Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

EETCH, n. Also each, †eech, eatch(e), e(i)tch, edge. [itʃ Sc., but Uls. + ɛdʃ]

1. An adze (w.Sc. 1741 A. M'Donald Galick Vocab. 49, eech; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 194, eetch; Sc. 1825 Jam.²; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn., edge). Gen.Sc.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 12:
Calvin's sons speech is Jove's sons eetch, Wisdom to teach and prune each beech.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxv.:
Let me hae a whample at him wi' mine eatche — that's a'.Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 251:
He wis a boat's-bigger till his trade, an' ae nicht he wis gaein' hame frae his wark wi' his fit eitch apon his shouder.Ags. 1899 D. W. Buchanan Leisure Lays 101:
He can handle an etch or a hammer, A chisel, a plane, or a saw.Arg. 1914 N. Munro New Road xxvi.:
Aeneas, my lad, take you the eitch and work it like a wright if feet come down that ladder.Bch. 1932 P. Giles in Abd. Univ. Review (March) 103:
It wid gie ye a bit o' a begeck, but nae sae ull as ta fin' a lad ahin' yer cheer wi' a new eetch in's han'.

2. A kind of hoe; a mattock (Ork.⁵ 1948).Ork. c.1912 J. Omond Ork. 80 Years Ago 21:
The ground was well broken up with eatches, which were like big hoes, and were made at the smithy. The hacking with eatches, I am informed, was endless.Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 106:
The principal cultivator was the eatch, which was made in the style of a hoe, but much heavier, and with a deeper blade. It was used to fill backs with instead of ploughing them in.