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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CARKET, CARCAT, n. Arch.

1. A necklace. Given in N.E.D. as obs. (last Eng. quot. 1580).Sc. 1904 Gil Brenton in Ballads (ed. Child) No. 5, lvi.:
He gae me a carket o gude black beads, An bade me keep them against my needs.

2. “A garland of flowers worn as a necklace” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2, carcat).Sc. 1814 M. Brunton Discipline xxi.:
There's a glen where we used to make carkets when we were herds.

[Contracted form of arch. Eng. carcanet, carknet, id., dim. of carcan, Fr. carcan, iron collar for attaching evil-doers to a stake, from O.H.Ger. querca, neck (Hatz. and Darm., Littré); cf. O.N. kverkr, throat (Zoëga).]

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