Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
-LIKE, suff. Also -lyck; -lek (I.Sc., Cai.).
Sc. usages:
1. With adjs. to form deriv. adjs. in the sense of “having a — appearance, — looking, rather — ”, and so corresp. nearly to Eng. -ish. Gen.Sc. Rare in Eng. The word order illustrated in the 1823 quot. is still occas. found in colloq. usage.Wgt. 1708 Session Bk. Penninghame (1933) I. 214:
The said Mary Edgar coming down from the chamber where she was with the footman was very confused and stupid like.Ork. 1718 H. Marwick Merchant Lairds (1936) I. 71:
My young brother is a good hopefull lyck child.Sc. 1765 Caled. Mercury (30 Sept.):
A little young like fellow with curled hair, and an old-like blue or black coat.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxxix.:
Is it not an oddlike thing that ilka waff carle in the country has a son and heir, and that the house of Ellangowan is without male succession?Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize III. vi.:
Ye're owre douce a like man, I think, to hae been either art or part in this headstrong Reformation.Ags. 1827 Justiciary Reports (1829) 98:
Told her she was going, and she seemed pleased like.Cai. 1869 M. Maclennan Peasant Life 134:
Ye see, ma Willie's nae the same-lik' lad he wus at the Braes here awa'.Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 42:
The Scotch have a peculiar way of affixing this word to adjectives — strange-like, white-like, angry-like. English dispenses with it.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 14:
It's a leikely-leike thing that bacca ull turn dearer or 'd be lang.Cai. 1928 John o' Groat Jnl. (10 Feb.):
Yer in great lek kippage 'e nicht; fat's on?Edb. 1938 Fred Urquhart Time Will Knit (1988) 47:
It was an awful-like thing in those days to be a Radical. Bnff. 1991:
Caul(d)-like can not only imply a suggestion of coldness, but not definitely cold, but also the likelihood of colder weather. Edb. 1991:
She's gaun oot wi that big daftlike laddie frae Pumpherston. Sc. 1991 T. S. Law in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 34:
This was a sairlik jobe tae tak,
an gif the chiel was no sae swack
o mynd as caw gy caunnilie,
but gabbit gyan coorselik, say,
he'd finnd the waefou news as ill.
2. Suffixed to adjs. to form advs., = so as to appear —, in a — manner. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1716 R. Wodrow Corresp. (1843) II. 136:
Instead of warning people of their danger, never carried more friendly and kindly-like than they did.Sc. 1903 N.E.D.:
Dinna rug at it sae rochlike, or ye'll brak it.
