Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
SYLLAB, n., v. Also sil(l)ab, sylib; syllup (Ags. 1889 Barrie W. in Thrums xix., Abd. 1931); and by confusion with the name of the dish of flavoured curds, syllabab. [′sɪləb, -əp]
I. n. A syllable. Obs. exc. dial in Eng.Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 318:
Shool sic verses aff ding dang, And no ae syllab' o' them wrang?Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister xxv.:
He hasna heard a sylib.Kcb. 1911 Crockett Rose of the Wilderness xxiii.:
‘Stoor' — no a syllabab mair.
II. v. To divide words into syllables, esp. in teaching a child to read (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Gsw. 1723 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1909) 173:
A Dialogue betuixt a Young Lady and her Schooll Master, showing the right way of sillabing.Sc. 1736 Curiosities Sc. Charta Chest (Forbes 1897) 89:
Roby is doing very well at his Silabing.Sc. 1742 Hjaltland Misc. (1937) II. 6:
12 Vincent's Catechisms, 3 Musick books, 20 syllabing Catechisms.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Syllab n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/syllab>