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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nuk(e, Nuik, Nok, n. Also nwk(e; nuck(e; nuike, nuyk, nuick, nwik, nwyk; noik; nouke, nowk; nook(e, noock(e. [North. and north midl. ME. nok(e (Cursor M.), nook(e, e.m.E. nook(e, nouke, nuke (1667), of obscure origin. Cf. Neuk n.] A corner, nook.

1. a. A corner or angle of a square or angular thing.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 3737.
Ȝe sall be met … In ane nuke [of the chessboard] with ane alphing Ib. 3895. c1420 Wynt. v. 3101, 2 (C).
The altere, That withe four nukis hol was made, In ilka nwk a rynge it hade 1494 Loutfut MS. 15 a.
Quhat piece or point makis the nwk of the richt side [of the shield] a1500 Seven S. 2001.
Than of the scheit scho liftit ane nuke a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxviii. 9.
Thir last aucht lynis ȝe may begon at ony nuke Ȝe will 1593 Acts IV. 48/2.
Ane losane with ane thrissill on euery nuke in forme of a croce 1608 Crim. Trials II. 260. 1631 Elgin Rec. II. 220.(b) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 426.
Under ilk nuik of his bed we sall lay Ane oliue ieif 1596 Dalr. I. 30/26.
Lyke a lang peir sett in a round aple, and put in the nuik of a round table, it has a refuge maist sure 1609 Writers Signet 241.
At the corner or nuik of the parchement belowe 1634 Stirling B. Rec. II. 388.
Ane handsenȝie … with ane qwhyt S. Androws cross frome nuik to nuik

b. A corner or angle of a piece of land.Also, a small (? triangular) piece of land.(1) 1388 Bamff Chart. 22.
Strekand west to the west nwk of that falde 1481 Douglas Bequest 17 May.
The landis fra the sowth est nwk off Cragflour ewyn wp [etc.] 1519 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I. 62.
The auld mairchstane of Saba that standis in the south wast nvk of Messeger 1554 Reg. Cupar A. II. 113.
Nwke 1571 Prestwick Deeds MS. No. 8.
To the nuke of the landis of Craigisward(b) 1480 Liber Melros 694.
The land lying doun to the wall … as the house on the nuik lyes 1547 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 8.
Nwik 1552 Prot. Bk. R. Lumsdane MS. 20.
Ane kayrne of stanis … abvne the northt est nwyk and angill of ane pece teillit land 1585–6 Montgomery Mem. 226.
To meit my lord at Eglintoun wode nuik 1615 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 322.
Nuick 1669 Rothesay B. Rec. 180.
Ane aiker commoune land lyand at the wardnuik of Gartonkaillie(c) 1481 Soc. Ant. LX. 90.
To the west nok off the ȝhard off Stevyn Richardsoun 1598 Misc. Spald. C. I. 120.
Thow … puttis four stanis in the four nokis of the ward(d) 1627 Rep. Parishes 110.
Nooke 1679 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III. 311.
Nook(2) 1459–60 Ayr B. Ct. 4 Jan.
Alan of the nuck of Alway 1603 Laing Chart. 351.
[Lands of which the other portion lies in the Conyflett and is cailed] lie Nuik 1607 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 35.
The landis callit the Nuke

c. The angle of a stream or stretch ofwater; an inlet. 1518 Dunferm. B. Rec. in Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 155.
The burne fra the myl … to the nuk besid the abbay wall 1607 Crim. Trials II. 536.
Cureing of his awin bairne with the said loche watter be wasching of the said bairne at everie nuke thairof 16.. Symson's Descr. Galloway (1823) 114.
All that tracke [is] indented and hollowed with noukes and creekes

2. A point of land projecting into the sea; any projecting point of land. 1577 William Harrison Descr. Scotl. iii. in Holinshed The First Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande ii. 3/2 (OED.).]
[As for Galloway it selfe, it yeeldeth out a great point promontory or cape (which the Scots call a Mule or Nuke) into the Irish Sea 1375 Barb. iv. 556 (C).
On Turnberyis nwk [E. snuke] he may Mak a fyre 1524 Hist. Pluscardyn 238.
To ane poynt nuke or hillake on the southsyd of the said mos 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxviii.
This snout is callit be the peple the Mulis Nuk 1535 Stewart 32902.
The far les cuir tha tuik To keip that part stude on sa stark ane nuik 1596 Dalr. I. 5/8.
That syde quhilke lyes to France hes twa nuikes of quhilkes the ane lyes to Kent, the vther to the south Ib. 33/10.
The Mule of Kaintyr, to wit, sik a nuik or elbok of land c1650 Spalding I. 306.
Scho tuke no anker bot swiftlie saillit about the nvke touardis Montross 1676 W. Row Blair 138.
People from … the east nook of Fife

