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.
Quotation dates: 1500-1578
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Scarth, Skarth, n.2 Also: scarcht, skartht; skart; scratche; karthe. [ME and e.m.E. skratt (15th c.), scrate (c1475), scrette (Caxton), scrayte (1552), 19th c. north. Eng. dial scrat, scart, scratch (1878) ?OE *scratta (?miswritten scritta), ON skratte wizard, goblin, monster.] a. A monster. b. A hermaphrodite. —a. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 58.
Scarth fra scorpione, scaldit in scurrilitie c1500-c1512 Ib. 194. c1500-c1512 Id. Tua Mar. W. 92.
Ane scabbit skarth, ane scorpioun a1538 Abell 67a. —
Ane of thame amang the Pichtis wes borne callit a skart conuenand with tua naturis with ane swynis heid fra the breist with gwis feit bot mannis leggisb. a1578 Pitsc. I 145 heading.
Of the skartht that was born of baith the kyndis maile and female a1578 Ib. 145/20.
Ane bairne … quhilk had baitht the kyndis of maill and famell callit in our langage karthe [v.rr. scarcht, scratche]
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"Scarth n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/scarth_n_2>
