Wough sb.¹

Obs. exc. dial. Forms: α. 1–4 wah (5 Sc. wacht). β. 1 waʓ, 4 wagh, wau; 1 (dat.) waʓe, 3 waȝhe, wauȝe, 4 waghe, wawe; pl. 1 waʓas, 3 waȝes, 4 waghis, 5 wawis, -es. γ. 4 woȝ (dat. woȝe, pl. woȝes), 4, 7–9 wogh, 5 woch, 8 woagh; 3–4 wouh, 4 wouȝ, wougbe, 5, 8–9 wough. δ. 4–5 wowe, 4 wow; pl. 3–5 wowes (3 woawes), 5 wowen. [OE. wáʓ (also wǽʓ), wáh, = OFris. wâch (W.Fris. weach, EFris. wóch, NFris. woch, wuch, ûch, etc.), related to Goth. waddjus, ON. veggr (see WIG sb.²).

  The later Sc. waw, wa’, and northern dial. waw, woa, wo’, are normal phonetic developments of wall, and their wide currency indicates that they represent that word rather than this.]

  1.  A wall of a house; a partition.

  α.  c. 888.  Ælfred, Boeth., xxxvi. § 7. Swa swa ælces huses wah bið fæst æʓðer ʓe on ðære flore ʓe on ðæm hrofe.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., I. 288. Him ne wiðstent nan ðing, naðer ne stænen weall ne bryden wah.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 1015. An waȝherifft Wass spredd fra wah to waȝhe.

c. 1205.  Lay., 25887. He nom þare halle wah [v.r. wað] and helden hine to grunde.

a. 1240.  Sawles Warde, in O. E. Hom., I. 247. Is eauer hire unþeaw forte sechen in-ȝong abute þe wahes to a murðrin hire þrinne.

13[?].  Cursor M., 23216 (Edin.). Paintid fire … þat apon a wah war wroht.

a. 1500.  Bernardus de cura rei fam. (E.E.T.S.), 7. Quhile þa ly by þe wacht.

  β.  Beowulf, 1662. Þæt ic on waʓe ʓeseah wlitiʓ hangian eald sweord eacen.

c. 893.  K. Ælfred, Oros., V. xv. 250. He oft … sloʓ mid his heafde on þone waʓ.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 151. Hie þa wurdon sona ablinde … & heora heafdu sloʓan on þa waʓas.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 6815. An waȝhe off Cristess kirrke. Ibid., 6825. Þatt hirnestan Þatt band ta tweȝȝen waȝhess.

c. 1205.  Lay., 10182. Heo letten alle þa scrud at þere dure werpen vt, wascen þe waȝes [c. 1275 wowes].

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 7667. Þe king þan hent a sper scarp To stair him thoru vnto þe wau [Gött. wawe; Fairf. wagh].

1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 6619. A purtrayd fire on a waghe, Þat es paynted outher heghe or laghe.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex., 3222. Ȝit ware þe wawes of þe wanes,… Polischid all of pure gold.

  γ.  c. 1200.  Vices & Virtues, 95. Cariteð arist up fram ðe grundwalle, and beclepð all ðe wouh.

c. 1290.  St. Dunstan, 132, in S. Eng. Leg., 23. Þe harpe he hengvp bi þe wouh.

a. 1300.  K. Horn, 970 (Camb.). Þe se bigan to þroȝe Vnder hir woȝe.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1144. Þys olde man was broght so logh Þat he lay ful colde besyde a wogh.

1340.  Ayenb., 72. Betuene ham and paradys ne is bote a lyte woȝ.

1382.  Wyclif, Ps. lxi. 4. As to a boowid woughe, and to a ston wal put doun.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 4773. In the castell … all was bare as a bast, to þe bigge woghes.

c. 1440.  Pallad. on Husb., I. 785. Hym liketh best a daubed wough, and he Wol haue a wal of cley and stoon.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 181. An adyrcope … come of þe woch.

1674.  Ray, N. C. Words, 54. A Wogh, a Wall, Lanc.

1703.  Thoresby, Lett. to Ray, A Wogh, any Partition, whether of Boards or mud Walls, or Laths and Lime; as a Boardshed-woagh, studded wogh.

c. 1746.  J. Collier (Tim Bobbin), View Lancs. Dial., Wks. (1862), 69. I crope under a Wough.

1847.  Lytton, Lucretia, II. xix. She lived agin the wogh yonder, where you see that gent coming out.

  δ.  a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 172. Þauh hire licome beo wiðinnen þe uour woawes.

a. 1225.  Owl & Night., 1528. Wowes west and lere huse.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 4272. Here mayst thou bettyr slepe a throwe Than sytte and loke vppon a wowe.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 1531. In þe palays pryncipale vpon þe playn wowe.

1390.  Gower, Conf., I. 324. Ther was nothing hem betwene, Bot wow to wow and wall to wall.

c. 1400.  Laud Troy Bk., 18388. Troye is doune & ouer-throwen, Tour & bour, walle & wowen.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 533/1. Wowe, wal [v.rr. wowe or wall], paries, murus.

c. 1450.  Godstow Reg., 551. j. yerde bitwene the wowes.

a. 1470.  H. Parker, Dives & Pauper (W. de W., 1496), V. iii. 198/1. God lykeneth flaterers to theym that playstren & paynten walles and wowes without.

  2.  Mining. The side of a vein.

1653.  Manlove, Liberties of Lead-Mines, 234. If … woughs be strete, the Miner then may fire. Ibid., 259. Water holes, Wind holes, Veyns, Coe-shafts and Woughs.

1681.  T. Houghton, Rara Avis (E.D.S.), 44. Woughs, the walls or sides, sometimes of hard stone, and sometimes soft.

1836.  R. Furness, Astrologer, I. Wks. (1858), 135. Where wough or rider, twitch’d a leading fast, There he was matchless at a tearing blast.

  3.  Comb.: † wough-nail, wall-nail (WALL sb.¹ 22).

  OE. wáʓryft, -rift occurs in the Ormulum as waʓherifft.

1331.  in Topham, Colleg. Chap. St. Stephen (1834), 67. Eidem pro 1000 de Wounail empt’ pro quadam interclus’ in dicta domo faciend’.

c. 1300.  in Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. 498. [On the Irish estates we find a kind of nail called] ‘woh’ or ‘wouwe-nails.’ Ibid. (1411), III. 447. Wogh prig nails.