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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scunner, Skunner, -yr, v. Also: scunder, scouner, scowner, scounr-, skownr-, skonr-, skynnr-. [Of unknown origin. Cf. ME skurn to shrink, flinch, take flight (Cursor M.), ‘perhaps. cognate with ON skirra-sk to shrink from’.]

1. intr. To feel reluctance (to do something); to hesitate; to feel disgust, revulsion or discouragement. 1375 Barb. v 201.
Thai … askyt … Quhether that thai suld duell or gang Bot thai war skownrand [C. schonand, 1571 stoneist] wonder sar Sa fer in-to Scotland for to far 1375 Barb. xvii 651 (C).
Bot thai … skunnyrrit [E. scounryt] tharfor na-kyn thing, Bot went stoutly till assalyng c1420 Wynt. ii 1457.
Faynt off kynd all women was And mekyll scownerand to se blude a1500 K. Hart 591.
No langar ly, And scouner nocht to ryd in rane and wynd a1578 Pitsc. I 47/25.
Ȝeit … The rest of the Douglassis skynnrit, thinking the marieage to be wnlesum 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 134.
We to death will fight, … Who suffered for the truth, nothing we skunner a1658 Durham Christ Crucified (1683) 72.
Such as others would scunner and loath to hear them but mentioned

2. To scunner with or, chiefly, to scunner at, to shrink from in revulsion; to be disgusted by; to feel sickness or nausea.OED gives one English instance of to scunner at (1635).(1) a1400 Leg. S. xlvi 99.
Scho relewit thame … & skonryt with nane How foule seknes sa thai had tane a1599 Rollock Wks. I 437.
We can not see it, and thairfoir we skunner not with it(2) 1590 Digest Justiciary Proc. M 24.
Kathrene Nyneday … skunnerit at [Crim. Trials I ii 197, skunnirrit with] it [sc. the poisoning of Lady Balnagoun] samekill that scho sad it wes the sairest & crowellest sicht that evir sche saw 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 23/30.
Remembring of that horrible promise … they might skunner at the same 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 36/20.
Least … they might sturre and skunner at his vglinesse a1599 Rollock Wks. I 444.
He hes not skunnerit at thee, at thy worsum bylis and botchis 1635 Dickson Wr. 98.
Thank God that thy heart scunners at the conversation of the wicked 1638 Henderson Serm. 431.
A thing that is unclean … we will skunner at it, and turn our backs upon it 1639 Baillie I 116.
For their reasons and conclusions I yet scunner at 1653 Binning Case of Conscience 34.
The children of God … do not skunner at courses approven of God 1668-9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 80.
And how men scunner and ugg at their meat being conveyed to them thro' and in such vessels 1683-4 Dick Testim.
Which the Turk himself could not but scunner at 2. a1689 Cleland 104.
We scunner at most part of meat Which we're not used for to eat(b) c1660 J. Livingstone in Sel. Biog. I 273.
When sinlesse nature did sinlesly scunder at the infinite ugsomenes of the cup of wrath