Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1836-1899, 1953
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SKUNE, n., v. Also skuin, skuan, sküin, sküan, skön(e), sk(y)oan. Most freq. in dim. forms skunee, skunie, -y, skünie, sköni(e), sköna. [skøn(i)]
I. n. Sh. sea-taboo name for a knife (Sh. 1825 Jam., 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl.), now also in gen., though jocular, use (Sh. 1970).Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 591:
[He] klikkit da skúnee oot o' mee haand.Sh. 1889 Chambers's Jnl. (26 Oct.) 675:
This was, never, when at sea, to call a thing on land by its right name. . . A knife was a “skyoan”.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 111:
The fisherman, on coming to the point of crossing, took out his skön or tullie (sea knife), and made a scratch on the ground in the form of a cross.Sh. 1953 New Shetlander No. 35. 13:
One snaed the pilticks with the skoan.
II. v. To cut up (fish-bait) (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Deriv. skunie, id.Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.:
Skunie-bait: to open the shellfish, and take out the bait with a small blunt knife.
