Middle English Dictionary Entry
cǒu n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cǒu n. Also cu, cowȝe, kowh, qu. Pl. kīn, kī, kīs, kīe, kīen; kūn, kui, kuin; kēn, kein. |
| Etymology | OE cū, pl. cȳ. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
A cow; -- (a) sg.; (b) pl.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)544/3 : Uacca, uel bucula: ku.
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)411 : Qu i. uace.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)38a : As me deð þe cubbel to þe ku [a1350 Rob: cou].
- a1300 Svmer is icumen (Hrl 978)7 : Lhouþ after calue cu.
- c1300 SLeg.Bridget(1) (LdMisc 108)35 : Þis kov ȝaf so muche Milk.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)752 : Vache mugee: Cov lowith.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)104 : Temper yt wyth mylk of a kow.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.354 : If cow or calf or sheep or oxe swelle..Taak water of that welle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)301a/a : The cowe..is þe boles wyf.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6743 : Qua stelis scep or ox or cu [vrr. cow, kow; rime: bu, vr. prow].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)139b/b : Þe galle of a kowe.
- (1447-8) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 487 : Received of John Huredyche..vor a kowwe.
- c1450 Dice(1) (Frf 16)259 : Yow becometh al your gere As wel as Cowe a sadel to bere.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)10680 : I knowe the kowh & ek the kalff.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.262 : It fallith as well to fodis of xxiiij ȝeris..to ȝeue good redis, As becometh a kow to hoppe in a cage!
- a1500 Sln.2584 Med.Miscell.(Sln 2584)127/10 : May-botere..made as þe melke comeþ fro the cowȝe.
b
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)72 : Herdemon of cun & of stere.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)284 : Seue kuin fatte him þuȝte þat he sauȝ gon.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)287 : Þe seue fatte kyn.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)220-1 : Þis kou..ȝwane heo come fram toune..with oþure kuyn [Hrl: kyn; Corp-C: kun].
- ?1316 SMChron.(Roy 12.C.12)592 : Fif thousent fatte cun [Auch: kin; Cmb Dd: kyyn].
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)191/25,27 : Þe guode mannes cou com hom..and ledde mid hare alle þe prestes ken [Vices & V.(2): kein].
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)6 : A couherde þat..had kepud Mennes ken.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)480 : An herde keping mennis kin.
- (1381) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.4 : Also iv kyn and ii hefren.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.67.31 : The gedering togidere of bolis in the kiyn [WB(2): kien; NVPsalter: kye, vr. ki; Rolle Psalter: kye; L vaccis] of puplis.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.335 : In þis lond beeþ mo kyn [Add: keen; Tbr: kuyn; Higd.(2): kye] þan oxen.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4021 : Thre large sowes hadde she and..Thre kyn [Elsm: keen].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4564 : I faand..kij [vr. ky] fourtene.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)6.142 : Ȝe myȝte..take mete & huyre To kepe kyne [vrr. kyene, ken, kyen, kijn] in þe felde.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1259 : To cayre at þe kart and þe kuy mylke.
- (1429) Will York in Sur.Soc.4417 : ij ky and ane ox.
- (1432) Doc.Reg.St.Bees in Sur.Soc.126576 : To have iij horsshys and iij kys.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.727 : The kiyn [vr. kyen] also this tyme hit is to trie.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.65 : The ky.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)4732 : Þys feste day..Were offred ffifty þousand ky.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)18864 : Where cam..keen, & oxen.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)5.1063 : Keen [vrr. kyin, kyne] and caluern or sheep..to offerynge wil I take.
- (1451) Will York in Sur.Soc.30149 : ij kie.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.37b : xiiii persones..brake uppe his dores and toke away..x Kieen.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)543/26 : Pasture for iij kene [in marg.: kyne].
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)42 : What approumentes ye shall haue off your kyne & ewene in chese and butur.
1b.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)274a/a : Aristotil spekeþ of þe wilde cow [L vacca agresti].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)301a/b : Som tyme a cowe is wilde..In þe lond of parthes is a cowe þat haþ here in hire nekke as an hors..Many men clepen þat cowe equiceruus.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.332 : Þere ne was cow ne cowkynde [C: kow-kynde] þat conseyued hadde, Þat wolde belwe after boles.
- 1451-1500 Tundale (Wagner)636 : A wylde cow was brought to his hande.
2.
Combs.: (a) ~ calf, a female calf, heifer; milk ~, a milch cow; (b) ~ creme, coues creme, the cream of cow's milk; ~ cruddes, curds from cow's milk; ~ flesh, coues flesh; ~ fot, pl. kin fet; ~ hel, a cow's heel or hock; ~ hide; ~ milk, kin milk; (c) ~ dong, ~ shern, cow dung; ~ pisse; ~ tork, coues tord, a cow turd; (d) ~ geld, ~ peni, a customary payment for the pasturage of cattle, herbage rent; ~ rod, ?an allowance of grainland for a milch cow; ~ hous, ~ stall, a cow shed; (e) ~ rake, ~ ratele, ~ rathe, the plant bladder campion (Silene cucubalus) or a related plant, cowrattle.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Heb.9.13 : If the..asche of a cow calf [L vitulae; Paul.Epist.: heffere] spreynd, halowith vnclene men.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.462 : Riȝt as þe cow-calf coueyteth swete mylke.
