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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LOVANENTIE, int. Also lovenantie, -y, -entie, -y, -tu, -anendie, loavenenty, and reduced forms lovan, loven(en)s, -ta. An exclamation of surprise or protest, dear me!, good gracious! (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 322, loveanendie; Twd., Slk., Rxb. 1825 Jam., lovenentu, loven(en)s; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., loven-ta; Lnk., Dmf. 1961).Dmf. 1861 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. 10:
I debar all those who use such minced oaths as faith! troth! losh! gosh! and lovanenty!Ags. 1887 J. McBain Arbroath 259:
Too clever a person not to know her own shortcomings, she exclaimed “Loveanendie! what maun the rest be?”Kcb. 1893 Crockett Raiders xxi.:
Lovenenty me! but she'll hae gien ye anither kind o' a kiss than an auld wife like me.Hdg. 1896 Caled. Curling Club Ann. 114:
Oh, loaven enty, he's awa And ta'en oor best stane to the snaw.Dmf. 1915 J. L. Waugh Betty Grier 40:
“Lovan,” she said at length, “it has been a mair terrible affair than I had ony thocht o'.”Ayr. 1928 J. Carruthers A Man Beset 21:
Lovenanty! and you whommlin' on top o' me.Lnk. 1947 G. Rae Sandy McCrae 11:
But lovan me, hev I forgot to fill my pooches?

[Phs. orig. a deformation of some such phr. as Lo(rd) (de)fend thee, ye or us but formally influenced by e.g. Lockanties, Lochadaisy, lackaday. Forms like loave(s-me), loavin(s) (-days), etc. are common in Cum. and Wm. dials. and may have been borrowed thence into sm.Sc.]

17791

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