Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WALLY, n. Also wallie, wallet. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. valet. See W, letter, 5.

1. As in Eng., a personal servant or attendant. Phr. wally-de-sham, -shang, wall-i'-the-chamber, valet-de-chambre, id.; also a crony, a close companion (Abd. 1921, -shang).Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxvii.:
I'm the Captain's wallie now.Slk. 1822 Hogg Three Perils of Man (1972) xxvii.:
A flunkey, or a wall-i'-the-chamber, as the Frenchman ca' it. . . . What's the great ill o' keeping a wally?Ayr. 1834 Galt Liter. Life III. 107:
The exciseman had been a wally-de-sham to my lord's brother.

2. A neat person of small stature, commonly used as a term of endearment (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 206, wallet).