Sc. and north. dial. Forms: α. 4 qwy, 5 qui, 5–6 qwye, 6 quy, 6–7 quye; 5 que, 5–9 quee; 8– quey; 6 koy, 6–9 quoy, 9 coy. β. north. 5–9 why(e, 6 qwhy, 7–8 whee, whie, 7–9 whey, 9 wy(e, etc. [a. ON. kvíga (Sw. qviga, Da. kvie), app. f. kú COW.] A young cow before it has had a calf; a heifer.

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  α.  1374.  Durh. Halm. Rolls (Surtees), 124. xij stots et qwyis.

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c. 1425.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 669/10. Hec juuenca quee.

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1485.  Will, in Ripon Ch. Acts (Surtees), 277. That Elyne Peke have a quye.

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1508.  Dunbar, Flyting, 142. Beggand koy and ox.

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1513.  Douglas, Æneis, IV. ii. 19. Ane vntamyt ȝoung quoy.

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1673.  Depos. Cast. York (Surtees), 196. A quye … which now pines away.

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1725.  Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., II. i. Ye … sauld your crummock, and her bassand quey.

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1768.  A. Ross, Fort. Shepherdess, III. 112. The beef of the new slaughter’d quoy.

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1818.  Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxxix. If Gowans, the brockit cow, has a quey.

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1884.  G. S. Streatfeild, Linc. & Danes, 263. The garthman … will be proud to show you, amongst other live-stock, the stots and quees.

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  β.  1483.  Cath. Angl., 426/1. A Why, bucula, juuenca.

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1565.  Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 230. vj oxen iiijor kye or qwhyes.

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1614.  Inv., in Trans. Cumbld. & Westmld. Arch. Soc., III. 113. 20 stotts, 5 whies, 14 younger neats.

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1726.  Dict. Rust. (ed. 3), Whee or Whey, a Word us’d in Yorkshire, for an Heifer.

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1802.  in Anderson, Cumbld. Ball., 23. I carried our whye to the bull.

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  b.  Comb. quey-calf [= ON. kvígukalfr, Sw. qvigkalf, Da. kviekalv], a female calf.

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1568.  Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 293. I gyue vnto … my dowghter one quye calfe.

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1575.  in R. Welford, Hist. Newcastle (1885), II. 465. The first whey calf that God sends him.

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1725.  Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., III. ii. Twa quey cawfs I’Il yearly to them give.

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1855.  Stephens, Bk. of Farm (ed. 2), I. 506/2. The quey-calf occupies the near, and the bull-calf the off-side horn.

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  Hence Queyock (also 6 quiok, 7 quoy-, quyach, 9 queyoch, etc.); = QUEY.

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1513.  Douglas, Æneis, VIII. iv. 76. In the cave … a quyok lowis.

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1536.  Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. p. iv. The quiokis war nevir slane quhill they wer with calfe.

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1609.  Skene, Reg. Maj., 2 b. Item for the Serjant, ane colpindach (ane quyach, ane ȝoung kow).

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