Glossary of Scottish Dialect : S


These definitions are taken from the “Glossary of Scottish Dialect” from The Harvard Classics volume 6, “The Poems and Songs of Robert Burns,” 1909. The volume is in the public domain. Aside from their inherent interest, they are valuable to anyone reading the work of Burns.

Sab, to sob.
Sae, so.
Saft, soft.
Sair, sore, hard, severe, strong.
Sair, to serve.
Sair, sairly, sorely.
Sairie, sorrowful, sorry.
Sall, shall.
Sandy, Sannack, dim. of Alexander.
Sark, a shirt.
Saugh, the willow.
Saul, soul.
Saumont, sawmont, the salmon.
Saunt, saint.
Saut, salt.
Saut-backets, v. backets.
Saw, to sow.
Sawney, v. sandy.
Sax, six.
Scar, to scare.
Scar, v. scaur.
Scathe, scaith, damage; v. skaith.
Scaud, to scald.
Scaul, scold.
Scauld, to scold.
Scaur, afraid; apt to be scared.
Scaur, a jutting rock or bank of earth.
Scho, she.
Scone, a soft flour cake.
Sconner, disgust.
Sconner, sicken.
Scraichin, calling hoarsely.
Screed, a rip, a rent.
Screed, to repeat rapidly, to rattle.
Scriechin, screeching.
Scriegh, skriegh, v. skriegh.
Scrievin, careering.
Scrimpit, scanty.
Scroggie, scroggy, scrubby.
Sculdudd’ry, bawdry.
See’d, saw.
Seisins, freehold possessions.
Sel, sel’, sell, self.
Sell’d, sell’t, sold.
Semple, simple.
Sen’, send.
Set, to set off; to start.
Set, sat.
Sets, becomes.
Shachl’d, shapeless.
Shaird, shred, shard.
Shanagan, a cleft stick.
Shanna, shall not.
Shaul, shallow.
Shaver, a funny fellow.
Shavie, trick.
Shaw, a wood.
Shaw, to show.
Shearer, a reaper.
Sheep-shank, a sheep’s trotter; nae sheep-shank bane = a person of no small importance.
Sheerly, wholly.
Sheers, scissors.
Sherra-moor, sheriffmuir.
Sheugh, a ditch, a furrow; gutter.
Sheuk, shook.
Shiel, a shed, cottage.
Shill, shrill.
Shog, a shake.
Shool, a shovel.
Shoon, shoes.
Shore, to offer, to threaten.
Short syne, a little while ago.
Shouldna, should not.
Shouther, showther, shoulder.
Shure, shore (did shear).
Sic, such.
Siccan, such a.
Sicker, steady, certain; sicker score = strict conditions.
Sidelins, sideways.
Siller, silver; money in general.
Simmer, summer.
Sin, son.
Sin’, since.
Sindry, sundry.
Singet, singed, shriveled.
Sinn, the sun.
Sinny, sunny.
Skaith, damage.
Skeigh, skiegh, skittish.
Skellum, a good-for-nothing.
Skelp, a slap, a smack.
Skelp, to spank; skelpin at it = driving at it.
Skelpie-limmer’s-face, a technical term in female scolding (R. B.).
Skelvy, shelvy.
Skiegh, v. skeigh.
Skinking, watery.
Skinklin, glittering.
Skirl, to cry or sound shrilly.
Sklent, a slant, a turn.
Sklent, to slant, to squint, to cheat.
Skouth, scope.
Skriech, a scream.
Skriegh, to scream, to whinny.
Skyrin, flaring.
Skyte, squirt, lash.
Slade, slid.
Slae, the sloe.
Slap, a breach in a fence; a gate.
Slaw, slow.
Slee, sly, ingenious.
Sleekit, sleek, crafty.
Slidd’ry, slippery.
Sloken, to slake.
Slypet, slipped.
Sma’, small.
Smeddum, a powder.
Smeek, smoke.
Smiddy, smithy.
Smoor’d, smothered.
Smoutie, smutty.
Smytrie, a small collection; a litter.
Snakin, sneering.
Snap, smart.
Snapper, to stumble.
Snash, abuse.
Snaw, snow.
Snaw-broo, snow-brew (melted snow).
Sned, to lop, to prune.
