Sc. and north. dial. Also 6 wawe, 8 weawgh. [Echoic: cf. WAUL v.] intr. To cry as a cat or utter a similar sound. Hence Wawing vbl. sb.
1570. Levins, Manip., 45/40. To Wawe as a cat, lallare.
1576. [see MOONER].
1664. Etherege, Com. Revenge, IV. iii.
| Well said Widow, i’ faith; I will get upon thy body | |
| A generation of wild Cats, children that shall | |
| Waw, waw, scratch their Nurses, and be drunk | |
| With their sucking-bottles. |
c. 1746. J. Collier (Tim Bobbin), View Lancs. Dial., Wks. (1862), 47. Three little tyney Bandyhewits … coom Weawghing os if th’ little Rott’ns wou’d ha worrit meh.
c. 1817. Hogg, Tales, Mary Montgomery (1865), 590/2. He was a’ covered wi’ blood, an’ had a bit bloody bairn wawin’ on afore him.
1876. J. Richardson, Cummerland Talk, Ser. II. 147. Oor Betty’s allus wawin’, wawin’,… Nowt in this warld, o’ that I’s sarten. Wad keep her fra her wawin’ lang!
1887. [G. G. Green] Gordonhaven, v. 54. Ah thocht Ah heard a kin’ o’a wawin or something o’ that sort oot o’ the sea.