3. A corner of a thing regarded as a separate portion; a chunk; a part or section. 1513 Doug. x. xii. 27.
With a stane Latagus brytnyt he Quhilk of a montane semyt a gret nuke [Sm. nuike] 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 8 a.
Syne tak the secound semicall With ane dowbill nwik of the taill of sax

b. A small triangular piece. 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 60.
Ane uther dyamont … with the thrie nuikis of gold laid upoun the samyne 1632 Edinb. Test. LV. 207 b.
Thrie ovellis and thrie nuikes of bres with certane littill stampes for stamping of buikis

4. An external angle or corner of a building or wall or of a solid object. Also, a corner of a street.b. Attrib. in nuik chalmer, a corner room, nuik house, a house at the corner of a street.(a) 1443 Reg. Cambuskenneth 126.
The stane gavill … at the west nuke of that foirhous 1476–7 Ayr B. Ct. 149 a (9 Feb.).
Fra the fute of the blak burne til the north nuk of the kirkȝard 1488 Reg. Paisley 407.
The heide dike nuke at the fuite of the Hadryhil 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 322.
As the dise … can nocht fall bot on foure nukis 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 189. 1600-1610 Melvill 36.
The sune being wast about af the north-west nuk of the steiple 1600 Crim. Trials II. 158.
Ane cry … quhilk movit him to rin in about the nuke of the house to the bak ȝett of the ȝaird 1623 Perth Kirk S. MS. 8 Dec.
Mr. James … dang him bakwart on ane nuk of the stone 1703 Hossack Kirkwall 211.
To big a stare at the nucke of his house(b) a1578 Pitsc. I. 336/6.
And everie quarter and nuike thairof ane greit round 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 20.
To the nuik of the kirk quhair the horolog is 1605–19 Paisley B. Rec. 134. 1617 Cramond Cullen Ann. 29. 1627 Bamff Chart. 210.
To the west nwik of the south gavell of the corne barne 1650 Strathbogie Presb. 137.
From the kirkyard dyk to the nuik of the old manse(c) 1420 Liber Calchou II. 447.
ij toftis stedis liand at the northvest nok of the kyrkȝarde(d) 1646 Aberd. Council Lett. III. 63.
Betwixt David Aedies house noocke and the nearest kirk style 1700 Peebles B. Rec. II. 162.
Nook(e) 1650 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII. 250.
Salmonds nowkb. 1605–19 Paisley B. Rec. 134.
The nuik hous, of auld callit the vne house 1624 Forbes Baron Ct. 219.
He theakis the nuik chalmer callitt the new girnell hous

5. a. An inner corner formed by the junction of two walls of a building, room or other enclosure. Also fig.For chimlay nuik, kiching nuik, see these nouns.(a) a1400 Leg. S. ix. 201.
Goddis angele … fleand in fowre nukis [of the temple] made With his fyngyre the croice Ib. xviii. 609.
Of the ȝard in til a nuke I restyt me ?1438 Alex. ii. 3899.
Dam, … Ȝe haue ane nuke … That weill titar mycht mak me mait Than [etc.] c1475 Wall. vii. 424.
In euir ilk nuk [of the castle] thai festnyt blesis bald 1494 Loutfut MS. 2 a.
And at the nwkis [Scrimȝeour newkis] of the listis sall the purseivantis be a1500 K. Hart 391.
Dame Danger in to ane nuk [of the room] scho lowris 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 281.
Nuk a1540 Freiris Berw. 211.
Nwke a1578 Pitsc. I. 208/19.
[They] cast him wpe in ane nuke [of the mill] and coverit him with ane claith 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 92.
Thow … desyrit hir to tak nyn piklis of quhyt [etc.] … and put tham in the four nwkis of his howsfig. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 30.
For gif all the nukis of thy saul remaine a midding Christ cannot dwell there(b) 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 237.
In ane nuyk of the sayd chalmer 1592 Elgin Rec. II. 26.
In the paroche kirk … in the east nuik thairof 1600 Crim. Trials II. 250.
Mylord … cals vp all thir four in ane nuik [of the room](c) c1475 Wall. ii. 372.
A rousty suerd in a noik he saw stand(d) 1665-76 Lauder Jrnl. 76.
Noock

