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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

AMSHACH, AMSHACK, AMSCHICH, NAMSHACH, n. An accident, a misfortune; an injury. [′ɑmʃəx, ′nɑmʃəx (with n from indef. art. an)]Mry.1 a.1927:
Sican an amshach. Fat an amshach.
Bnff. a.1898 W. G. in E.D.D.:
The vricht fell aff o' the reef o' the hoose, an got a gey sehr namshach o' the head.
Bnff.3 1910:
Amshach, an accident, a smash-up of any kind. “I kent he wad get some amshach or anither.”
Bnff.8 c.1920:
Amshach — accident.
Abd. 1768 A. Ross The Rock and the Wee Pickle Tow xiii.:
But there's nae need To sickan an amshack that we drive our head, As langs we're sae skair'd frae the spinning o't.
Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 44:
The laddie's young, an' may rin on o'er fast, An maybe get an amshach wi' his haste.
Abd.(D) 1915 H. Beaton At the Back o' Benachie 50:
Noo, Geordy, be fell gleg, for fear o' amschichs o' ony kin'.
Bch.(D) 1930 P. Giles in Abd. Univ. Rev. (March) 104:
Noo 'at ye mention't A div min' 'at ye hid a terrible amshach. It wiz a wunner ye wizna kyullt.

[Prob. from Gael. aimsith, mischance, missing of aim. “I think it would be safe to take it as a Gael. word and from aimsith with the -ach extension. This -ach is adjectival and aimsitheach would mean primarily ‘unchancy, unfortunate'; but when taken over into Scots it might readily come to be used as a noun. The pronunciation of aimsith is ‘amshee,' with the usual strong stress on the first syllable; aimsitheach would almost inevitably be ‘amshach,' with contraction owing to the initial stress.” W. J. W.]

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