A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Se-maw, n. Also: see-, sea-, sea-mew. [Late ME and e.m.E. semawe (c1425), semewe (Lydgate), semow (Prompt. Parv.); Se n.1 and Maw n.2] A species of gull, prob. the common gull.(a) c1450-2 Howlat 178 (A).
The se mawis [B. see mawis] war monkis the blak & the quhyte 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Georgics i 361.
Mergi, sea mawis a1646 Wedderburn Voc. (1709) 11.
Cephus, a sea maw. Gavia, the gow 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 443.
Alexander Campbell drawes out on of his hulster pistolls to shoot at a big sea maw 1693 Foulis Acc. Bk. 158.
To Robert Vernour that he gave the lad came out about the seamaws(b) 1684 Sibbald Scot. Illustr. iii 20.
Larus cinereus minor, the common sea-mew … Larus major albus, the sea-mew
