Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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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.

Caf(f, Calf, n. Also: cafe, caffe, caiff, cauf; calfe, calve. [Northern ME. caf, caffe, ONhb. *cæf, OE. ceaf.] Chaff.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1845 (B).
Into this caffe scraip quhill ȝour nailis bleid Ib. 1888.
This carll … Sawand this caff 1473 Reg. Cupar. A. I. 171.
Half a chalder of horscorn … the caf purgit cleyn fra it Ib. 181.
The cafe cleyn tane fra it 1477 Ib. 206.
Four bollis of atis … , the kaf clangit fra thame 1508 Ib. 280.
Ane bol of horse corne, … the caff clene clengit away 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 155.
Quhy the corn hes the caf 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3531.
Thy words war nather corne nor caiff 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1383.
Quhair thay best culd … clenge the caffe out fra the corne 1562-3 Winȝet II. 53/6.
The wecht of the corne and lychtnes of the caf 1572 Inverness B. Rec. I. 211.
Quhilk horse has … deit … efter thai had giffin him caff and draff efter the watter 1581 Burne Disput. 141.
Als licht as … caff quhilk is blauin auay vith the vind a1598 Ferg. Prov. 6 b.
Every land hes the lauch, and everie corne hes the caffe Ib. 14.
Kings caff is worth other mens corne 1602 Colville Parænese 29.
As a barn or stak vharin doth appear no thing outvardly bot caf and stra(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1837 (B).
Thir small birdis seand the calf was gled 1572 Sat. P. xxxviii. 95.
So weid the calf from the corn 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 122 b.
Ane barne in the quhilk the calf and corne ar heipit to gidder a1585 Maitl. Q. lxvi. 57.
He randers calf for my gud solid graine 1667 Melrose R. Rec. II. 172.
[21 threaves of bear straw] with the calfe 1695 Foulis Acc. Bk. 174.
For bear calfe to the kye

b. Attrib. with bed, bouster, midding, shovel. 1574 Edinb. Test. III. 81; 1582 Ib. XI. 210 b.
Ane fedder bed … ane calf bed 1586 St. A. Test. II. 53 b.
Twa caff beddis and ane nap bed 1605 Edinb. Test. XL. 205 b.
Sevin furneist beddis of fethers … thrie calff beddis 1607 Melrose R. Rec. I. 28.
William Ker … is decerneit to pay … xx s for ane cauf bede 1626 Edinb. Test. LIII. 255 b.
Tua fedder bedis … thrie caff bedis 1675 Old Edinb. Club Bk. VI. 129.
Ane fether bed, three calfe beds 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 365.
A calve bed. A feather bouster — 1582 Edinb. Test. XI. 210 b.
Ane … calf bouster with ane pair of scheittis 1615 Haddington Corr. 292.
Of feddar boustaris, ij; of calf boustars, iij 1634 Edinb. Test. LVI. 245.
Twa calff beddis, twa calff bousteris — c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 355.
The cappill, that the crelis kest in the caf mydding — 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 362.
An iron calve shivell