α. Old English tué, Old English tuég, Old English tuége, Old English tuóge, Old English twé, Old English twóege, Old English–Middle English twége, Old English–Middle English twǽge, Middle English tuei, Middle English tueie, Middle English tueye, Middle English tuuei, Middle English twei, Middle English tweie, Middle English tweiȝe, Middle English tweye, Middle English tweyȝe, Middle English twie, Middle English twy, Middle English–1600s twey. a950 in J. Stevenson Rituale Ecclesiæ Dunelmensis (1840) 113 Ðerh hvnd seofontig tvoegi boec aldes & nives gicyðnisses.c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark vi. 41 Fif hlafo & tue fiscas.c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke ii. 24 Tuoe turturas vel tuoge birdas culfras [Rushw. twoege t. vel twoege birdas culfra].c975 Rushw. Gosp. John ii. 6 Nimende syndrige sestras twoege vel ðria.c1160 Hatton Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 37 He genam petrum & zebedeus twege sunes [Ags. G. twegen suna].c1175 12th c. Hom. (Bodl.) 98 Twæȝe men herbiforen þis festen festen.c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 207 Þe gostliche rode..haueð twei names, cordis contritio et proximi compassio.c1275 Passion of Our Lord 438 in Old Eng. Misc. 49 Hi nome twey þeoues.c1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 10/317 Þe tweie croiz..þat þe þeoues on i-hanguede were.1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 731 And ȝef is tueie doȝtren half, & half him sulf nom.1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 6322 Bi tuene þis tueye kinges.c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 5322 Hii..sende twie [c1275 Calig. tweien] eorles.a1325 Statutes of Realm in MS Rawl. B.520 f. 65v Tuuei writes of wuche comez tuueine assoines.c1325 Spec. Gy Warw. 785 Tweye manere shame..Þat on goþ to dampnacioun; Þat oþer, to sauuacioun. ▸ a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1876) VI. 5 Bytwene þe tweie [MS. γ twy] riveres.c1400 R. Gloucester's Chron. 754 (MS. α) Þeos tweiȝe kinges. ▸ c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 8 A sillogisme is mad of twey proposiciouns dryuyng out of hem..the thridde proposicioun.
β. Middle English tuai, Middle English tuay, Middle English–1600s (1700s– archaic) tway, 1500s twaye. c1330 Arth. & Merl. (Kölbing) 4788 He hadde strengþe of kniȝtes tvay.a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12699 Of hir war born god childer tuai [rhyme sai; Fairf. tway, Trin. Cambr. twey].a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Coll. Phys.) l. 21756 Þe bodi of elemens tuis tuai [Fairf. tway, Gött. tuay; rhyme I say].1559 W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Hastings li Vniudgd hangth yet the case betwixt them twaye [rhyme saye].1579 E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. May 18 We tway bene men of elder witt.1611 in T. Coryate Crudities sig. d8v Tom is,..the Greeker of the tway [rhyme say].1742 W. Shenstone School-mistress vi For Scepter, she wou'd wield Tway Birchen Sprays. 1865 [see sense 1b].
γ. Scottish Middle English–1600s tway, 1500s–1600s tuay. c1480 (a1400) St. Lawrence 512 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 416 Þai tuk þe cors..þai tway It bare.1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) x. l. 107 Mycht we get ane or tway [rhyme way].1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid i. vi. 17 Amyd the wod his modir met thame tway [rhyme array].1537 in C. Innes Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis (1845) I. 413 Tway pennies for ilk barne absent.1549 in C. Innes Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis (1845) I. 438 For þe tuay part of þe mylne.1570 in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. xvii. 105 That schot, allace! yis realme hes shot in tway [rhyme away].1597 A. Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 446 Ane fouli in hand, or tway [rhyme day].a1600 A. Montgomerie Misc. Poems (1887) i. 12 A turne in tyme is ay worth other tuay [rhyme auay.]1615 W. Mure Misc. Poems viii. 44 Reflecting only on ws tuay [rhyme away].