- (1454) Will York in Sur.Soc.30175 : I will lytill Nanne a mylke cowe.
b
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.157 : Ȝe hokesters..Wiþ..Tripis and kine fete and schepen heuedes!
- (1346-7) Let.Bk.Lond.F (Gldh LetBk F)174 : Tydeman Coufot.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)95 : Seth hem in almand mylk or in kyne mylke.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)319a/b : Cow mylk is contrarious to Camel mylk..cow melk norischeþ more þan schepe melk.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester8 : A cow hyde.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)49b/b : Malencolious metez as beþ cowe flesh and beef [*Ch.(2): kowes flesche].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)109b/a : Medle it in cow mylke [*Ch.(2): the mylk of a kowe].
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)464 : Take swete cowe cruddes, and presse out the qway.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)232 : Tak swete cow mylke.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.29 : Temper hit up with cowmylke þo.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)515 : Cow heelis and Calves fete ar dere y-bouȝt..To medille amonge leeches & Ielies.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)32 : Tak cow creme..Boile cows creme..tak cow cruddes.
c
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)31a/b : Take cowedong [*Ch.(2): kowe donge].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)118a/b : Stercore vaccino i. cowe sherne [*Ch.(2): kowe donge] dried.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)36b/a : Take of kowe tordes.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)p.197 : Ley to it þe nepe roote, cowpisse, þe flour of rye.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)23 : Take..þe bub vndur þe cow torde.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)139/7 : Take a cowis-tord as hot as it comyt fro þe cow and fryit in vinegre.
d
- (1276) Hundred R.Tower 1106 : Adam de Couhus.
- (1285) Inquis.PM Edw.I2.343 : [6 s. 0 1/2 d. from a custom called] Kugelde.
- (a1300) Cust.Rent in OSSLH 277 : Si habeat bovem vel bovetum vel iuvencam dabit de kupeni per annum pro qualibet unum obolum.
- (1300) Deed Yks.in YASRS 5015 : [The stones placed..in a straight line by] le Couhoushill'.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 21106 : Alano del Couhouse.
- (1316-7) Cust.Rent in OSSLH 258 : Certis redditibus et conseutudinibus vocatis..coupeny et Roserye.
- (1345) Doc.Manor in MP 3446 : De coupenys hoc anno ad Pentecostam xx d.
- (1360) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.93 : [The] couhous.
- (1371) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.93 : [A house by the great gate called the] cowhous.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)629 : He cached to his covhous and a calf bryngez.
- (1400-2) in Cunningham Growth E.Indust.604 : Acre seminate: Inde in liberationibus famulorum manerii ex consuetudine pro firma unius vacce pro eis conducte pro lacte inde habendo vestura j rode frumenti et j rode avene hoc anno et vocantur cowrods.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)p.72 : Whi is not thi table sett in thi cow-stalle?
- 1429 in Mun.Magd.Oxf.[OD col.]16 : j cowehous.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)318/11 : j cowhous for kyne.
- a1500(1449) Cart.Boarstall in OHS 88185 : The [three fields..] of..Frithfeld, Cowhousfeld, and Arnegrufeld.
e
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Roy 18.A.6)147/22 fn. : Cowratyl [vr. couratle; cow-rathe; Stockh: Cauliculus agrestus is an herbe þat men clepe glaunde or courake. Þis herbe haȝt lewys lik to platanye but þei are not so moche, and it haȝt a stalke to the lengthe of a cubyte and it haȝt a quyt flour, and it growyȝt most in qwete.].
3.
In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.118].
Associated quotations
- (1227) Deed St.Peter Glo.(2) in BGAS 3820 : [The meadow..called] Cowmede.
- (1231-40) in Wallenberg PNKent81 : Cudene..Couden..Kudenn.
- (1263) Close R.Hen.III237 : Hugo le Cow.
- (1275) Hundred R.Tower 1404 : Godekinus de Coufeld.
- (1296) Newcastle Galley in Archaeol.Ael.4.2168 : Waltero de Cugate.
- (1296-7) Acc.Cornw.in RHS ser.3.68166 : Simone le Ku.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)238 : Þe ualeye men cleopeden koubache [Hrl & Corp-C: Coubache].
- (1379) in Rec.B.Nottingham 1206 : Quandam viam vocatam le Cowlane.
- (1395) in Rec.B.Nottingham 1274 : In communi fossato extra le Coulanebarre.
- a1400(1244) Cart.Ramsey in RS 79.1455 : Agnes Kynewarde.
- a1400(1334) Doc.in Vinogradoff Survey Denbigh5 : Sunt eciam de pastura terre sicce..cxxxv acr..Vnde in le Coupasture lxxvj acr.
- (1404-5) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 781 : Margareta Cowman.
- (1473-4) in Madox Form.Angl.(1702)106 : Ad le Cowcrofteyate ex parte occidentali.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)153/11 : The old faders..vsid..to yeue alle the mylke of here schepe, kyen, and of alle here bestis to the pore peple for þe loue of God.
Note: Additional quote(s)
Note: Belongs to sense 1a.(b).
Note: List of variant spellings in form section may need revision to accord with standards of later MED volumes.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. cow.