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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CROWL, v.1 To crawl (Sc. 1818 Sawers Dict. Sc. Lang.; Bnff.2, Abd.2, Ags.17, Fif.13 1941). Ppl.adj. crowlan. Also found in Eng. dial. (E.D.D.). Hence adj. crowly, lame, limping, dragging a leg, walking slowly and with difficulty. [krʌul]Abd. 1904 Weekly Free Press (2 July): 
Foo's that leg? Ye wis gey crowly like fin I saw ye last.
Abd. 1929 Mains and Hilly in Abd. Weekly Jnl. (21 March) 6/3:
Ye've managet tae crowl up this lenth, Mains?
Ayr. 1786 Burns To a Louse i.:
Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlan ferlie!

[From O.Sc. creul(l), c.1590, id. (D.O.S.T.); north. Mid.Eng. creul, crule. The etym. connection, if any, between these forms and Eng. crawl (O.N. krafla) is obscure, but cf. the mutated form in Sw. dial. krävla, idem.]

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