A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1500-1512, 1564-1685
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]
Koy, n. Also: koye. [Var. of Quoy n. Cf. Coy n.2] A heifer, a young cow. Also comb. with stirk. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 142.
Beggand koy and ox 1582 Brechin Testaments I. 71.
v kye … iiij koyis price of the peice xl s. 1587 St. A. Test. II. 89 b.
Ane kow … twa koys price of thame baith vj lib. xiij s. iiij d. 1624 Dumfries Test. I a. 47.
The doddit koy 1631 Brechin Testaments V. 14.
Ane steir and ane koy of tua ȝeir auld 1632 Ib. 78 b.
Tua quoyis pryce [£18], … Item tua ȝerling koyis pryce of the peice v lib. 1664 Ib. VI. 289 b.
Ane kow … tuo koyes 1685 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries LVIII. 368.
Four milk kyne. 2 koyescomb. 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I. 42 b.
Ane thre ȝeir auld stot and ane thre ȝeir auld koye price of the pece l s. … ane ȝeir auld koye stirk price xx s.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Koy n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/koy_n>
