▪ I. faw, n.
(fɔː)
[Application of Faa, the surname of a tribe of Scottish gypsies; prob. a cognomen originally identical with next adj.]
A gypsy. Also attrib., as faw gang, a gang of gypsies.
| 1756 Jarrow Par. Reg., Francis Heron, king of y⊇ Faws, bur. 13 Jan. 1777 Brand Pop. Antiq. (1849) III. 100 Gipsies still continue to be called ‘Faws’ in the N. of England. 1825 Brockett N.C. Words 69 Faw-gang, a company of riffraff. 1827 Mackenzie Hist. Newcastle II. 767 note, Tinkers, cloggers..egglers, and others of that worthy race called Faws. 1869 Lonsdale Gloss., Faw-gang..a gang of rogues and beggars. |
▪ II. † faw, a. Obs.
Forms: 1 faaȝ, fáȝ, 2 foaȝ, fogh, 3 fah, foh, south. vaȝ, 4 fowe, 4– faw.
[OE. fáᵹ, fáh = OHG. fêh, Goth. faihs:—OTeut. *faiho-z:—pre-Teut. *poiko-s, cognate with Gr. ποικίλος particoloured. (The mod.Eng form would normally be *fow or *fough; faw is from northern dialects.)]
1. Coloured, stained, streaked; particoloured, variegated. Also in Comb. as gold-faw.
| a 700 Epinal Gloss. 61 Arrius [varius]: faaᵹ. Beowulf 1631 Laᵹu drusade wæter under wolcnum wæl dreore faᵹ. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 124 Ram ᵹeallan þone faᵹan cnua on niwe ealo. c 1150 Semi-Sax. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 542 Fuluus, uel flauus..fouh. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 53 Þas faȝe neddre bitacneð þis faȝe folc þe wuneð in þisse weorlde..Witeð eow þet ȝe ne beo noht þe foaȝe neddre. c 1205 Lay. 24653 Sum hafde gode grene æc, and alches cunnes fah clað. Ibid. 30984 Gold-uaȝe sceldes scanden bilifes. c 1440 Gaw. & Galaron ii. 13 in Pinkerton Scot. Poems (1792) III. 218 Ferly fayr wes the feild, flekerit and faw, With gold and goulis in greyne. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. x. (1839) 500 The God of bestis and of feildis faw. |
b. In the plant-name fawthistle (lit. coloured thistle), the card thistle or teasel. Obs.
| 1483 Cath. Angl. 124/1 Fawthistelle, labrum veneris. |
c. Of objects that reflect light: Bright, glancing, gleaming, twinkling.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. lxxxviii[i]. 36 Fultum þu him afyrdest faᵹan sweordes. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 747 The pryce schippez..fondez wyth fulle saile ower the fawe ythez. |
2. quasi-n. The adj. used absol. coupled with gray. A species of fur, e.g. ermine (see quot. a 1200). Cf. OF. vair et gris.
| a 1200 Moral Ode 361 Ne scal þer beo fou ne grei ne cunig ne ermine. c 1275 Doomsday 28 in O.E. Misc. 164 Moni of thisse riche that wereden foh and grei. c 1314 Guy Warw. (A.) 4174 Gij him schred in fou & gray. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 1220 Þai raft me fowe and griis, And þus wounded þai me. |
▪ III. faw
dial. and Sc. form of fall v.
▪ IV. faw
obs. form of fain, few.