Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MAILLIE, n. A general term for a ewe or a pet name for a favourite one, prob. deriv. from Burns's The Death and Dying Words of Poor Mailie. [′mele]Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 114:
When lasses to the loan do hie, To milk and feed their mailies.Kcb. 1883 G. Murray Sarah Rae 43:
And featly now the fleece we row That they from Maillie strip.Kcb. 1907 Gallovidian No. 33. 31:
She ca'd hame the maillies, an' milked them forbye.

Hence mailie, malae, malie, and corrupt form merley, calls to cows, sheep or lambs (Uls. a.1908 Traynor (1953), mailie, mailie; Dmf. 1933–5 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 326).