a. Sc. Also couthy. [app. f. COUTH a. + -Y1: cf. Ger. kundig, kündig, OHG. chundig known, knowing, OE. -cyþiȝ, f. cýþ knowledge, early ME. cuþi (ü) ? known, noted.
c. 1205. Lay., 457. Heo beoð to gadere icumene, kuðies mæȝes [c. 1275 cuþie meyes]. Ibid., 5098. Cuðie meies [c. 1275 treuwe broþers]. Ibid. (c. 1275), 860. Þat folk com to gadere, cuþþie meyes [c. 1205 gudliche cnihtes].]
1. Acting as befits persons well known to each other; full of friendly familiarity; warm and friendly in intercourse; kindly, pleasant, genial. (The opposite of treating each other as strangers.)
1719. Ramsay, 2nd Answ. to Hamilton, vii. Heal be your heart, gay couthy carle.
1773. R. Ferguson, Auld Reekie, Wks. (1879), 127. Whare couthy chiels at e’ening meet.
1824. Galt, Rothelan, I. II. x. 234. The magistrate and the chieftain … had often been couthy together.
1871. G. Macdonald, D. Elginbrod, III. vii. 304. If they had met on the shores of the central lake of Africa, they could scarcely have been more couthy together.
b. Said of personal actions and qualities.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., VI. viii. (1849), 287. After a couthy-crack about auld lang syne.
1858. M. Porteous, Souter Johnny, 70. That couthy, social and humourous effect which it [Tam o’Shanter] so eminently possesses.
2. Of things: Agreeable, pleasing, ‘nice.’
1768. Ross, Helenore, 22 (Jam.). The water feckly on a level sled Wi’ little dinn, but couthy what it made. Ibid. (1866), 275. This strange but couthy tale.
a. 1806. in Jamieson, Pop. Ball., I. 293. The spence was ay couthie an’ clean.
3. Used advb. After the way of familiar friends; kindly, genially.
1768. Ross, Helenore, 32 (Jam.). Kindly and couthy ay to her he spak.
1787. Burns, Halloween, vii. Some kindle couthie, side by side, And burn thegither trimly.
1837. R. Nicoll, Poems (1843), 92. She dauts them and hauds them fu’ couthie and well.
Hence Couthy-like, Couthily adv., Couthiness.
1768. Ross, Helenore, 88 (Jam.). He … spake sae kindly, couthy-like, and fair. Ibid., 76. In by they come, and haillst her couthily.
1808. Jamieson, Couthiness, Coudiness, familiarity.
1820. Glenfergus, I. 239 (Jam.). How kind and couthie-like Lord Arnbank was lookin’ to Miss Flora.
