme 903.
The gude hird … Doith so that all his flokis ar rewlit rycht … So ar thay sure, baith ȝowis, lambis, & hoggis 1572 Sat. P. xxxiii 223.
I find, sensyne the ȝow hes borne the bell, Wyfis maisters bene in geuing haill counsell To lords and lairdsproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1706) 274.
It is a silly flock where the yow bears the bell a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS App. 127.
Ryde the yow quha will, the lamb salbe myne a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1073.
Loved he not muttoun weill, that likit quhair the yow lay a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1773.
Ye are a trim man and it were to beare a banner before a blind yowattrib. (1) 1513–14 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 277.
Ȝou lammys 1566 (1583–4) Reg. Great S. 208/2.
Pastura lie yow-flokkis sive aliarum ovium quarumcunque de Pawinshill 1574 Edinb. Test. III 202 (see Lambing(-tyme) n.). 1576 Crail B. Ct. 5 June.
Ane ȝow scheipe 1587 Edinb. Test. XVII 250.
Four ȝow hogis 1589 St. A. Test. II 123 (see Hog n. attrib.). 1625 Brechin Test. IV 215b.
Tua ȝew sheip 1673 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 344.
Ane yew lamb 1678 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 31 Dec.
Ane yew hogg(2) 1456 Hay II 137/17.
Thare is ane othir kynde of flesche as bef, and yhow mutoun [etc.] 1549 Compl. 42/35.
Thai maid grit cheir of euyrie sort of mylk, baytht of ky mylk & ȝoue mylk 1588 Crim. Trials I ii 164.
The bischop of Sanct Androus had mony seiknesses … and baid hir mak ane saw … and siclyke gaif her directiounis to vse the ȝow mylk or waidraue with the herbis [etc.] 1620 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 52.
Tua oxin hydes & thrie ȝow hyidis(3) 1560–1 Rec. Earld. Orkney 264.
Twa merk land … lyand within the towne of Grymbuster … togydder with ane ȝowe wortht of land mair in Grymbuster and ane ȝow wortht of land in Holland in the parochin of Firthtpossess. a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
When they sett the yowis milk for silver, they pay for the milk of everie yowe in the year a mark