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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nowt, Nout, Nolt, n. Also nowte, nowtt; neout; nowit, nowyt, nouit; nolte, noltt; nowlt, noult(e, nould; noalt; note, noyt, noat. [ME. (appar. chiefly north. and north midl.) nowwt (Orm), nowte, naute (c 1420), e.m.E. noote (1525), note (1544), (north.) naut (1657), ON. naut (Norw. naut, Sw. nöt).In the mod. dial. Sc. and north. Eng. as nowt, also nawt, and north. Eng. note.]Much the most common spelling is nolt.

1. Cattle; oxen, bulls and cows, collectively.See also, for further examples, Gud(e n. 7.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 1121.
Ȝe sal haf thred … Of nowt, schepe, hors and ky 1398 Acts I. 212/2.
Hors & nowte c1420 Wynt. vii. 3043.
His landys … heryit Bathe off nowte and schepe and ky And all othire gudys halyly 14.. Burgh Laws c. 74 (B).
He sal sel gude flesche dede and nowt and swyne 1456 Hay I. 58/30.
Bestis … schepe or nowt 1468 Peebles B. Rec. I. 157. c1475 Wall. viii. 1059. 15.. King Berdok 22.
Nowtt 1553–4 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 19. 1579 Crail B. Ct. 3 Nov.
Na fleschar … sleyand ony scheipe nowt or vaill 1591 Reg. Morton I. 176.
Heiland menn of Athoill … twik away ane pwind of nowt 16.. Hist. Kennedy 18.
Nowtt 1616 Inverurie 200. 1691 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. i. 409 (4 Oct.).
As aither nowt or ship(b) 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 185 (22 Oct.).
All infekit novt 1596 Dalr. I. 123/6. Ib. 7/1.
Quhen nout fechtis togither 1633 Dumbarton B. Rec. 42.
And uthir faires of hors, cattell, scheip, nout and siklyk 1641 Fraser P. 121. 1651 Milne-Home MSS. 102. 1662 Crim. Trials III. 613. 1692 Presb. Eloq. (ed. 2) 84.
I [would] rather steal all the horned nout in the parish(c) c1420 Wynt. ii. 580.
Scheype or nowyt or gayte Ib. v. 2620. 1443 Milne-Home MSS. 21.
Nowit 1533 Treas. Acc. VI. 139.
Certane nowit and hors 1540 Prot. Bk. Sir J. Cristisone 72.
[All] novit scheipe and monie [belonging to him](d) 1437 Ayr B. Ct.
To kepe the toune nolt for the ȝher 1472 Peebles B. Rec. I. 169. c1475 Wall. x. 551. 1482 Reg. Morton II. 244. 1489 Acts II. 219/2. 1503 Lanark B. Rec. 13. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 73.
Thocht he fra nolt had new tane leif 1517 Misc. Spald. C. II. 80. 1531–2 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 159 (26 Feb.). 1533 Boece iii. xii. 109. 1535 Stewart 18309. 1544 Lochleven Compt Bk. 15 b (5 July).
His compt of all ky and vther nolt ȝowis & vther scheip 1549 Compl. 39/2.
The nolt maid noyis vitht mony loud lou Ib. 45/3.
To keip nolt and scheip Ib. 64/20. 1550 Treas. Acc. IX. 458.
Witht certane stollin nolt 1566 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 102.
Thre birnyng irnes to nolt and scheip 1571 Crail B. Ct. 22 May.
Nolte 1589 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 190.
Thair … garrit nolt 1594 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I. 217. 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 107.
Nolte 1587-99 Hume 29/119.
The startling nolt 1603 Elgin Rec. II. 114.
To haue left a peice land to the gudmane for the noltis caus 1605 Inverurie B. Ct.
That na nolt … sall be … broch on the stibbels 1616 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 193. 1637 Elgin Rec. I. 257.
Act anent louse nolt c1650 Spalding I. 162. 1652 Buccleuch Mun. II. 299.
Exonered … of any sick nolt and sheip and kayne fowlles 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II. ii. Skene Agric. MS. a1689 Cleland 26. 1684 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 127. 1696 Lanark Presb. 127.(e) 1527 Carnwath Baron Ct. (ed.) 60.
Nowlt 1549 Banff Ann. I. 24.
Novlt 1566 Kinnaird Farm Bk. 51.
Nould 1584 Burntisland B. Ct. ? June. 1605 Inverurie B. Ct. 1 Nov. 1623–4 Peebles B. Rec. I. 413.
The yeild nowlt 1657 Balfour Ann. IV. 342.
Noulte(f) 1668 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 15 Jan.
Noalt 1693 Banff Ann. II. 63.
Letting in sum noalt to destroy his corns(g) a1400 Leg. S. i. 37.
The noys … Of noyt & schepe & menstralsy c1420 Wynt. ii. 100.
Wytht hors and noyt and othir fe 1662 Crim. Trials III. 608.
Either horse, noat, vebs or any vther thing to be sold Ib. 612.(2) 1482 Acta Aud. 109/1.
The awaytakin … of xiiij hede of nolt 1510 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 59.
The … wranguis takin of viij hed of nolt out of the mylne landis 1633 Ib. II. 365.
Ane firlott quhyt aittis ilk heid of nolt nightlie 1698 Misc. 3 Spald C. II. 108.
Three score heids of nolt

