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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Fallow, Falow, n. Also: falaw(e, falowe, falou; fallowe, fallou, fallov, fallo; fawlou. [e.m.E. fellow(e, ME. felow(e, felaw(e, felaȝe, OE. féolaᵹa, from ON. félage. The Sc. forms are unusual in having a for e in the first syllable (as in the rare ME. fala), and -ow in the ending in place of -aw (as in ME. felawe, felaw). See also Follow n.]

1. An associate, companion, comrade.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xix. 417.
To thé … That suthly is … Ded in this warld, of fend falow Ib. xxxviii. 142.
That he the warld suld despit … & frend and falouys c1420 Wynt. vii. 2034.
Till oure Kyng Willame he … wes Luwyd falow in dedys off prowes 1456 Hay I. 240/1.
The ox may nocht wele drawe in the pleuche bot gif he have a falowe c1460 Wisd. Sol. 559.
Wa is hyme that is hyme alan, but a falow with hyme 1483 Acta Conc. II. p. cxviii.
The some of vj li. for the quhilk he come dettour to him (as falowe and procuratour for Honoferus Jacobi Dini)(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 200.
Quhat gert thé departe … Fra fallouys that in presone lay c1450-2 Howlat 11.
Withoutin fallowe or feir I raikit till ane reveir a1500 Bk. Chess 980.
As thrid fallow tuke thai him and brother 1513 Doug. i. vi. 14.
He bot with a fallow furth is gane, With traste Achates 1535 Stewart 7654.
Tha to thé sall curtas be and heind, As thé to hald for fallow and for freind c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4684.
Cardinalis … [that are] Fallowis to princis, and to kyngis

b. With personal pronouns.(a) c1420 Wynt. vii. 2748.
In to the nycht, or day couth dawe, The mwnk thai slwe thare, his falawe [C. falaw](b) a1400 Leg. S. xxiii. 119.
Than Malchus … til his falowys sped hyme fast c1400 Troy-bk. i. 215.
Thus in Colkas … Is enterit Jasone, … With hys falow, schyr Hercules c1420 Wynt. v. 2941.
Oure falowys has lefft the fay That oure eldrys held alway Ib. viii. 2546.
Sum off thare falowys thare ware slayne 1456 Hay I. 116/26.
He that strykis his falow but caus resonable, aw to tyne his hede c1475 Wall. vi. 416.
His dum falow led hym on to thair ost 1502 Prestwick B. Rec. 37.
Cuthbert Myller as a quarter man is in amerciment … , & his falouys in quarter, ilkane seuiralie a1570-86 Maitl. F. xlvii. 91.
Thy falow or thy freynd Quhame with thow hapnis for to wend(c) 1375 Barb. vi. 631.
The twa that saw … Thair fallow fall, effrayit var c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2527.
Five hundreth ware drowned quyte Of my fallowis c1420 Wynt. viii. 6795.
Quhen thai … Saw thare fallow sa him wythdraw 1490 Irland Mir. I. 87/32.
The hie state that he and his marowis and fallouis had tynt 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 111.
Of our fallowis to me come twa pair Ib. iv. vii. 26.
I … maid him my fallow in this ryng 1531 Bell. Boece II. 354.
About this time was the waithman, Robert Hode, with his fallow, Litil Johne 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 239.
Forȝet not Boyd of Glasgou vas his fallou 1587-99 Hume Ep. G. Montcreif 114.
How few regards … Their fallowes los 1622-6 Bisset II. 248/1.
The maryner … amending the trespas at the verdeit of his fallowes(d) a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 184.
Consel thane tane haf thai Of thare fawlouys(e) 1531 Bell. Boece I. 17.
That none of thame waver fra thair fallois Id. Livy I. 146/17.
He swam throw the river … to his fallois

c. Used as a term of address. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 616.
Falou, parde, Richt wondir lyk til hyme is he c1420 Wynt. viii. 2562.
Lordis, falowys, and maystris, now Wyth stout hart … Settis agayne this ane assay c1475 Wall. ix. 1196.
Than Wallace said, ‘Fallowis, I mak you knawin’ [etc.] a1500 Doug. K. Hart 493.
Abyd, abyd, gud fallow, … Len me thy cloke to gys me for ane quhyle 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 155.
Now, gude fallowis, harkin quhat I say to yow

d. A consort. 1512 Reg. Privy S. I. 369/2.
In his continuale service with his hienes and his derest fallow the quene 1526 Reg. Soltre 93.
Landis … gewin to ws be wmquhill King James the secund and his fallow Quene Marye 1538 Crim. Trials I. 251.
His derrest fallow the Queene

2. a. An equal. c1450-2 Howlat 913.
So fair is my fetherem I haf no falowe c1475 Wall. x. 140.
Thow thinkis nan her at suld thi falow be a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 44.
He fand na fallow in sic felicite c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 298.
We na fallowis wer in frendschip and blude a1578 Pitsc. I. 25/23.
He thocht na man … micht be his fallow or companioun

b. An opponent. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 58/9.
This horaciane had slane his fallow Ib. 139/17.
Nane of thame tuke regarde … bot alanerlie to wound thare fallow

c. An equivalent amount. 1428 Acts II. 15/1.
Of thair rents, ilk punde sal be vtheris fallowe to the contribution of the said costes

d. A counterpart. 1559 Sadler State P. & Lett. (1809) I. 458.
And yf ather realme chances to have maa billis fylit nor the other sal have, sic billis to be deliverit without fallow

3. A member of a society or gild. 1456 Hay I. 29/17.
The college of prelatis, and otheris falowis and nychbouris of the kirk 1475 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 32.
Gif he be worthy to be a fallow he sall pay half a merk to the alter Ib.
To be maid freman and fallow 1599 Montgomery Mem. 240.
That na maister or fallow of craft ressaue ony cowanis to wirk in his societie or cumpany

4. A male person, esp. one of the common sort.(a) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1424.
Off yhung falowys thai gat thame wyth Ane lychthewyddyd company a1500 Rauf C. 54.
Thow semis ane nobill fallow Ib. 592.
Quhat kin a fallow was that ane … ? 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 277.
Giffin to the falow that fand the hurd 1505 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 107.
Ony maner of vagabounds, young fallowis or young husis, haffand na prettik nor seruice to life upon 1529 Ib. II. 14.
Dauid Cristeson is banist this tovne because he is ane young stark fallow … and will nocht wirk for his leving 1549 Compl. 182/24.
Quhen he persauit that the cordonar was ane astuce subtel falou … , he gart hang hym a1578 Pitsc. II. 105/26.
Beleiwand that thai had beine bot husbandmen and fallowis and knew nocht thay war gentillmen 1587-99 Hume Ep. G. Montcreif 289.
Flattering fallowis oft ar mair regarded 1610 Douglas Corr. 247.
The King was slane … be ane dispairet fallow(b) 1536 Bell. Boece, p. ii.
Ane … of gud fallois comptis nocht ane bene 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII. 386.
To ane baird fallo callit Hercules 1553 Ib. X. 165.
To ane fallo that justifyit ane man … afore the Tolbuith a1568 Sat. P. xlviii. 11.
Semely hewis for sommer play; Dun dippit in ȝello ffor mony gud fallo