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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

ANGUSDYE, AMUS DEY, n. (See quot.) [′ɑŋəs′dɑɪ, ′ɑməs′dəi(dei)]Moray Firth fishing villages 1929 (per A. Rannie):
Angusdye, a species of starfish.Lossiemouth 1932 (per Mry.4):
In their own way these old fishermen appear to divide the family of starfishes roughly into three classes. . . . The darker coloured variety (brownish) with a body about the size of a pennypiece, with 5 legs, each 4 to 5 inches long they call by your name “Angus dye.”Abd. 1932 (per W. Duncan):
The fishermen here [Boddam] pronounce the name as “amus dey,” and they get any number of them on their lines at certain times and places.

[Appar. so called from some resemblance to the medal (or cake of wax blessed by the Pope) known to R. Catholics as the Agnus Dei, stamped with the figure of the Lamb bearing the Cross. A corrupt form of the name, angus dayis (pl.), with that meaning, is found in O.Sc. (1578). There is perhaps some association of sound and meaning with Die (q.v.) = a toy, a gewgaw. In the mouth of an Italian churchman, or a Sc. churchman educated in Italy, agnus would be pronounced almost as angus — It. aɲus, Sc. aŋus. Amus dey is prob. a folk etym.]

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