b. With numerals and adjectives of plurality: = (Two, etc.) head of cattle. 1467 Acta Aud. 7/1.
iij^xx xvij nolt 1474 Ib. 31/1.
vj nolt of thre ȝere aldez and ane ox of vj ȝere alde 1483 Acta Conc. II. cxxviii.
How mony nolt was takin fra thame 1493 Ib. I. 270/1.
The fogage of lx of nolt c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 103.
A hundreth nolt 1545 Corr. M. Lorraine 144.
Thre or four schore of nowt 1550 Lanark Sheriff Ct. MS. 38 b.
Ten ȝeld nolt 1556 Peebles B. Rec. I. 228.
Ane certane nolt 1563 Crim. Trials I. i. 433.
Thre noltt 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 288 b.
Aucht ȝoung nolt 1589 Berw. Nat. C. XXI. 273.
xij ald oxin, xvj alld ky, v young note of iij yeir ald, v young note of ij yeir ald, iiij stirkis of ane yeir ald 1577–95 Skene Celtic Scotl. III. 431.
But few nolt 1599 Reg. Privy C. VI. 5.
Ane grite nowmer of nolt 1605 Inverurie 190.
Na mair nor sax nowlt 1616 Anal. Scot. I. 365.
Foure fed nolt c1616 Hume Orthog. 27. 1629 Dumfries Test Ia. 181 b.
Threttie noult auld and ȝoung 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 101.

c. With plural inflexion. c1500-50 Pleugh-Song in 1562-92 Wode's Psalter (ed.) 240 a.
For sklenting of bowts And startling of other mens nowts

d. As a singular: An ox; one head of cattle. c1420 Wynt. iii. 936.
All lyk a nowte thoucht man he ware a1538 Abell 31 a.
Ane scheip or ane nowt 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Mugio, to rowt like a nowt 1597 Paisley B. Rec. 201.
For the intrallis of ane nout coft ane yeir sensyne 1659 Stitchill Baron Ct. 16. 1665 Forbes Baron Ct. 259.
Tuo shilling for ewry ox or cow or nolt 1674 Stitchill Baron Ct. 76.
As the grass maill of ane nolt

