Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1721-1818, 1894-1929
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RAE, n.1 Also ray. Sc. forms of Eng. roe, a species of deer (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Mry. 1911 Trans. Banffshire Field Club 109; Ayr., Slk. 1967). Freq. attrib. Comb. rae-hippid, of a horse, with quarters like a roe deer, roach-backed. See P.L.D. §32.2.n.Sc. 1721 W. Fraser Chiefs of Grant (1883) II. 418:
To thank you for your rae buck and all your other favours.Sc. 1730 Caled. Mercury (27 March):
The Horse is about Ten Years old, Bay-colour'd, Rae-hipp'd, small-neck'd.Sc. 1776 Outlaw Murray in Child Ballads No. 305 A. 1:
The hart, the hynd, the dae, the rae, And of a' [wylde] beastis grete plentie.em.Sc. 1794 W. Marshall Agric. Cent. Highl. 43:
A variety of other game are also inhabitants of these wilds: among the rest the roe, provincially “ray”.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxix.:
We shased the MacGregors as ye wad shase rae-deer.Slk. 1818 Hogg Tales (1874) 224:
I like that way o' turnin' fock into deers an' raes, and worrying them, warst ava.Dmb. 1894 D. MacLeod Past Worthies 205:
He could wrestle a bull, he could run like a rae.Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
As wild as da rae a da hill.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
Mad as a ray.
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"Rae n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/rae_n1>
