A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1450-1456, 1513-1600, 1693
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Spar(r)ow, n. Also: sparrowe, spar(r)ou. [ME and e.m.E. spar(e)we (Layamon), sparuwe, speruwe (both Ancr. R.), sparu (Cursor M.), sparow (Rolle), sparou (1555), sparrow (1601), OE spearwa.] A sparrow. Also attrib. c1450-2 Howlat 226 (A).
The sparrowe [B. sparrow] … Lyand in lichory, laith, vnloveable 1456 Hay I 12/12.
The sparow is a lytill foule janglare 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 239.
The sparrow chyrmys in the wallis clyft 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 39/24.
The garruling of the stirlene gart the sparrou cheip 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. Prov. No. 190.
The sparrow is taucht to come quhen he is ȝoung 1693 Foulis Acc. Bk. 158.
For 3 sparousattrib. a1600 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 171.
The sparrow aiker … xxvj s. viij d.
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"Sparow n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/sparrow>
