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 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CAIRD, KAIRD, Card, Cyaurd, Kya(a)rd, Kard, n.¹, v.¹ Also cyaard (ne.Sc.). Also used attrib. [ke:rd Sc., but ne.Sc. + kjɑ:rd]

1. n.

(1) A tinker, a gipsy; a rough person. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xlix.:
This fellow had been originally a tinkler, or caird, many of whom stroll about these districts.Mry.(D) 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. x.:
“A min' on that,” broke in Tammas Lowrie, “that wis the kyard's beastie. Tent, horse, cairt, an' a' thing cam' doon.”Bnff. 1725 Ann. Bnff. (S.C.) I. 98:
Robert Young, presiner here, wagabound and kaird.Bnff.(D) 1918 J. Mitchell Bydand 19:
Sis he, “Hech aye, McCraw, there's heeps o' killin' in a cyaurd.”Abd. [1768] A. Ross Helenore (1866) 165:
He's either by the kairds or gypsies ta'en. [Also spelt kard in 1768 ed., p. 60.]Ags. 1879 G. W. Donald Poems, etc. (1880) 6:
His mother bore him till a caird That wonned aboot the Dava.Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Raiders, Foreword 12:
A set of wild cairds — cattle reivers and murderers.

Hence kyaard-tung't, “given to loose talk” (Bnff.² 1938; Abd.³ 1931; Abd.² 1938).

(2) “A scold” (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.), “a rude, scolding person” (Cai. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.). Known also to Bnff.² 1938.

2. v. To abuse, scold (Abd.¹⁹ 1938). Vbl.n. carding, scolding.Bnff.² 1928:
Knockie kyaardit 'im wi a' th' coorse wirds 'at his tongue cud win roon.Abd. 1933 N. Shepherd Pass in Grampians i.:
She cairded me in some style, I'm tellin' you. O ay, the wordies sounded grand.Abd. 1993:
E man an e wife wis cyaardin awa at een anither; she geed im an aafu cyaardin.Per. 1825 Jam.²:
To gie one a carding.