b. (To throw something) in the nuk, into the corner, aside. c1475 Wall. vii. 226.
Be sid thaim ded in the nuk kest thaim thar

c. A corner of a bag or pouch, or of a fold of a garment or napkin. a1585, a1568 Montg. P. v. 18.
At his plaid nuk the guly fell owt 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 661.
Menstrallis … Gat Mitchell in ane auld pocke nucke Ib. 819.
Ten pundis stirling furth he tuike, And knit it in a neapkyn nucke 1616 Dalyell Darker Superst. 87.
Of washing the inner nuke of hir plaid and aprone a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1242.

d. At the nuike o't, ‘at the bottom of it’, ultimately responsible for it. 1681 Cleland 78.
What plots, O what mischief! And still a kirkman at the nuike o't

e. To be within the four nooks of, to be included in (something non-material). 1678 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III. 239.
To acquaint them it was not within the four nooks of their commission

6. An outlying, remote or secluded part of the world or of a country, region or town. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 111.
Syne ran a feynd to feche Makfadȝane Far northwart in a nuke 1531 Bell. Boece I. 109.
Thair ennimes … cassin be Nature … in the remote and last nuik of the warld Ib. 231.
In the far nuke of the warld namit Albion 1578 Conv. Burghs I. 64.
The saltpannis quhilkis ar … set in ane nuik of the tovne 1581 Burne Disput. 123.
Excep it be in sum lytil nuke [of the world], ȝe vil not get onie sik letteris Id. Ib. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 140/31.
Scotland being bot ane nuke of the varld 1596 Dalr. I. 190/3. Ib. 224/23.
And dryues him into sum secreit nuikis of Britannie and holes Ib. II. 373/4.
Al maist was na nuik, na hole, in Scotland … quhair sik childre mycht meit Ib. 41/2.
Nuickes 1610 Paterson Ayr & Wigton I. 72. 1615 Highland P. III. 173.
To the impoverishing of that nvke of your majesties kingdome 1638 Henderson Serm. 408.
Ye had your elders in all the nuiks of the paroch 1646 Baillie II. 361.
Hopton being driven to the outmost nuike of Cornwall

b. fig. The farthest end, the extremity. ?1672 M. Bruce Sermon in Edinb. Tolbooth 14.
I trow instead of waiting on, many of us comes to the far nook of our patience

7. An obscure corner; a secluded or out-of-the-way place; a lurking-place, cranny. Also fig. 1375 Barb. xvii. 93 (E).
Thai … held thaim in a nuk priué c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 84.
Ane serpent … Quhilk … oureȝeid all baith hirn nuke and wra c1515 Asl. MS. I. 184/26.
Sen lawte seikis na nuke c1500-c1512 Dunb. lvii. 13.
Sum standis into a nuke and rownis Id. lviii. 7. 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1183.
Steil in ane nuke, quhen thay lyste on théluke 1535 Stewart 87.
Part tha fand … in lous quarris liand wer in nukis a1568 Scott iv. 3.
Hant nocht in hoile or nuke a1585 Polwart Flyt. 790 (T).
Nuik c1590 J. Stewart II. 240 § 163.
Lecherie lay duyning in ane nuik 1596 Dalr. I. 297/6. Ib. 221/22.
Sche … slipis intil a nuik neir byfig. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 658.
Hou ma we thane this word fulfil That in a nuk here lyis stil 1513 Doug. Exclam. 16.
Thir detractouris … Al that thai fynd in hydlys, hyrn or nuyk Thai blaw owt 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 114.
In ane nuke or other of that saule quherein the Lord … may make His residence

b. In a (the) nuke, in nukis, in secret, clandestinely, surreptitiously. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xx. 33.
Be thow not ane roundar in the nwke Id. lxiii. 45.
Scaffaris and scamleris in the nuke c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts xxvi. 26.
Nathing of thir is hidde fra him, for nouthir in a nowk was oucht of thir thingis done a1568 Scott i. 124.
Bakbytand nychtbouris noyand thame in nwikis