Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quailȝe, Qualȝe, n. Also: quailye, -ȝie, qualye, -ȝie, qwallie, quelye. [Sc. form of Quaill n., OF quaille.]

1. The bird allied to the partridge, the quail.(a) ?1438 Alex. i 627.
Now be we sparhalkis and thay quailȝeis [: failȝeis] Ib. 443. 1506 Treas. Acc. III 278, 387 (see Fesand n.). 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 528.
Quailyis 1553 Edinb. B. Rec. II 185.
The best quailye iiij d., the dotrell iij d. 1603 Philotus 162.
Ane pertrick and ane quailȝie get 1621 Acts IV 628/2.
In buying & selling of … termigantis quailȝeis caperkailȝeis etc.(b) 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 529.
For a ferlot grotis and a firlot quheit to the qualyeis 1525 Household Bks. Jas. V App. 7. 1541 Treas. Acc. VII 451.
To twa boyis that passit to Striveling witht thre dosan quik qualȝeis 1551 Acts II 484/1.
The snype and qualȝie … ij d. 1597 Stirling Palace Larder Bk. MS.
Qualȝe 1617 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 384.
27 dissoune qwallies(c) 1550 Reg. Privy C. I 95.
Snype, quelye … ij d.

2. ? The corn-crake. (As also in mod. Eng. (Leicest.) dialect.) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1779 (Bann.).
And als the qualȝe [v.rr. quailȝe] crakand in the corne