Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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).