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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quake, Quaik, v. Also: qwake; quak, quacc-, quack-. P.t. q(u)uke, quuik, quok(e, quoik, quhoik, qwoyk, quouk(e, quowke, (queke); quakit, -et, -ed, quaikit, -ed, (quokit). [ME quake(n, early quakien, kwakien, p.t. quakede, cwakede, also north. quok (Cursor M.), qwoke (on the analogy of schake, p.t. schoke), OE cwacian.]See also To-quake v.

1. intr. Of things: To shake as a result of shock or loud noise; to reverberate. ?1438 Alex. ii 10225.
Trumpettis and hornis blew atanes, It semit all the countre quoke c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 18756.
With that the eard baith trimblit fast and quke 1513 Doug. iii x 34.
Qwoyk [: schuke; v.rr. quhoik, quok] 1596 Dalr. 129/19.
Erdquakes … war hard, kirkes quaket and trimblet vehementlie

2. Of persons or animals, or of parts of the body: To shake, shiver, tremble.

a. For some physical reason. b. For cold.a. 1375 Barb. ii 368.
Swa fell strakys gave and tuk, That all the renk about thaim quouk a1400 Leg. S. xvi 845.
Thane begane his kneis to quake & al his body for to schake c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 2186.
He mycht nocht stand, he trimlis and he quakis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 675.
Thair hors … As trasit in vnquart quakand thai stand 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 654.
For chyppynutie ful oft my chaftis quuikb. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1293 (Bann.).
Quakand for cald

c. As the result of some strong emotion, esp. fear.pres. (a) ?1438 Alex. ii 1776.
And mony ane cowart [he] hes gart quake [: strake] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 1325. a1500 Henr. Fab. 955 (Bann.).
Quakand for dreid a1500 K. Hart 392. 1513 Doug. xii viii 28.
The cayrfull husbandis … Quhilk, with sair hartis quakand, allake, allaik! Says [etc.] Ib. xii 87.
And eik the Latynys quakyng gaue a schowt Ib. ii ii 88, etc. 1558 Knox IV 394.
Some, I am assured, did qwake and tremble a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xliv 31.(b) ?1438 Alex. ii 2332.
The quethir wele oft it [sc. love] garris me quaik c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3665.
Ay the formest to the erde thai straik And gart the hyndmest ay for raddour quaik a1500 Henr. Fab. 1799 (Ch.).
My flesche growis, my bodie quaikis all Ib. 2637. c1475 Wall. x 246. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 11. 1513 Doug. iii i 56.
The cald dreid maid all my membris quaik 1535 Stewart 43872. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 365. 15.. Clar. iii 640.
Quaiking as aspe, and schaiking pitiouslie a1568 Scott xviii 25. a1585 Maitl. Q. lxviii 152.
Sir Richard … Quhilk maid … all England to quaik a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 473 (W). 1592 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 171.
Quhilk we should trimble and quaik to offend his godlie majestie(c) 1600-1610 Melvill 19.
Sche maid me to quak and chout bitterlie Ib. 355.
Quakking for feir ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 150.
Tum vero quaccare [v.r. quackarunt] hostes, flightamque repente Sumpseruntp.t. (a) a1400 Leg. S. xvi 323.
For rednes scho al queke [: wok] Ib. xviii 627.
For angusne fast I quowke [: luke] Ib. 702.
Quok [: tuk] ?1438 Alex. ii 593.
Quhen Cassamus hard, his blude quouke [F. tous li sans li fremie], For proper dispyte he micht not luke Ib. 1194.
That all my fleshe baith quok and suet Ib. 8173.
And quoke for shame Ib. i 1473.
Quoik [: tuik] c1409-1436 Kingis Q. §162.
Quoke c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 154.
The hartis of men growit, thair membaris quuke [: schoke] Ib. MS 7576.
Quoik a1500 Rauf C. 732.
Than the Coilȝear quoke as he had bene schent c1475 Wall. ix 343.
Quok 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1308.
Quoik [: tuik, luik] 15.. Clar. v 1534.
Quoke [: tuike](b) ?1438 Alex. ii 8617.
Na wonder thocht thair hartis quaked [: naked] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 632.
And all his flesche trimlit for ioy and quokit [: snokit] Ib. 1504.
Quakit [: nakit] Ib. 1976. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark v 33. 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 158.
For feare of him the out ilis quaikit [: naikit] 1559–60 Knox VI 108.
Who, albeit thay quaiked for a time, yitt doe now praise God who suddanlie diverted frome them that terrible plague