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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Waw, Wall(e, Wey, n.¹ Also: wau, wal(l, waigh, way, vo, wo. Pl. also wavys, veyes. [ME and e.m.E. weye (?c1300), waw(e (1316, north), waugh (1399), wegh (1443), way (1542-3), waigh(e (1638), OE wǽg, MDu. MLG wage, med. L. waga.] a. A measure of weight used with iron, wax (fat, etc.), cheese and wool. b. A measure of weight of salt. c. Only Shetland: A measurement, prob. of weight, of fish. [Prob. directly f. ON vág, f. Germ. wage (Cleasby et. al.), Norw. våg.] 1321 Dunferm. Ann. 119.]
[[Forty shillings sterling … in honour of the Holy Virgin Mary … in her chapel … one] waga [of wax, to burn solemnly]a. 1370 Coldingham Priory lxi.
In uno wau ferri c1420 Bute MS 175a.
Qwhen the waw is worth xiiii mark & aferdpart than the waw is worth iii lib. iii s. & ix d. sterlyngys [etc.] 1428 Exch. R. IV 437.
Pro viginti wawys et undecim petris ferri 1429 Exch. R. IV 508.
In sex wavys una petra … ferri 14.. Acts I 304/2.
Of a waw [L. vaga] of wol that is to say half a sek, twa peniis 14.. Acts I 305/2.
Of wax at the entre nathyng bot of ilk waw [L. uaga] at the oute passyng aucht peniis gyf it be weyit be wawys and gyf it be weyit be stanys of ilk stane … a peny 14.. Acts I 305/2.
Of a waw [L. vaga] of grese, sayme, or oyle a peny 1435 Exch. R. IV 606.
Pro centum … waw ferri Hispanie 1435 Exch. R. IV 627.
Pro quinque waws et quatuor petris ferri 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 493.
xl dyis irne weyand iiij wawis 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 56b.
Ane waw sould conteine twelue stane(b) c1390-1434 Sc. Merchandise (ed.) 115.
xxx nayle makis the walle & ij walle makis the sec 1482 Acta Aud. 109/1.
The saide Johne Kennedy for the wrangwis spoliatioune … of a feder bed … a wal of irne 1482–3 Acta Conc. II cxv.
Wall 1484 Acta Aud. 138*/2.
xiij wall & five stane of Holland cheis 1499 Halyb. 225.
Ane [sc. sack of wool] weyand vj wall xvj naill. The tother [etc.] 1531 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 59.
Ane greit bund plait and … contenand in wecht xxxiii stanis ix lib. viz. tua wallis ix stanis and ix lib. maid in irne werk 1547 Treas. Acc. IX 114.
Ane barrell of Oismound irne and ane wall of Spanȝe irneb. 1637 Rep. Maxwell-Stuart Mun. 25.
Above tuo thousand waighs of salt 1670 Wemyss in Sc. Diaries 129.
I give him for frought 14 shillings starling & six pens for every way of salt he shall mette outt att Lundon(b) 1645 Army of the Covenant I 236.
One wey of salte … [£4] 1693 Fountainhall Decis. I 545.
800 veyes of saltc. 1612 Shetland Rental (SRO) E 41/3.
Nesting [etc.] … payis [various scats and rents] … with ane wo of fisch 1628 Shetland Rental (SRO) E 41/7.
Item for Greifskerrie ane vo of fish at £1 4 s.