Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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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.
B, BAE, n. letter of alphabet. This letter has generally the same value as B in St.Eng. It is the symbol of the consonant described as voiced lips stop or plosive. In medial position it is written double after a short vowel but indicates a single sound. It is pronounced now as bee [bi:], but within living memory children were taught to pronounce it bay [be:], esp. in the old dames' schools. For the sound [be:] cf. Ags. 1833 J. S. Sands Poems 82, rhyming with gae, 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 62, bae. See also Abbacee, Ah-bay-say.
