A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1500-1640
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0]
Screke, Scrike, Skrech, Skrych, n. Also: skrek(e, screik, skreik, scrake, scraik, skrik(e, (skirk), scryke, skryke, schruik; skreich, skriech, skreigh, screich; scritch; shraich. [ME and e.m.E. scryke (14th c.) skryke (c1400), scriche (1513), skreeche (1560), shreke (1577), skritche (1599), scrik (1614), screek (1681); Screke v.] A harsh, shrill sound; a penetrating cry, screech or shriek.Common in Doug.(a) 1513 Doug. ii xii 14.
Childring, effrayt matronys eik, Stude al on raw, with mony petuus screik 1513 Ib. iv viii 111 (Sm.).
And oft with wild skrek [C., Ruddim. scryke] the nycht oule, … was hard ȝoule 1513 Ib. vii Prol. 108.
The nycht owle, … Vgsum to heir was hir wild elrich screke [Sm. screik, Ruddim. skreik] 1587-99 Hume 43/66.
The tender child with sobs … And reuthfull skreikes(b) 1513 Doug. ii xi 1 (Ruthv.) (see (c) below).
Scrakis 1513 Ib. xii v 80 (Ruddim.).
Scraik [c., Sm. strake] (c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 164/97.
The ja him skrippit with a skryke 1513 Doug. ii viii 83.
Duylful scryke [Sm. scrike, Ruddim. skrik] and walyng 1513 Ib. xi 1.
Skyrlys and … scrykis [Sm., Ruddim. skrekis, Ruthv. scrakis] 1513 Ib. vii vi 125.
Sum othiris went ȝelland under the lynd, Quhill all the skyis of thar scryke [Sm. screik, Ruddim. skrik, Ruthv. skirk] fordynnys 1513 Ib. xi iv 20.
The dolorus town … With petuus scrykis and gowlyng fyllit thai 1513 Ib. xii xiii 172 (Ruddim.).
Skrikis 1513 Ib. iv viii 111 (see (a) above).(d) 1535 Stewart 19723.
The schouting, crying, and the bailfull beir, So grislie gronis with mony schruikis skrill(e) 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 39.
The herrons gaif ane vyild skrech a1568 Bannatyne MS I p. 33/61.
Thow wes skurgit wt skrech and skorne 1600 Criminal Trials II 250.
And going by the window … hard the Kings skreichs [Misc. Bann. C. I 147 skriechs] and cryis 1622 Ib. III 510.
With pitiefull screiches, schoutis, and cryis, lying in that horrible payne c1614 Mure Dido & Æneas 395.
The skreigh is rais'd, with many rewfull cries a1640 Mure Counter-buff 78.
Childish gazers, who With skriechs and clamours hiss him to and fro(f) c1590 J. Stewart 66/61.
Vith trimbling terror than vas skrychs … for till eschew this varior 1590–1 Criminal Trials I ii 220.
Suddenly hee gave a great scritch, and fell into madnesse(g) 1587-99 Hume 54/59.
Let heir the shraichs of deadly clarions
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Screke n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/screke_n>