2. Attrib. and comb., also possess.a. Of, pertaining to, deriving from or consisting of, cattle. See also Nowt-fald, -hird, -market.(1) 1688 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 247.
You did bring ane nolt best [etc.] — 1658 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 172.
Tuo nolt bestiall — 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Bubile, a nolte byer — 14.. Burgh Laws c. 76 (B).
In nowte cresche or swyne sayme — 1578–9 Ayr B. Acc. 144.
[Arrears] be Robert Cuninghame … for his nolt custume 1609–10 Ib. 242. — 1573 Edinb. Test. III. 30.
Thrie scoir nolt and scheip flekkis — 1658 Ib. LXIX. 119 b.
Horse graith nolt graith and ther plennishing — 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII. 125.
To the making of the gun mulde … For twa stane nolt hare thairto 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 66.
For 8 stane wecht nolt hair for plaistering 1628–9 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 370. — 1581 Inverness Rec. I. 288.
Gait skynnis, nowte hydis 1589 Edinb. Test. XXI. 89.
Thrie nolt hydis price iij lib. vj s. viij d. — 1568 Inverness Rec. I. 167.
In making … schone maid of horse leddyr for nowte leddyr 1570 Elgin Rec. I. 124.
Ony barking of nolt ledder 1591–5 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 195.
Ane daiker of dry nowt ledder 1616 Inverness Rec. II. 149.
In … taking away of ane greit numbre of barkit nolt ledder 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. i. 25 (31 Jan.). — 1604 Paisley B. Rec. 269.
That all nolt licht within this Burgh be sauld to all our Soverane Lords liegis for xlvj s. viij d. the stane weight — a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1588.
There is no sic dearth that a nolt liver wil give half a mark — 1502 Prestwick B. Rec. 37.
The nowte roddyng — 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 367.
In the byre, 12 set noult staicks — 1577 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XII. 140.
He sawe the said Cuthbert hafe twa kye to sell in the nolt stand of Brigend — 1549 Banff Ann. I. 24.
The stane of nolt taucht for x d. to the nytboris 1570 Elgin Rec. I. 123.
Nolt tallown for xij s. the stan(2) 1605 Edinb. Test. Index II. 307.
William Telfer, nolt-driver 1625 Edinb. Marriages 277.

b. Nowtis gres (gers), pasture for cattle or the payment for this. 1524 Carnwath Baron Ct. (ed.) ii.
ij nowttis gres pament gyffin to Jhon Justis aith 1556 Prot. Bk. T. Dalrymple 29 b.
Twa noltis gyrs and ane hors gyrs to be pasturit and lesurit vpon the said … landis

c. Nolt price, noltis price, (in the south-west), payment due for cattle. 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. 197 b.
For the sovme of iij punds restand of ane gretar sovm of nolt price 1593 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 296.
iiij lib. xv s. quhilk he is awand him of noltis price 1678 Ib. MS. 31 July.
Nolts pryce 1678 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 265.
Four shilin starlin restand of neouts pryc

d. Nolt-fute (pl. -feit), the foot of an ox or cow, esp. as food. Also attrib. with -oyll. a1540 Freiris Berw. 254 (B).
[She] sett meit in hy Ane sowsit nolt fute and scheipheid haistely 1596 Oldcambus Acc. 12.
Coft of drinke to souse the the nowlt feit and panchis with all 6 gallonis 1598 Household Bks. Jas. VI 23 April.
Thre wyldgeis thre gang noltfeit Ib. 25 May.
Twa gang nolt fittattrib. 1663–6 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp 31.
For nolt foot oyll to the cherrut 18 s.

e. Nolt-head, the head of an ox. Also applied to a person, = blockhead.Also in the mod. dial. as nowt-head, id. Cf. also Neatshead n. ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 41.
Sed hunc corn-greivus heros Nout-headdum vocavit 1698 Hector Renfrewshire Rec. II. 150.
Sheep bones … and ane nolt head, all which were leatly wanted by the neighbourhead

f. Noatis tongue, neat's-tongue, as food. 1663–6 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp 66.
For seck claret aill beir and a noatis tongue 3/8/0