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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CA', CAW, CAA, Cau, n.¹ Sc. forms of St.Eng. call. [kɒ:, kɔ:]

I. Sc. usages.

1.†(1) A drive, a round-up of cattle. Comb. ca know(e), a knoll where cattle are rounded up, specif. a hill on the common land of Hawick; (2) fig. = hurry (Bnff.², Abd.²² 1938).(1) Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 16:
A band of kettrins did their forrest fill; On ilka side, they took it in with care; And i' the ca' nor cow nor ewe did spare.Rxb. 1845 Stat. Acc.² III. 395:
A cairn which had long stood on the "auld ca know," about two miles distant from the town, was removed about thirty years ago. Rxb. 1965 Hawick Express (6 Oct.) 4:
Teh attend at the Ca' knowe every Commin-Ridin an answer their names whan the roll was ca'd.(2) Bnff. 1920 E. S. Rae in Bnffsh. Jnl. (14 Dec.):
Fit's yer cau, the nicht's bit young, Sit doon, an' hae a han'!

2. Hard breathing, laboured respiration. Known to Bnff.² 1938.Sc. 1765 Trial Nairn and Ogilvie 83:
There was a severe heaving at his breast, and a strong caw, and he tried to keep open the windows to give him breath.

3. A drove of sheep (Sh., Bnff., Ayr. 2000s).Sh.(D) 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 98:
Weel, if doos slippid dem [sick lambs] ta da hill to smit da caa, Tamy, doo sall catch hit!

4. A knock, a blow (Abd.²², Slg.³, Lnl.¹ 1938).Edb. 1931 E. Albert Herrin' Jennie 100:
I'll gie ye a ca' on the lug.

5. A search (Bnff.², Abd.¹⁹, Ags.¹, Fif.¹⁰ 1938).Abd. 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer III. ii.:
I'll jist awa' ower to Muckledrum, an' hae a caw throu the sessions-buik.

6. (See quot.)Upper Deeside 1917 (per Abd.⁸):
Used for the direction in which a stone or piece of wood will split. “The ca o' the stane.”

7. The motion of the waves of the sea (Sc. 1825 Jam.²; Bnff.² 1938). Also fig.Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 26:
Nor sall it be a runt though the ca' O' time's hinnermaist sea dees doun Intill a naething wi' nae soun'.Sh.(D) 1877 G. Stewart Shet. Fireside Tales (1892) 260:
It wis a raem calm [dead calm], wi' a hush an' a caa aboot da shore.Sh.³ 1938:
“Da ca o da moder die,” the direction of the seventh wave, which is said to be always towards land.

Phr.: ca of the water, “the sound of the sea before or after a storm” (Cai. 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 68; Cai.⁷ 1938).

II. Phrases: 1. to gie the ca', to make a proposal of marriage; 2. to have the ca', to have the right to call upon the next performer (Bnff.², Fif.¹⁰ 1938); 3. to pit in the caws, “to place the proclamation of the banns” (Abd.² 1938).1. Lnk. 1919 G. Rae 'Tween Clyde and Tweed 79:
At the ootgaun o' that bonnie year, I gied that lass the ca'.2. Abd. 1873 P. Buchan Guidman o' Inglismill 40:
“Noo my sang's deen,” quo Inglis: “I've the ca' To keep the pottie boilin'.”