Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1903, 1996-1998
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SMUITH, adj., n. Also smeuth (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 53); smuid (Sh. 1964 Nordern Lichts 8); †smeth (wm.Sc. 1825 Jam.); smeeth (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Abd. 1931 D. Campbell Uncle Andie 21), and reduced form smee (see II.). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. smooth (Sc. 1812 The Scotchman 10; Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. v. 173; Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson). Hence smeethly, smoothly (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 49), smeethness, smoothness (Cld. 1825 Jam.). [m.Sc. smø:ð, sme:ð; Rs., Mry. smju:ð; Bnff., Abd., Kcd. ‡smi:ð; see P.L.D. §35, §86, §93.1, §96.1, §142(2), §128.]
I. adj.
Sc. forms of Eng. smooth.m.Sc. 1996 John Murray Aspen 4:
yonder a riven cage o marrieless ribs,
the braith caad fae't
or a femur enn dichtit smuith
bi the lang stravaigin streed
o the baggie breikit beist.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 86:
Ilkie noo an again, he luikit up, his een reengin ower the smeeth sea, an skelloched, "Zeffirino! Far are ye?"m.Sc. 1998 William Neill in Neil R. MacCallum Lallans 51 17:
An ye growe smuith an creeshie in yir carcase
an aye growe fatter wi yir baws for brains
while I maun tyauve ti keep fleish on ma banes
an hae ti shift ma airse ti whaur the wirk is.
Sc. usages:
Sc. combs. and phr.: 1. smooth heuk, a sickle with a plain non-serrated blade; 2. smooth sides, the long-finned gurnard, Trigla obscura (Sc. 1905 A. R. Forbes Gaelic Names 366, 1930 Fishery Board Gl.); 3. smeeth in the mou, of a horse: "that has lost mark of mouth" (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.), of uncertain age, no longer showing its age by the state of its teeth.1. Per. 1903 H. Dryerre Blairgowrie 312:
He has seen the "teeth heuk," the "smooth heuk," the scythe, the reaper, and the binder supplant each other in turn.
II. n. A smooth or level place, specif. applied to the sandy sea-bottom (Rs., Mry., Kcd. 1911; Mry. 1930). Also in reduced form smee (Id.).
[The form smeethness from Cld., if accurate, corresponds to obs. or dial. Eng. smeeth, smooth, O.E. smǣðe, smēðe, id., mutation variant of smōð, the source of the other forms.]
