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.
MAW, n.3 Also ma(a)we. The stomach; freq. of a fish (Ork. 1929 Marw.).
m.Sc. 1991 Tom Scott in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 39:
Past trees o coral, sunken hulks, he gaed,
And fishes' maws grew rounder at the sicht.
Hermit-crabs fair couried doun frae them,
Dauphins skelpit awa like fleggit queyns,
Sc. usages in combs.: 1. maw-bag, the stomach; 2. maw-man, see quot.; 3. maw-turned, affected with nausea, sickened. Deriv. maawie, in maawie puddin, a haggis (Ork. 1930).1. Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 238:
The mawbag o' a butterflee Weel dried and stuff'd ahame had he.2. Knr. 1958:
Maw-man. Hawker of maws, with pony and float. Maws were calves' stomachs, pickled in brine and sold for making rennet.3. Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 17:
Some said he was maw-turn'd wi' the fa'; for he bocked up a the barley.
