Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SWALL, v., n. Also swal, swaul, sweel. Sc. forms of Eng. swell. [Gen.Sc. swɑl]

Sc. v. forms: Pr.t. swall (Gen.Sc.), swaul (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 79); pa.t. swalled (Ags. 1892 A. Reid Howetoon 171; Edb. 1897 C. M. Campbell Deilie Jock 86; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 269; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai), swauled (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 411), swallt (Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xix.; ne.Sc. 1972); pa.p. weak swalled (Ayr. 1786 Burns To a Haggis iv.; Peb. 1805 J. Nicol Poems II. 2; Sc. 1836 M. Dods Manual I. 27; Ags. 1872 J. Kennedy Jock Craufurt 45; Sh. 1900 Shetland News (17 Feb.); Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 324; Lnk. 1919 G. Rae Clyde and Tweed 14; Gen.Sc.), swauld (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 135), swalt (Lnk. 1889 A. G. Murdoch Readings iii. 117), swallt (Lnk. 1865 J. Hamilton Poems 37; ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 46; Mry. 1927 E. B. Levack Lossiemouth 30; ne.Sc. 1972); strong swollen; vocalised swown (Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Journal 23), †swo'n (ne.Sc. 1791 Caled. Mercury (29 Sept.)), reduced swole (Inv. 1904 E.D.D.); mixed swallen (Lnk. 1816 G. Muir Minstrelsy 55; s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 208: e.Lth. 1903 J. Lumsden Toorle 10). Vbl.n. swallin. Adv. swollenways, in a swollen state. Used imprecatively in (Deil, Sorroo (Cai.)) swall . .! May the Devil burst . . .!Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 54:
Though Fortune disna swall his gear.Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 22:
Behind them swall the sheaves.Rnf. 1844 Justiciary Reports (1846) 30:
His face was “a kind of swollen ways.”Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 48:
Swall ye, for a b —!Slk. 1875 Border Treasury (27 March) 399:
Ye hae the swallins o' Jordan sune to cross.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 54:
Deil swall me auld creukid mooth'd aunty Maggie!Sh. 1899 Shetland News (29 July):
Deil swall dis midgies!e.Lth. 1903 J. Lumsden Toorle 83:
He made yer faither's heart swall big wi' joy.Abd. 1929 Sc. Readings (Paterson) 95:
Foo's wee Erchie? Is the swallin' doon?Gsw. 1978 Edith Little When Sixpence was a Fortune 4:
"Noo keep that kettle bilin'
An' don't let the fire go oot,
Or there will be nae bloomin' dumplin
Jist a lovely burned oot cloot."
I hoped we'd get some threepennies, Wrapped up an' mixed as weel, But she gets in an' awfu' state, An' says it wilna sweel. wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 31:
It's evil sichts lik' yon, I'm sure it is.
That swall men's thochts wi' impurities. m.Sc. 1997 Liz Niven Past Presents 14:
Efter, bledder taen oot an
Raised tae mooth,
It swelt gin till
They tethered it wae its thairm
An let it dry fur days.
Syne kicked across the yerd
Tae the boy, seik, scunnert,