Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
PREPARE, v., n. Sc. usages:
I. v. As in Eng. Derivs.: †1. preparative, n., a precedent, excuse, an example; 2. preparation, n., esp. in combs. preparation day, -Sabbath, -Saturday, the day(s) preceding the communion service when special services of preparation for the sacrament were preached. Hence preparation sermon, the sermon preached on one of the preparation days; 3. preparatory, adj., in comb. preparatory service, a service held in preparation for the communion service on a weekday, gen. Friday, preceding. Gen.Sc.1. Sc. 1702 Cramond Session Rec. MS. V . 15:
Being ane ill preparative to others . . . to desire the like.Gsw. 1716 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (B.R.S.) 599:
What shall be allowed to them can be no preparative for doing so to others.2. Sc. 1701 G. Turnbull Diary (S.H.S.) 403:
Being Saturnday the preparation befor the sacrament in Oldhamstocks, I preached on gen. 35, 4, 5.Sc. 1709 W. Steuart Collections ii. iv. 17:
Upon Saturday there are two preparation sermons, and upon the Lord's day there are in some churches two action sermons, beside the thanksgiving in the afternoon.Sc. 1730 T. Boston Memoirs (1852) 160:
My child died on the Friday, and was buried on Saturday, the preparation-day, after sermon.Ags. 1827 Justiciary Report (1829) 96:
On the preparation Saturday, the day before the Monikie Sacrament.Sc. 1886 A. Edgar Old Church Life 125:
The Saturday's preparation sermon, enjoined by the General Assembly in 1645, was also . . . an ancient institution in the Church of Scotland.3. Sc. 1960 G. B. Burnet Holy Communion 50, 301:
The last of the pre-Communion preparation, which we may term educational was the Saturday sermon, generally called the “Preparation”. This was really a hang-over of Archbishop Hamilton's “Twapenny Faith”, as Knox sneeringly called it, which was published in 1558. It was “Ane Godlie Exhortation” meant to be read by the clergy to the people at Mass before they partook, and we may regard it as the forerunner of our modern preparatory service. . . In many congregations the week-night preparatory service has disappeared. In a large number of cases the preparatory has been switched over to the Sunday preceding the Sacrament.
II. n. An act of preparing, preparation. Obs. or dial. in Eng.Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems & Songs (1900) 235:
Meg o the Glen set aff tae the fair, Wi ruffles, an ribbons, an meikle prepare.
