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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

New-calf(f)it, -callit, -cald, -call, Neucle, Newckit, ppl. a. Also: new-calvit, -calwit, -callowit, -cla(l)fit, -cawit; new-calft, -calt; newcauld, nukhald; newkall, -kell, newckell, neucall, nucall, nuccull, nucle; nickat, nikket. [New adv. B 1; Calfit a. Also in mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dial.]

1. Of cows: Newly calved, having calved.As distinguished from ferrow (= giving milk the second year after calving), tidy (= in calf) and ȝeild (= barren).(a) 1489 Acta Conc. I. 114/1.
xij new calfit ky, price of the pece xxx s. 1550 Black Bk. Taymouth 406.
Sex new calffit kye 1558 Inverness Sheriff Ct. MS. 61.
[They] slew and distroyit xxiiij new calwit ky, trocht the quhilk the calwis thair of deyt 1566 Kinnaird Farm Bk. 51.
Newclalfit ky Ib.
Newclafit ky 1567 Edinb. Test. I. 49.
Sex new calfit ky with thair followaris 1581 Ib. IX. 76.
Ten new calvit ky 1589 Kinnaird Farm Bk. 73 b.
Newcawit ky 1594 Black Bk. Taymouth 268. 1610 Dunblane Test. III. 115.
Thrie ȝeir auld newcalfit ky 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 145.
Scho wald not geue you ane soup milk of ane new callowit kow 1650 Boyd Fam. P. 1 Apr.
On stane butter out of ilke new calvit kow(b) 1492 H. Marwick Orkney Farm-names 197.
That evir ilk new callit cow payit half a lisp. butter ȝerly 1611 Dunblane Test. III. 152 b.
Of newcallit ky viij pryce of the peice … x lib.(c) 1556 Reg. Cupar A. II. 261.
For euirilk kow thair beis fund new calt … twa stane and ane haulf of cheis … and ane vele nureist calf 1573 Edinb. Test. III. 28 b.
Sevin ky new calft(d) 1532 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 162 (18 June).
Ane sufficient kowe, viz. ane nukhald … with the stirk 1533 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 103.
Ane newcald kow 1544 Lochleven Compt. Bk. 15 (6 June).
Newcald 1554 M. Napier Mem. J. Napier 43.
Of newcauld ky xij ky 1575 Edinb. Test. IV. 10 b.
Foure ky tua new cald & tua forrow 1598 Dunblane Test. III. 1 b. 1630 Monteith Stewartry Ct. (15 July).
Sauld be the said Jon Wrycht to the said Jon Quheytheid as ane newcald kow was ȝeld 1636 Argyll Sas. II. 183.
[Of which 30 are to be in milk, that is] new cald ky 1670 Argyll Justic. Rec. I. 9.
Ane other black newcald kow of four yeirs old(e) 1564–75 Ham. & Camp. Test. I. 5 b.
Thre ky ane of thaim newcall ane vther forrow the thrid ȝeild 1569 Edinb. Test. I. 359.
Ten new call ky with thair calfis 1593 Ib. XXV. 120 b.
Fyve newkall ky price of the pece viij li. 1636 Galloway P. 21 Apr.
Tuentie … kythe ane halff thairof fearow and the vther halff nuccull 1636 Black Bk. Taymouth 425.
As also two neucle kye 1636 Edinb. Test. LVII. 370.
Nucall kow 1642 Dumfries Test. I. 103 b.
xviij newckell key and xiij ȝeill nolt 1657 Boyd Fam. P. No. 235 (7 Dec.).
With thrie tydie ky ane newcall kow and ane calf a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
A nucle kowe is a kow that is new calv'd and gives milk ? 1666 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 8.
Ten neucall key pryce of the peice £10 Scots … Item fyve forrow key 1670 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct.) 20 July.
Fiftein newkell keyne and callwes 1675 Ib. (Reg. H.) 13 May.
Sevin milk kay and followers almost all newcall(f) 1543 Lochleven Compt. Bk. 14 b (25 Apr.).
xij nickat ky, ij ferrow ky and thre ald ȝeld ky 1546 Ib. 16 b (15 June).
ix nikket ky and of tham ane qwy of the first calf 1594 Brechin Test. I. 121.
Ane newckit kow tene merkis

2. Of a calf: Newly born. 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 143.
Thow … keist a grene truff … and laid the new calffit calff theirvpon