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.
SPARSE, adj. Also sparce (Sc. 1799 H. Mitchell Scotticisms 77). Sc. form and usage, of writing: spread-out, widely spaced, loose (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 107, 1825 Jam.). Hence adv., sparsely, in phr. sparsely written, covered with loose, widely spaced writing. Obs.Sc. 1727 R. Wodrow Corresp. (1843) III. 288:
Four or five sheets of sparse write.Sc. 1800 Monthly Mag. (April) 237:
When much space is occupied by few words, the Scotch, especially the lawyers, say, “the writing is sparse,” or “the paper is sparsely written.”
