▪ I. howdy, -ie Sc. and north. dial., vulgar.
(ˈhaʊdɪ)
[Origin uncertain.]
A midwife.
| 1725 Ramsay Gentle Sheph. ii. iii, When Mungo's mare stood still and swat wi' fright, When he brought east the howdy under night. 1815 Scott Guy M. i, The laird's servant..rade express by this e'en to fetch the houdie. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. ix. i. (1849) 404 She was determined to have at the occasion a howdie instead of an accoucheur. 1832 Blackw. Mag. XXXII. 853 The most illustrious man-howdie. |
[Note. The conjectured derivation from the phrase how d'ye? is impossible, since the Sc. form would then have been (huːdɪ). On the analogy of Sc. gowdie = goldy, howdy might go back to holdie, an appellative (like brownie, etc.) from hold, friendly, benevolent, kind: cf. F. sage-femme.]
▪ II. howdy
see how-do-ye.