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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HAWKIE, n. Also hawk(e)y, hacky, -ie, haukie, -y. [′hǫ:ke, ′hɑ:ke]

1. A cow with a white face (Sc. 1808 Jam., hawkey); also a gen. term for any cow or a pet name for a favourite one (Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shepherd ii. iii., 1825 Jam.; Kcb.¹ a.1940; Ags., Knr. 1956). Gen.Sc., but now mostly liter. Attrib. in comb. hawkie fare, milk.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 54:
Twa Herds between them coft a Cow: Driving her hame, the needfu' Hacky.Ags. 1750 Meikle Miln Roup Roll MS.:
A Quey, Hauky. To said John Nicoll. . . £14. 18.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (1925) 41:
Niest the gudewife her hireling damsels bids Glowr thro' the byre, and see the hawkies bound.Ayr. 1786 Burns To the Deil x.:
An' dawtet, twal-pint Hawkie's gane As yell's the Bill.Slk. 1807 Hogg Poems (1874) 92:
Troth, gudeman, our wee bit hawkie Twice had raised the hungry croon.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxvii.:
The troopers of Tullietudlem took the red cow and auld Hackie.Dmf. 1823 J. Kennedy Poems 124:
The Hawkeys and Branies feed sweet on the lee.Ags. 1893 F. Mackenzie Cruisie Sk. viii.:
She's as bonny a hawkie as ye'll get i' the country-side.Abd. 1904 W.A. G. Farquhar Fyvie Lintie 48:
A welcome warm and hawkie fare Was our reward at blithe Inkhorn.Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae French 26:
Its value a haukie an' cauf wull syne buy.

Phr.: hurly hawkie, a call to cows at milking-time (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 256, Gall. 1956). See Hurly, int.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 257:
And ay she cries “Hurly Hawkie. “String awa, my crommies, to the milking loan, “Hurly, Hurly, Hawky.”

†2. Fig. uses: (1) a stupid fellow (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems, Gl., hawkey).Sc. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 57:
Be gane frae me, ye dozent hawkie, Gae hame an' wooe some country gawkie.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 58:
I'll easy put anither wafer in Sae close yon hawky bubble winna ken.

(2) A prostitute.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 53:
Whan, han'-for-nieve, the haukies stan' Wha live by dissipation.

(3) Comb.: brown hawkie, a cant term for a barrel of ale (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Cf. brown cow, id. (Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. iii. ii.), and broon coo, s.v. Broon, 3. and Suppl.Kcb. 1810 R. H. Cromek Remains 81:
But we drank the gude brown hawkie dry.

3. The coot, Fulica atra, from the white mark on its face.Per. 1894 Trans. Slg. Nat. Hist. Soc. 175:
The coot bears on his forehead a shield pure white in colour. . . . We called it the Hawkie in my boyhood in Perthshire.