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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.

Quotation dates: 1915-1928

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BA', BAW, n.3 A dance or social gathering. [bɑ: Abd.; bǫ: Per.]Abd. 1928 P. Grey The Making of a King 21:
Nae mair fancy dress ba's for me!Per. 1915 J. Wilson L. Strathearn 226:
Aa tuik hur tay a baw. — I took her to a ball.

[Fr. bal, baller, to dance, from O.Fr. baler. It. and late Lat. ballāre. Cf. Gr. βαλλιζειν. Bale, v., is given in Cursor M. (a.1300) 13138, but the noun does not appear until the 17th cent. (N.E.D.). Ba' or Baw is a modern Scotticised version of the Eng. word ball, a dance.]

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"Ba' n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/ba_n3>

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