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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Row, v.¹ Also: rowe, rou(e; roll; roy. P.p. also rowin. [ME and e.m.E. rouwe(n (Layamon), rowe(n (c1290), OE rówan.]To row in, to row to shore, in various of the following senses.

1. intr. To ply oars in order to propel a boat; to travel in a boat so propelled.With various locative and other complements, also without complement.Also proverb.(1) 1375 Barb. iii 580.
Men … About the cost thar lukand, As thai on ayris rais rowand 1548 Treas. Acc. IX 196.
Ane barrall of aill to the boitmen to caus them row fast 1600-1610 Melvill 169.
I rowit my selff till the hyd cam af my fingars 1622 Elgin Rec. II 172.
That hir mother was a witche and rowit in a riddell 1643 Stirlings of Keir 483.
Six … soiers did steil a boit … non of them could roue(b) 1513 Doug. v iv 125.
Fast euery wight Spurris the persewaris to roll bissely 1605 Stirling B. Rec. I 112.
Anent the lichter … the mennis wages that sall labour and roll(2) 1375 Barb. iii 577.
Sum went till ster and sum till ar, And rowyt be the ile of But Ib. v 24.
Thai … rowyt alwayis in-till ane Sterand … apon the fyr That thai saw brynnand a1400 Leg. S. i 29.
With otheris alse in the se rouande ?1438 Alex. ii 518.
He rouit our … Till thay arryuit vnder the wall a1500 Henr. Fab. 2815 (Ch.).
Baith to and fra I row at my awin will c1475 Wall. ix 49.
Wpon the schip thai rowit hastely 1492 Myll Spect. 284/7.
[Medea's] fader … maid his marynaris to row and saill efter the schipe of Jasone 1506 Treas. Acc. III 204.
Botemen that rowit with the king betwix his schip and the Lioun 1507 Ib. IV 72.
To foure men that rowit in ane bote on the louch of Restalrig to affray fowles 1600-1610 Melvill 168.
We … tuk in vivers, and rowit out agean Ib. 169.
We rowit in within a prettie lytle holl betwix the mean and the head 1613 Crim. Trials III 245.
Ȝe thaireftir rowit af the land towardis the said schip 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 35.
For a skout to row to Paislay to bring … warklumes and bedding(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxi 869.
He … gert [hyme] roy in the exile Furth one vatyr sex myle(c) c1515 Asl. MS I 159/3.
Thair is redis samekle that a man may haf a bait of iiij mennis rowme to roll our a watter 1513 Doug. iii iii 113.
The marineris … Egirly rollis our the fomy flude c1520-c1535 Nisbet John vi 19.
Quhen thai had rollit as xxv furlongis or thretty(3) proverb. a1589 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. in Paisley Mag. (1828) 384.
He that … graipis quhair nothing growis … Aganes the streime he rowis a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1574.
The Devill made sowters schipmen, could neither steir [MS steil] nor row Ib. No. 1577.
The Devil rowis in his cobil horne that casts the dyce and can not compt his awin kinsch

b. To row about, to go about, to turn (a boat) round by rowing. 1600-1610 Melvill 168.
My cusing … conducit a bott … and rowing about, behoved to go to the heavin of St. Androis

2. With a boat as subject: To move, or be propelled, by the use of oars. a1400 Leg. S. xvii 33.
As fysche wald he dwel in the flud, & our-tyrwit batis that rowyt thare c1500-c1512 Dunb. (S.T.S.) lxxxviii 29.
Where many a barge doth saile and row with are 1570 Leslie 196.
Ane gallay and her pinneges that rolled with ares neir unto the shore 1598 Reg. Privy C. V 468.
All sic boittis as rowis with thrie airis in the syde allanerlie

3. tr. To convey (a person or thing) in a boat propelled by oars.The quot. for 1547 may properly belong to 4 below. 1375 Barb. iii 425.
The thrid wes ane That rowyt thaim our deliuerly 1533 Boece 457.
In ane fischare cobill [they] rowit him to the mouth of Tay 1547 Cal. Sc. P. I 34.
[Saying if they fill their boats with priests and friars, they shall] rowe them in 1565 Perth B. Ct. 319 (4 May).
Deponis that Williame Kyd rowit in ane berrell of salmond … and deponis that he knawis nocht quhay intromettit thairwith eftir that it wes rowin in

4. To propel (a boat) by means of oars. 1506 Treas. Acc. III 196.
To the marinaris that rowit the botis to preif thaim 1513 Doug. x iv 84.
With ayris [he] rollys furth hys bustuus barge 1563 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 145.
The said William … rowit the boit our and thai cast stanis in hir and drounit hir 1604 Crim. Trials II 434.

5. transf. To traverse (a stream), using limbs as if they were oars. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2813.
‘With my twa feit,’ quod scho [sc. the paddock], ‘ … In steid off airis, I row the streme full styll’