Sneeshin mill, a snuff-box.
Snell, bitter, biting.
Snick, a latch; snick-drawing = scheming; he weel a snick can draw = he is good at cheating.
Snirtle, to snigger.
Snoods, fillets worn by maids.
Snool, to cringe, to snub.
Snoove, to go slowly.
Snowkit, snuffed.
Sodger, soger, a soldier.
Sonsie, sonsy, pleasant, good-natured, jolly.
Soom, to swim.
Soor, sour.
Sough, v. sugh.
Souk, suck.
Soupe, sup, liquid.
Souple, supple.
Souter, cobbler.
Sowens, porridge of oat flour.
Sowps, sups.
Sowth, to hum or whistle in a low tune.
Sowther, to solder.
Spae, to foretell.
Spails, chips.
Spairge, to splash; to spatter.
Spak, spoke.
Spates, floods.
Spavie, the spavin.
Spavit, spavined.
Spean, to wean.
Speat, a flood.
Speel, to climb.
Speer, spier, to ask.
Speet, to spit.
Spence, the parlor.
Spier, v. speer.
Spleuchan, pouch.
Splore, a frolic; a carousal.
Sprachl’d, clambered.
Sprattle, scramble.
Spreckled, speckled.
Spring, a quick tune; a dance.
Sprittie, full of roots or sprouts (a kind of rush).
Sprush, spruce.
Spunk, a match; a spark; fire, spirit.
Spunkie, full of spirit.
Spunkie, liquor, spirits.
Spunkies, jack-o’-lanterns, will-o’-wisps.
Spurtle-blade, the pot-stick.
Squatter, to flap.
Squattle, to squat; to settle.
Stacher, to totter.
Staggie, dim. of staig.
Staig, a young horse.
Stan’, stand.
Stane, stone.
Stan’t, stood.
Stang, sting.
Stank, a moat; a pond.
Stap, to stop.
Stapple, a stopper.
Stark, strong.
Starnies, dim. of starn, star.
Starns, stars.
Startle, to course.
Staumrel, half-witted.
Staw, a stall.
Staw, to surfeit; to sicken.
Staw, stole.
Stechin, cramming.
Steek, a stitch.
Steek, to shut; to close.
Steek, to shut; to touch, meddle with.
Steeve, compact.
Stell, a still.
Sten, a leap; a spring.
Sten’t, sprang.
Stented, erected; set on high.
Stents, assessments, dues.
Steyest, steepest.
Stibble, stubble.
Stibble-rig, chief reaper.
Stick-an-stowe, completely.
Stilt, limp (with the aid of stilts).
Stimpart, a quarter peck.
Stirk, a young bullock.
Stock, a plant of cabbage; colewort.
Stoited, stumbled.
Stoiter’d, staggered.
Stoor, harsh, stern.
Stoun’, pang, throb.
Stoure, dust.
Stourie, dusty.
Stown, stolen.
Stownlins, by stealth.
Stoyte, to stagger.
Strae death, death in bed. (i. e., on straw).
Staik, to stroke.
Strak, struck.
Strang, strong.
Straught, straight.
Straught, to stretch.
Streekit, stretched.
Striddle, to straddle.
Stron’t, lanted.
Strunt, liquor.
Strunt, to swagger.
Studdie, an anvil.
Stumpie, dim. of stump; a worn quill.
Sturt, worry, trouble.
Sturt, to fret; to vex.
Sturtin, frighted, staggered.
Styme, the faintest trace.
Sucker, sugar.
Sud, should.
Sugh, sough, sigh, moan, wail, swish.
Sumph, churl.
Sune, soon.
Suthron, southern.
Swaird, sward.
Swall’d, swelled.
Swank, limber.
Swankies, strapping fellows.
Swap, exchange.
Swapped, swopped, exchanged.
Swarf, to swoon.
Swat, sweated.
Swatch, sample.
Swats, new ale.
Sweer, v. dead-sweer.
Swirl, curl.
Swirlie, twisted, knaggy.
Swith, haste; off and away.
Swither, doubt, hesitation.
Swoom, swim.
Swoor, swore.
Sybow, a young union.
Syne, since, then.

Log in or registerto write something here or to contact authors.