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.
Quotation dates: 1531-1586
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Cowartry, Cowardrye, n. Also: cowartre, couardry. [e.m.E. cowardrie, -ry (a 1547).] Cowardice. 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. cxi.
Be thair sleuth and cowartre 1531 Ib. II. 95.
Lat nevir your fais have glore be your cowartry 1533 Id. Livy II. 30/14.
Quhen the capitanis had reprochit thame a litill of thare cowartry a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xlvii. 96.
Sua that na man find cowardrye Nother in thy hart nor in thy hand (c 1580) Alex. ii. 4373.
Do we neuer na couardry!
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"Cowartry n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 20 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/cowartry>
