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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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SANG, n. Dim. sangie, -y. Gen.Sc. form of Eng. song.  [sɑŋ]

Sc. forms:Edb. 1991 J. K. Annand in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 20:
Gif I had ae short simmer o sang
Wi hauf the beauty o thon flouer
In the snaw o eild I'd hap my tongue
And haud my wheest for evermair.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 18:
An syne ma waesome wechty fraacht
Growes licht, yer sangie warms ma veins
Like some aal ballad's liltin strains
Or like a love-brew's heidy draacht.m.Sc. 1997 Tom Watson Dark Whistle 58:
Well fuck yer sangs an' fuck yer crack,
Thir nae bliddy guid, thir jist the slack
Tae damp doon the dander o' folk oan the rack,
An' a'body kens bar the man at the tap
This wasnae the sang at yer Mither's pap. 

Sc. usages:

1. As in Eng. (1) in Phrs.: (i) an auld sang, an old story or saying, a proverb, etc. (Cld. 1880 Jam.; Sh., Ork., Cai., ne.Sc., Ags., Ayr., Kcb. 1969). The end o an auld sang, the last of an old custom, institution or the like, the end of an epoch. Gen.Sc., esp. as a reminiscence of the incident in 1707 quot.; "when a Scotsman uses these words it is in 'humorous sadness', and it was doubtless in this spirit that Seafield uttered them" (Hume Brown Hist. Scot. (1911) III. 102); (ii) to make songs on (one), to praise (one) much (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 20). Cf. also 2. below.(i) Sc. 1707 Lockhart Papers (1817) I. 222:
When he [Earl of Seafield], as Chancellor, signed the engrossed exemplification of the Act of Union, he returned it to the clerk, in the face of Parliament, with this despising and contemning remark, "Now there's ane end of ane old song".Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. viii.:
I doubt there will be an end of an auld sang.Fif. 1897 D. Pryde Queer Folk 48:
That's an auld sang noo, and it's no' worth the mindin'.Sc. 2000 Robert Crawford in Alec Finlay Without Day: Proposals for a New Scottish Parliament 25:
My aunt died, waiting for this recall
In her Balfron cottage. I want her portrait
Hung with those of thousands of others
Who whistled the auld sang toothily under their breath.

(2) Combs. and deriv.: (i) sang-buik, a book of songs (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Gen.Sc.; ¶(ii) sang-lume, a musical instrument accompanying the voice. See Lume; ¶(iii) sang-maister, a singing-master; (iv) sangschaw, an artificial creation based on Wapenschaw, q.v., and used to mean a song-festival; (v) sangster, (a) a songster, a singer. Still surviving as a personal surname. ¶Also used as a v. = to sing; (b) a kind of bannock or barley-meal cake made with coalfish livers (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1969), from its sizzling sound when frying; ¶(vi) sang-thrift, economy in singing; ¶(vii) sang-tilter, a player on a musical instrument, an accompanist to a singer. For tilter cf. til't s.v. Til.(i) Abd. 1865 G. MacDonald Alec Forbes xxiii.:
It's a sang-buik that I want the len' o'.(ii) Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms Intro. 1:
What sang-lumes, or organs, might than be in vogue, we ken-na for truth.(iii) Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms Intro. 1:
Some sang-maister thar wis, till airt the sangsters an' till time the sang.(iv) Sc. 1906 Border Mag.(1912) 82:
The objects of the [Scottish National Song] Society shall be: . . . (b) To hold annual Sangschaws at which certificates or prizes shall be awarded for proficiency in the rendering of Scottish Music.Fif. 1912 Rymour Club Misc. II. 155:
On a day when the grand galravaging winds of the world are joining the sea in singing the Sangschaw of the Spheres. Note: A word founded on the ancient "Wapinschaw", suggested for the competitions of the Scottish National Song Society by its first President.(v) (a) Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 83:
I was keppit wi' the heavy tale That sets ilk dowie sangster to bewail.Dmf. 1805 Scots Mag. (Sept.) 784:
An' billie sangster o' Auld Reekie, May Heaven wi' ilka blessin' theik ye.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 132:
Whare's your cunning sangsters gane?Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 18:
Noo fain the sangsters try their skill at "Tarry Woo".Kcd. 1885 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) VIII. 362:
Harken than to this sangsterin'.wm.Sc. 1987 Anna Blair Scottish Tales (1990) 52:
Those were brave days at St. Mary's Loch in the 1820s and '30s, before Scott wrote himself to death to pay his debts, and Tibbie attended Hogg on his death-bed a few years later. She survived poet, sangster, diarist and tale-teller and was widowed of her beloved moudie-man for fifty-two years.(vi) Abd. 1879 G. MacDonald Sir Gibbie lxii.:
Laverock i' the lift, Hae ye nae sang-thrift?(vii) Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms lxviii. 25:
Ferst gaed the lilters, syne the sang-tilters.

2. The noise made by the sea breaking on the shore (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 174; Sh., Abd., Kcd. 1969). The form song may be according to P.L.D. §133, §not ad. the Eng. form. Also in comb. sea-sang, id., as foreboding bad weather (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)).ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore 155:
Along the Moray Firth the fishermen call the noise of the waves "the song of the sea". If the song is towards the east the wind will shortly blow from east or south-east. If a "long song" is heard from the bar at Banff, the wind will blow from the west.Abd. 1900 (Boddam):
Fan the sang comes fae the Rattra Heid, The storm's ower, ye needna dreid. Bit fan the sang comes fae the shore, There's a bigger storm yet in store.

3. A fuss, clamour, to-do, outcry, esp. in phrs. to mak a sang (ne.Sc. 1969), naething to mak a sang o' or about, nothing of any consequence (Sc. 1825 Jam., s.v. Things). Gen.Sc.Abd. 1739 Caled. Mag. (1788) 499:
The Gilpy glowr'd and leuk'd fell blate To see'r in sic a sang.Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy iv.:
Nae great thing to make a sang about.Abd. 1817 Bards Bon-Accord (Walker 1887) 603:
Fan the sang got up.Kcb. 1885 A. J. Armstrong Friend and Foe 282:
Weel, ye needna mak' a sang aboot it.Rxb. 1897 E. Hamilton Outlaws ii.:
They're nothing to make a song of.Sh. 1899 Shetland News (23 Dec.):
Da wab wisna ta mak' a sang aboot.Ags. 1929 Scots Mag. (July) 311:
Ye're makin' a sang ower naething.