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: 1893
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SPIAE, n. Also spje, spyea (Sh. 1904 E.D.D.), spae, spe.
‡1. Derision, scorn, disparaging talk, mockery (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928), spe, spje, Sh. 1971).Sh. 1893 Sinclair MS. 4:
Du's only mackin spiae wi dy vyld skimp.
2. A fool, buffoon (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl., spae).
[Norw. dial., Icel. spe, mock, mockery, spea, to mock, deride.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Spiae n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/spiae>
