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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.

Quotation dates: 1832, 1961-1993

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SYE, n.2 Also sey, ¶say, ¶cie; pl. syes, size (Bnff. 1957 Banffshire Jnl. (23 July)). The chive, Allium schoenoprasum (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; ne.Sc., Ags. 1972). Gen. in pl. [sɑe]Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 21:
A dish o' guid brose, wi' the kail an' the says — A hirdie was needin', just aff o' the leas.ne.Sc. 1961 People's Jnl. (2 Sept.) 7:
Chappit tatties wi' sy'es an' a knottie o' saut butter.Abd. 1993:
We aye grow syes in e gairden for e fine flavour.

[Reduced form with vocalisation of v, as in Gie, Hae, etc., of cive, id., also found in Eng. till the early 19th c., Fr. cive, id., Lat. cepa, an onion. The doublet chive is from N. Fr. dial.]

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