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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SWAAR, n.1 Also swar. The depth of night, the darkest part of the northern twilight, esp. in phr. da swaar o da dim (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 211; Ork. 1884 R. M. Fergusson Rambles 167; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1971).Sh. 1815 Shetland Advert. (6 Jan. 1862):
Toilin fae d' swaar o' d' dim t' sinsett.Sh. 1879 Shetland Times (13 Sept.):
There is a short time in the middle o ‘swaar o' da dim' that fish will not be caught.Sh. 1957 Sh. Folk-Bk. III. 70:
Nicht comes on De oorie swaar o dim.

[Etym, uncertain. Jak. suggests an altered form of Norw. dial. sval, dark, dusky. Another possibility is a reduced form of Norw. svart, dark, black, used subst.]

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