Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Low, v.¹ [ME. and e.m.E. low, lo(o)we(n, ME. louwen, early lhouen, OE. str. vb. hlówan, p.t. hléow (but in ME. (15th c.) conjugated as wk. vb.).] intr. Of cattle: To low, bellow, moo. Also transf. 1513 Doug. viii. iv. 76.
The catal gan to rowtyng, cry and rar … Quhil in the caif as that a quyok lowis With lowd voce squeland Ib. vi. 112. Ib. xii. Prol. 185. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 23/9.
Quhen Hercules was drivand the saidis ky by the cove, ane certane of thame lowit 1650 Brechin Presb. 23.
On the morne … the calff lowed to deathtransf. 1513 Doug. iii. x. 36.
A … huge schowt vp he [Polyphemus] kest … And holl cavernys or furnys of Ethna rownd Rummyst and lowyt, fordynnyt with the sound Ib. xii. xii. 70.