Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Carsay, Cairsay, n. Also: carsa, -saye, -sey; caresay, -issay, carrisaye; cayr(e)say, cairsey, -sy. [e.m.E. and ME. carsay, -sey, variants of kerseie, kersey (1390), perhaps named from the village of Kersey in Suffolk. See also Kairsay.] Kersey.In later use sometimes in plural form, carsayis, etc.(a) 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 22.
iiij … elne of blew Inglis carsaye for a govne to the King 1483 Acta Aud. *112/1.
A doublat of carsa 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 164.
For x elne … of blanket caresay to be hos to thame 1495 Ib. 257.
Half ane elne of quhite carsay, to be the King a mittane till his sare hand 1500 Halyb. 264.
My brother left with me to be sald to his profyt, … a pak of carsay 1502 Crim. Trials I. 29.
Unius paris galligarum de carissay 1526 Treas. Acc. V. 278.
Ane luveray gevin … to … the Kingis hensmen, with dowblat, hois, lyning and making of ȝallow and reid carrisaye 1537 Acta Conc. MS. IX. 81.
xxiij ellis of quhite carsay 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 237.
vj quartaris of grit carsay 1586 Edinb. Test. XVII. 8.
Ane bed of carsay contenyng threscoir ellis or thairby 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. V. 69.
For five ellis carsaye to be ane coit 1612 Bk. Rates 297.
Desks or lettrones for women to work on, covered with carsayis 1629–30 Misc. Spald. C. V. 147.
For nyne elnes and a quarter of blak carseyis, to cover the drumheidis 1637 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 106.
The tred of making of bredcloath, carseyis, seyis [etc.] 1696 Conv. Burghs IV. 217.
Plaiden, carsays, Scots cloath, stockins [etc.](b) 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 156.
Bocht cayrsay to be x payre schort hoyse to the Dwke Ib. 165.
xj elne of reid cayresay to be ix payre of hoy se 1491 Ib. 174.
For ij elne grene cayrsay, … till a coyt, and the makin of it 1534 Ib. VI. 190.
vj quarteris grene cairsay to be the King ane pair sokkis 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 308.
Ane steik of reid cairsay, contenand fyftene elnis Ib. 309.
Sevintene cairsayis and fyve stekis of uttir fyne 1569 Edinb. Test. I. 250 b.
Twa hundreth … elnis of Galloway cayrsayis 1587 Conv. Burghs I. 269.
Fyvetene solz for ilk quhyte wob, and fourty fyve solz for ilk hundreth cairsy 1622 Ib. III. 124.
Reforming of the deceat croppin in of late in the making and working of plaiding and cairsays Ib. 136.
Galloway cairsayes and plaiding 1635 Edinb. Test. LVII. 56.
Ane hundreth fowr ellis Divinschyre cairsey 1648 Thanes of Cawdor 305.
4½ ells thick cairsay to cover a seddill

b. Attrib. with claith, hois. 1496–7 Acta Conc. II. 53.
Twa pecis of quhite carsay claith 1511 Treas. Acc. IV. 262.
Ane pair red and blew carsay hois