A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1535-1542, 1595-1596
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Swap, Suap, n. [ME and e.m.E. swap (14th c.), swappe (Chaucer) a blow, swap (1625) an exchange; Swap v.] a. An act of striking, a blow. Also fig. b. ? An act of exchanging, an exchange, a swap. —a. 1535 Stewart 56765.
Greit wounder wes … To heir and se sic rusching and sic rerd, … So soir smytting with mony swyng and swap —fig. 1542 Hamilton P. I 159.
Suche pouer as may rasyst thair pryd and gyfe thame ane gryt suap —b. 1595–6 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 31.
Item xs for the swap to be allowit in the Witsonday termes meill
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Swap n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/swap_n>
