Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
MARMAID, n. Also mairmaid; meer-maid; ¶mairdmaid (Sc. 1700 Analecta Sc. (Maidment 1837) II. 136); deriv. marmaiden (Sc. a.1700 J. Maidment New Bk. Old Ballads (1891) 15). Sc. variant forms of Eng. mermaid(en) (Sc. 1808 Jam., 1818 Sawers; Cld. 1820 Scots Mag. (May) 422), obsol.
1. Combs.: (1) marmaid box, a heart-shaped species of sea urchin, Echinus; (2) marmaid(en)'s purse, the egg-case of a ray, esp. the skate (I.Sc., Uls. 1962).(1) Sc. 1700 R. Wodrow Early Letters (S.H.S.) 106:
The marmaid boxes are all Echinus cordatus vulgaris, . . . I am perswaded they have fish in them.(2) Sc. 1700 R. Wodrow Early Letters (S.H.S.) 99, 111:
I had almost forgote your marmaiden purse, quhich is curiouse. . . . The marmaids purses Dr Sibbald calls the uterus of a skate in a letter to me.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 340:
Mermaid's Purse — A beautiful kind of seaweed box, which is found driven in on the shores, of an oblong shape, . . . being about two inches and a half one way, and three the other, with a long spraing or talon stretching out from each corner, as long as the box.
†2. The angler or fishing frog, Lophius piscatorius (Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fife 120).
3. A species of limpet (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.).
