Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1786-1897
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CLARK, v. and adj. Sc. form and usages of St.Eng. clerk. The Eng. form is illustrated only in a special Sc. usage.
1. v. (1) To write, compose (Mry.2 1885; Abd.19 1937).Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxi.:
Twa lines o' Davie Lindsay wad ding a' he ever clerkit.Mry.(D) 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sketches xvi.:
"Ay," said Macwhirter . . . "Weelum's gettin' up in the warl' wi's dask. Fat think ye wis he clarkin' on?" "I don't know," said I. "Ou, jeist a bit buirdie laid across twa bags o' taties."
(2) tr. To record in writing, to enter up in a book (Ork., ne.Sc. 1975).Fif. 1841 C. Gray Lays 198:
'Tis by thy help that cash is clarkit.Ayr. 1786 Burns Vision i. v.:
Or strutted in a bank and clarket My cash-account.
2. adj. Scholarly.Ags. 1869 W. Pyott Poems and Songs (1885) 112:
Ye tochered chiel's sae learned an' clark I fear ye're sair to blame.Ayr. publ. 1808 Burns Elegy on Ruisseaux (Cent. ed.) iii.:
But tell him, he was learned and clark, Ye roos'd him then!
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"Clark v., adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/clark>
