▪ I. kae, n.1 north. dial. and Sc.
(ke)
Forms: 4–6 ka, 5 kaa, 6 ca, kay, ke, 5, 8– kae.
[Northern form of ME. Co, corresponding to MDu. ca, ka(e (Du. ka), OHG. chaha, châ (MHG. kâ), Da. kaa, Norw. kaae. The direct source may have been an ON. *ká, kǫ́. Cf. chough.]
A jackdaw. Also fig.
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1539 Some gas hypand als a ka. c 1450 Holland Howlat 191 Crawis and Cais, that cravis the corne. 1483 Cath. Angl. 200/1 Ka (A. Kae), monedula. 1535 Lyndesay Satyre 5241 direct., An Crow or ane Ke salbe castin vp, as it war his saull. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) II. 450 Kayis and piottis, clekit thair birdis in winter. 1786 Burns Earnest Cry & Prayer xxiv, In spite o' a' the thievish kaes That haunt St. Jamie's! 1876 Smiles Sc. Natur. ii. (ed. 4) 25 At last he brought with him..a Kae, or jackdaw. |
b. Comb., as kae-witted a.
| 1837 R. Nicoll Poems (1843) 104 He maun been but a kae-witted bodie! |
▪ II. kae, n.2
[Imitative.]
The cry of a jackdaw.
| 1850 Zoologist VIII. 2913 The well known kae of the jackdaw. |
▪ III. kae
variant of ka v. Obs.