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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Causa(y, Cawsa(y, n. Also: causaa, caussay, cawssay. [Variant of Causé, with change of -é to -a and -ay as in allya, etc. Cf. Calsay and Casay.]

1. A piece of paving, a paved portion.(a) 1459 Peebles B. Rec. 131.
That ony man that layd medyn on the causa … sul pay vnforgefyng viij s. 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 441.
To ane that mendit ane brokin causaa 1538 Soc. Ant. II. 396.
The byar of the muk to pay … ane penny for the breking of the causa 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4290.
In the midst of the cawsa I fell into ane midding(b) 1487 Dunferm. B. Rec. i.
The causay gangand doune to the Nethirtown 1488 Ib. 22.
The almus hows on the northt sid of the causay 1498 Peebles B. Rec. 198.
A rud of caussay 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 137.
Scharp hailstanys, … Hoppand on the thak and on the causay by 1571–2 Haddington Acc. MS.
To the causay maker for layin of the causay 1691 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 582.
To the causay layers for laying 7 rood … causay(c) 1491 Treas. Acc. I. 179.
To the Spanȝeartis that dansyt before the King on the cawsay of Edinburgh 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 396.
To sustene … the brig forsaid in pillaris, … battaling and cawsay 1533 Boece ix. i. 288 b.
The cawsay … was all colorit bludy and rede 1557 Reg. Cupar A. II. 132.
The tway acris of land … with houssis, mans, and ȝard in the new cawsay

2. Attrib. and comb. with end, layer, makar, making, paker, stane. 1495 Reg. Cupar A. I. 247.
Sex acris … lyand apoun the west syde of the cawsay end — 1691Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 582 (see 1 b above).
Causay layer — 1535 M. Works Acc. III. 12 b.
To the causay makker for xlij rud & half ane rud of causay makkin within the palice 1571-2 Haddington Acc. MS. (see 1 b above).
Causay maker — 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2202.
Ane commoun, publick cawsay-paker — 1535 M. Works Acc. III. 12 b.
The compt of the causa stanis leding