Forms: α. 1 eowu (3 awe, ouwe), 6–8 ew, (6 eawe), 1– ewe. β. 4 yoo, 6 Sc. yeowe, ȝow, (ȝown), 6–7 Sc. ȝoue, 6–8 yew(e, 4–9 Sc. and north. dial. yow(e. [Com. Teut. and Aryan: OE. eowu (? éowu), corresp. to OFris. ei (MDu. oie, eie, Du. ooi), OHG. ouwi, au, ou (MHG. awe, ou, mod.HG. dial. au- in aulamm ewe-lamb), ON. ær:—OTeut. *awi-z:—OAryan *owi-s; cf. L. ovi-s, Gr. ὀ(ϝ)ίς, OIr. oi, OSl. ovĭ-ca, Lith. avì-s, Skr. avi.
The OE. represents a type *ęwwi:—WGer. *awwi, the word having assumed the ending of the short a- stems; cf. dęnu from OTeut. *dani-z. It is disputed whether the diphthong is long (éo:—eu from ęw) or short (eo, a modification of ę due to the influence of the following w; cf. eo as u- umlaut of e). The latter view is favored by the retention of the final -u, which is normal only in short stems.]
1. A female sheep.
α. Laws of Ine, lv. Eowu biþ, mid hire ʓeonge sceape scilling weorþ.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. xxxiii. 13. Ic hæbbe … ʓeeane eowa and ʓecelfe cy mid me.
a. 1100. in Cod. Dipl., IV. 307. To eastran two ewe mid twam lamban.
a. 1240. Cuckoo Song, in Ritson, Anc. Songs, 3. Sumer is icumen in … Awe bleteþ after lomb.
a. 1300. Debate Soul & Body, in Map’s Poems (Camd.), 335. I scholde have ben dumb as a schep, or as a nouwe.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVIII. 21 (MS. T.). By meris mylk lyuede & Ewis.
1465. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (1841), 296. For a ram and xix ewes, pryse the pece, xx.d.
1599. Broughton’s Lett., ii. 8. It is a poore flocke of sheepe where the Ew must beare the bell.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 649. Ewes and thir bleating Lambs.
1728. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., II. iv. When … I to milk the ewes first tried my skill.
1842. Bischoff, Woollen Manuf., II. 293. They seldom mistake the ewe to which each lambkin belongs.
β. c. 1386. Chaucer, Sec. Nun’s T., 199. Sche sendeth here As meek as ever was eny lamb to yow.
a. 1400[?]. Chester Pl., Shepherds, I. 120. Be it weither or be it yoo.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. xiii. 22. In wirschip of Erix … a blak ȝow to god of tempestis fell.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxxvii. 71. As he was folowinge the yowes greate with yonge.
1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, Prol. 54. The Watter is comparit to the Ȝown.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 19. She can wynke on the yew, and wery the lam.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, IV. lxxv. 540. The Cheese that they vse to make of Yeowes and Goates mylke.
1572. Mascall, Govt. Cattle, Sheep (1627), 249. There is also in the teats of Goates, as in yeaws a certaine stopping in some of their teats.
1616–61. Holyday, Persius, 305. Bless thou my Lambs, And make my tender Yews the happy Dams Of many young-ones.
1714. Fr. Bk. of Rates, 51. Sheep, Yews per Head.
1781. Burns, Death Mailie. Warn him … To stay content wi’ yowes at hame.
b. (See quot.)
1879. A. Galletly, Wool, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 260/1. The term … ‘ewes’ is applied in long-stapled wools, to the short, tender, inferior fleeces.
2. transf.
1610. B. Jonson, Alch., V. v. (1612), M 4. [To his sister] Kas. Come on, you Yew, you haue match’d most sweetly, ha’ you not?
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Ewe, or the White Ewe, a Top-woman among the Canting Crew, very Beautiful. Ibid., Strowling-morts … Travel the Countries, making Laces upon Ewes.
1725. New Cant. Dict., Yews.
18[?]. Jamieson, Rotten yow, metaph., Applied to a person … subjected to much expectoration.
3. attrib. and Comb., as ewe-mutton, -trade; also, ewe-bught, Sc. (see BOUGHT sb.2); ewegang (see quot. and GANG sb.); ewe-hog (see quot. and HOG); ewe lamb, a female lamb; also fig. (with spec. reference to 2 Sam. xii.); ewe-lease, a pasture for ewes (see LEASE sb.1); ewe-milk, milk of ewes; also attrib.; ewe-milker, one who milks ewes; also ewe-milking, vbl. sb.; ewe-teg, a ewe in its second year (see TEG).
1724. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 88. Will ye go to the *ew-bughts, Marion, And wear in the sheep wi’ me.
1813. Hogg, Queen’s Wake, 252. At ewe-bught, or at evening fold.
1836. Hor. Smith, Tin Trump., I. 157. Comes dancing in from the ewe-bughts the bright-eyed Bessie.
1769. Bp. Wilton, Inclos. Act, 7. A certain sheep-walk called *ewegang … the said ewegang shall remain.
1614. Markham, Cheap Husb. (1623), 106. The first year a male Lambe is called a weather-Hog and a female Lambe an *Ewe-Hog.
1388. Wyclif, Gen. xxi. 28. Abraham settide seuene *ewe lambren of the flok asidis.
1611. Bible, 2 Sam. xii. 3. The poore man had nothing saue one litle ewe lambe.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, v. I cannot afford the church my only and single ewe-lamb.
1884. Tennyson, Becket, 81. The black sheep baaed to the miller’s ewe-lamb.
1874. T. Hardy, Far fr. Madding Crowd, I. xiv. 168. Over the snowy down or *ewe-lease on Weatherbury Upper Farm.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 42. Thai maid grit cheir of euyrie sort of mylk, baytht of ky mylk & *ȝoue mylk.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxxviii. Maybe ye may like the ewe-milk … cheese better. Ibid. (1815), Guy M., xxiii. A half-dressed *ewe-milker … shut it [the door] in their faces.
1728. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., II. iv. When … I at *ewe-milking first sey’d my young skill.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., V. A good fat legge of *ewe mutton.
1888. Daily News, 1 Nov., 7/3. Meat.—Ewe mutton equally improved in value.
1696. Lond. Gaz., No. 3194/4. There is 2 Rams … and 7 or 8 *Ewe Tegs among them.
1890. Daily News, 2 Sept., 2/7. The *ewe trade was extremely dull owing to the arrivals of sheep from abroad.
b. in the names of various plants, as ewe-bramble, dial., the common bramble, Rubus fruticosus; ewe-daisy, Potentilla Tormentilla; ewe-flower, ? the daisy; ewe-gowan, Sc., the common daisy, Bellis perennis.
1818. Hogg, Brownie of Bodsbeck, I. 215 (Jam.). Enough to mak the pinks an’ the ewe gowans blush to the very lip? Ibid. (1825), Queen Hynde, 14. The little ewe-flower starr’d the lea.
1847–78. Halliwell, Ewe-gowan, the common daisy. North.
1853. G. Johnston, Nat. Hist. E. Bord., I. 72. Potentilla tormentilla…. Ewe-Daisy.
1876. in Britten & Holland, Dict. Plant.-n.
1888. W. Somerset Word-bk., Ewe-brimble, the common bramble, Rubus fruticosus.
