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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.

SWITH, adv., int., adj., v. Also swyth(e), swithe, sweith, swieth. [swɪθ, †swɑeð. See etym. note.]

I. adv. 1. Quickly, rapidly, in an instant. Now rare and liter. Obs. in Eng.Sc. 1726 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) II. 233:
Swith on the hardned clay he fell.Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 83:
Swyth man! fling a' your sleepy springs awa'.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 210:
Sweith awa' hame frae the minister, and into the bed amang the blankets.Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. 210:
A sonsy rede swythe rede to me.Kcb. 1815 J. Gerrond Poems 71:
Swith comes the whisky Wit is wakened, sinews braced.Gsw. 1879 A. G. Murdoch Rhymes 87:
Swith, in across the flure I sprang.e.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep Head 40:
Daffin jigs, an' sangs, an' tales, Sped far too swith the hours on.Ags. 1894 A. Reid Songs 32:
Arles o' the fit that's comin' Swith to ding the rauchly cauld.Abd. 1900 C. Murray Hamewith 80:
Swith to the fleer ilk eager chiel Bangs wi' his lass to start the reel.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Two Tongues 43:
Swith there comes a ripple.

2. Used exclamatorily, and passing into the usage of II. below.Rxb. 1815 J. Ruickbie Poems 89:
Till swith! he's turned to a moor, To herd some farmer's nowt.Rnf. 1816 A. Wilson Poems (1876) II. 5:
Swith! a chap comes on the hallan.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 150:
Swith! when he gets them lowpin' daft and fidgin' fain wi' the thochts o't, dauds their runkled chafts wi' his loof.Knr. 1895 H. Haliburton Dunbar 77:
Swith, within the twinkling of an ee.Ayr. 1912 G. Cunningham Verse 177:
When swith! her brithers, full in view, Cam' scorchin', madly, doon the brae.

II. int. Quick! off! away!, gen. followed by awa(y). Freq. as an order to a dog.Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis:
Swith away, i.e. be gone quickly.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. ii. i.:
Swith, tak him Deil; he's o'er lang out of Hell.Cai. 1773 Weekly Mag. (28 Oct.) 146:
“Swythe, mensless beast!” she says, “an' kiss the sow.”Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' xxxvii.:
Ye're just fit to make muck o' meal, Sae swith awa'.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 38:
Swieth, Maggy, gae mak me a cogfu' o' milk brose.Ayr. 1788 Burns Louis, What reck ii.:
Kings and nations — swith, awa!Mry. 1806 J. Cock Simple Strains 116:
Swyth brute, quoth I, foul fa' thy snout [of a pig].Sc. 1822 Scott F. Nigel xxxi.:
Awa wi' him, swith awa wi' him.Abd. 1835 J. B. Pratt J. Fleeman (1904) 34:
“Haud out by — swithe!”, said Jamie [to the dog].Knr. 1891 H. Haliburton Ochil Idylls 46:
Swith to the launds that had your lauch.

III. adj. Quick, speedy, fast. Adv. swithly, speedily.Per. 1878 R. Ford Hamespun Lays 74:
Get swithly possesst o' the treasure.e.Lth. 1896 J. Lumsden Battles 2:
I'll mak' our swith retreat secure.Sc. 1926 H. M'Diarmid Drunk Man 18:
Swippert and swith wi' virr In the howes o' man's hert.Sc. 1928 J. Wilson Hamespun 56:
Outstrippin' a', as swith's the win'.Sc. 1979 T. S. Law in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 82:
something as swythe as the wuin whan featherin
thru blawn fyne hair m.Sc. 1986 Ian A. Bowman in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 165:
tholin the blash o stangs
to lowse the smeddum that's swith wi the flaught o life
frae your ain ingangs.

IV. v. By extension from II.: 1. To be gone, to take oneself off quickly, to speed away.ne.Sc. 1782 Caled. Mercury (4 Sept.):
My vockie hart, fu' fow o' glee, Bade sorrow swyth.Abd. 1844 W. Thom Poems 33:
I'll swithe me o'er the sea.Mry. 1866 J. Shanks Elgin 161:
Swyth ye, get ye home every one o' ye.Abd. 1868 W. Shelley Wayside Flowers 57:
Soon as the wain gaed swithin' past.

2. To cry “swith”, to shout orders to, to order away like a dog.Abd. 1829 A. Cruickshank Poems 43:
Ilka ane wis swithin' at me.