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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DEY, n.¹ Also †dee, dei, dai, deigh. A dairymaid (Cai.⁷ 1940, dei; n.Sc. 1808 Jam., Per. 1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 722, Lth., Twd. 1825 Jam.², dee); “the person who has the superintendance of a dairy, whether that person be male or female” (Abd. 1770 N. & Q. (7th Series) IV. 22, dai, dei). [daɪ, †di:]Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 168:
Blythsome Swains, Wha rant and dance, with kiltit Dees, O'er mossy Plains.Ork. 1767 P. Fea MS. Diary (5 Sept.):
Engadged a Dey and Bowman.Ork. 1931 in Orcadian (7 May):
Stinko waas rightly croos at dis bit o' neouse cis 'e waas trang after Divity's deigh.Cai. 1872 M. Maclennan Peasant Life II. 169:
Ye'd make a faimous dey.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 70:
As they drew near, they heard an eldren dey, Singing fu' sweet at milking o' her ky.Mearns a.1826 Lizzie Lindsay in Ballads (ed. Child) No. 226B. ix.:
My father, he is an auld shepherd, My mither, she is an auld dey.Peb. 1793 R. Brown Carlop Green (1817) ii. iii.:
And dees, wi' snoods, and kirtles blue, As glaiked as their tykes.

Comb.: dey-girl, -woman, idem.Sc. 1828 Scott F. M. Perth xxxii.:
The dey-girl . . . discovered that some one had taken away her grey frieze cloak.Ib.:
The dey-woman . . . goes into the pantler's office with the milk.