Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
‡HOW, int., v.2 Also howe (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis), †hou.
I. int. 1. An exclamation or call to attract attention.Dmf. 1830 W. Bennet Traits Sc. Life III. 265:
Ned! hou, Ned! wi' dear me, what's keepin' ye sae lang?
Comb. how-sheep, “a call given by a shepherd to his dog to incite him to pursue sheep” (Lnk. 1825 Jam.).
2. An exclamation expressive of weariness or sorrow. Gen. in combs. as hech-how s.v. Hech, IV. 3. and och-how s.v. Och.
3. A call to an animal to move on or come to one. Reduplic. form how-how; to a horse to move to the right. See Hup. Cf. Eng. dial. ho, id. Slg. 1818 W. Muir Poems 36:
They to their nags the wyne or howe Scarce heard repeat. Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 7:
When it was time to "how, how" -that is to say, call "the beasts hame".
II. v. 1. To cry how! from grief.Sc. c.1750 Mary Hamilton in Child Ballads III. No. 173 H. xiii.:
What need ye hech and how, ladies? What need ye how for me.
2. Phr. to hum and how, to hum and haw (m.Lth.1 1957).
[Onomat. Found in O.Sc. from c.1470.]
