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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ATWEESH, Acqueesh, Atwish, Atweest, Atweese, Atweech, prep., adv. (Ags. 1826 A. Balfour Highland Mary I. 242), Atweesht (wm.Sc. 1832 Laird of Logan (1854) 322), with aphetic forms,  Sc. forms corresponding, with Betweesh, to Gen.Eng. betwixt (and to atwixt, Mid.Eng. and mod.arch. or dial. Eng.). [ə′twiʃ Sc. but Abd. + ə′twis; ə′twist Sh., Kcb.; ə′twɪʃ Mry., Ayr; ə′kwiʃ Ayr. + twiʃt]

1. prep. Between (in various senses). Gen.Sc.Sh.(D) 1898 “Junda” Klingrahool 24:
Du'll gie dem a halloe tweest every twa.Sh.(D) 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 36:
I wis gotten da lamb . . . atweest me knees.Mry.(D) 1824 J. Cock Hamespun Lays 30:
Nae doubt ye hae a ruth o' care, Atwish your business an' the fair.Bnff. 1856 J. Collie Poems 121:
Glowrin' atweesh me an' the licht, Hech, wow, I saw an unco sicht.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 52:
Sick, sick she was, as ever lay on strae, An' near gae up the ghost 'tweesh that an' wae.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Fruits of Time Parings 35:
Glowring atweese her and the sky.Mearns 1819 J. Burness Plays, Poems, etc., 134:
The gryte contrast atweesh this hairst time an' the last.Ayr. 1787 Burns Works (1878) IV. (Prose) 244:
The deil-sticket a five galloppers acqueesh Clyde and Whithorn could cast saut on her tail.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize III. iv.:
Atwish the hours of dark and dawn.Ayr. 1900 “G. Douglas” House w. the G. Shutters (1905) 135:
A year's carting tweesht the quarry and the town foot. Ib. 268: acqueesh.Kcb.4 1900:
There's no muckle atweest us, we'll just split the difference.Kcb. 1913 (d.1902) J. Heughan Virgil's “Golden Age,” Gallovidian XV. 109:
Tweest drink an' eatin'.

2. adv. Between. Esp. in phr. atweesh and atween, so so.Abd.2 1982:
“Fu' are ye keepin', Sandy?” “O jist atweesh an' atween. Ae day a bittie better, an' the neest nae sae weel.”

[Atweesh is prob. formed on the stem of Betweesh (q.v.), like Atween from between. -Tweesh, -twish, etc., go back to the second element in O.E. betweox, betweohs, from an unrecorded *twisc, twofold (Ger. cogn. zwischen, Du. tusschen). The excrescent t is already found in O.E. The acqueesh forms are due to the assimilation of t to the back position of the following w. For the alternation between sh and s cf. Scottisc, Scottis, Scotch; Englisc, Inglis, English; busk, bus, bush.]

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