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.

Lowis, n. pl. Also: lowys, -(e)s. [Plur. of Loch n., like howis pl. of Hoch n.: cf. Low n.³Latterly supplanted by lochis etc., and after c 1550 surviving only in place-names, as Loch of the Lowes. Also north. ME. in the Northumberland place-name Lowes Forest, first recorded as foresta de Lowes (1329).]

Lochs, inland or coastal. = Loch n. Also the Lowis = the sea-lochs of the West Coast.On (2), see further Exch. R. IX. lxxiv.(1) c1420 Wynt. vii. 3423.
Mony gentill Inglis men Drownyd was in depe lowys [: bowys] 1423 (1430) Reg. Great S. 31/1.
Fredome to fysche in al our lowis about Louchmabane 1456 Hay II. 138/28.
The slepand wateris of lowis, but rynnyng, … ar nocht halesum 1490 Lennox Mun. 135.
Wyth fysching in watteris and lowys, woddis and ylis 1501 Acta Conc. III. 92. 1504 Justiciary Rec. I. 342. 1510 Reg. Privy S. I. 331/1. 1511–12 Ib. 362/1. 1512 Exch. R. XIII. 443. 1513 Doug. iv. x. 8.
All feildis still … All beistis and byrdis … And quhatsumeuer in the braid lowys [v.r. lochis] weir Ib. xii. Prol. 153.
Our al thir lowys and the fludis gray 1515 Reg. Privy S. I. 407/1.
Keparis of the forest of Glenfingas … and of the lowis and stankis of Lugnok [etc.] 1522–3 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 210; 1535 Reg. Privy S. II. 251/2; 1539 Peebles B. Rec. I. 58; 1540 Irvine Mun. I. 44.
All … thair landis, … woddis, lowis, fischingis [etc.] 1550 Glasgow Prot. I. 8.
The violent eictioun [sic] of the said Stevyn furtht of … the Loichtwod, lowis thairof and fisching thairin(2) 1483 Exch. R. IX. 209.
Compotum Georgii Maxwell de Carnsallach, custumarii de Dunbretane et Lowis 1486 Ib. 438.
Per magnam custumam dicti burgi [sc. Dumbarton] et le Lowis 1487 Acts II. 183/1.
The act … anent the fisching … of hering & vthir fisch at the west sey and lowis 1488 Ib. 209/1.
That thai mak na merchandis at the lowis nor vthir mane land bot at fre burrowis 1507 Reg. Privy S. I. 209/2.
Gudis … custumyt be him within ony burgh, port or lowis within the realme 1508 Ib. 231/1.
At the west sey and lowis of the sammyn 1512 Ib. 370/1.(3) 1501 Reg. Great S. 555/2.
Terras de Cardenij inter lacus vulgariter nuncupatas betuix the lowes 1506–7 Rentale Dunkeld. (S.H.S.) 75, 95 etc. Geographiæ Blavianæ (Blaeu's Atlas) VI. (1662) Scotia, 33.
Lacum occidentalem vulgo the West Mary Loh of the Lowes