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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quy, Quey, n.¹ Also: quye, qwy(e, quhy, qhij; queye, qwey, quhey; qwee; queay; quay(e, quhay; Kuey, Kwey; pl. quyis, qwies, queis, queies. [North. ME and north. e.m.E. qwy (1374), quye (1485), also quee (c1425), ON kvíga (Sw. qviga, Dan. kvie), appar. f. kú a cow. Cf. also Quoy n.¹Appar. rare in the north-east. Also in the mod. dials. of central and south. Scotland, north. England and north. Ireland.] A young cow up to three years old which has not calved; a heifer. Also attrib. and comb.Also, once, pl. without inflection.(a) c1420 Wynt. iii 220.
Na had yhoure tylch bene wrocht Wytht my qwy [W. quhy, C. queyn] [etc.] 14.. Acts I 326/2.
Ilk beest sal pay viij d. for fogage and a quy ij d. 1491–2 Acta Conc. I 231/2.
Twa qwyis price of the pece j merk 1508 Alloway Baron Ct. 19 Oct.
The vrangous … slayng of a thua ȝher auld quye 1513 Doug. iv ii 19.
Betwix the hornys twa … Of ane ontamyt ȝong quy [Sm. quoy] Ib. viii iv 58.
Four semly oxin … Als mony tendir quyis 1518 Fife Sheriff Ct. 122.
Qwye 1543 Lochleven Compt Bk. 14b (25 April).
Ane qwy of ane ȝer ald 1546 Ib. 16b (15 June).
ix nikket ky and of tham ane qwy of the first calf Ib.
Qwies 1565 in Fraser Polichron. 152.
vj quyis price of the piece xx s. 1581 Edinb. Test. IX 376b.
Ane thrie ȝeir auld beist quy or stirk 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II 512.
Quyes 1634 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 20 Nov.
Quy 1668 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 21 Jan.
Four qwyes with calfe 1678 Ib. 13 Dec.
Ane rid halked quy(b) 1522–3 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 67.
The quey … was tua yer ald and ane halff or mar ?1588 Kinnaird Farm Bk. fol. 111.
Queis 1594 Black Bk. Taymouth 289.
Queyis 1642 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct.) 24 March.
Four thrie yeir old quey for the first calf and milk 1656 Stitchill Baron Ct. 7. 1658 Edinb. Test. LXIX 101.
The black quey with calfe 1669 Caldwell P. I 133.
Ane queys fodder 1670 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct.) 11 Nov. (see Kodouch n.). 1671 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 106 (July).
Ane quey for calfe and milk 1672 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 321. 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 347.
Two kyne and ane black beld quhey [pr. qukey] 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 370.
Twa queies 1686 Depred. Clan Campbell 30.
Ane 2 year old quey, worth 8 lib. and ane year old, worth 4 lib. 1687 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 256 (18 May).
And twa blak stots and foure quey being thrie yeirs old 1695 Foulis Acc. Bk. 181.
When the young quey … was bulled 1705 Ib. 404.
The doller was got for the queyes hyde(c) 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX 22.
Ane stoote and ane thrie ȝeire old quaye a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 69.
For the quayis the kye brings furth pertains onlie to the maister 1682 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 29 Sept.
Quhay(d) 1677 Thanes of Cawdor 334.
The educt of my cowes, whither qwees or oxen stirksuninfl. pl. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 179.
The horsmen … touke … about iiij^xx quye and oxinattrib. and comb. 1515 Wigtown B. Ct. 41b.
Ane iii ȝere ald qhij best Ib. 45b. 1668 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 12 Dec.
Two qwey beasts being both two yeir olds — 1554 M. Napier Mem. J. Napier 43.
Thre qwy calfis, and thre stot calfis 1686 Depred. Clan Campbell 86.
8 quhey calves — 1533 Carnwath Baron Ct. (S.H.S.) 154.
Ane quy coldo 1600 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 39.
ij quy cowdows 1664 Kirkcudbr. Test. MS 22 June.
Tuo quay codoche — 1559 Hist. Fam. Kennedy (Note) 38.
[3 two-year-old queys, 8 quey stirks, and 9 oxen stirks] 1627 Dumfries Test. Ia 121b.
Ane sowkin quey stirk 1680 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 24 Dec.
A queay stirk