Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1895-1992
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]
NETHER, n. Also naither, neddar (Sc. 1880 Jam.), -er, -ir. The adder, Vipera berus (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1907 County of Cai. (Horne) 399, Cai. 1964); fig. an ill-natured or irritable person (Uls. 1924 Northern Whig (21 Jan.)). See also Ether, n.2 For comb. nether's neb, see Neb, n., 1., Combs. (7). [′nɛðər, ′nɛd-]Knr. 1895 H. Haliburton Dunbar 60:
The day — it's stinging like a nether.Ags. 1920 A. Gray Songs 17:
I saw your hert, wi' channerin' neddars there.Cai. 1952 Edb. John o' Groats Lit. Soc.:
What if we lifted a peat with a “hairy brotag” on't, or worse still — a “nether”?Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 148:
'No sign o a fox?'
'I found a nether's skin,' pipes up a young Campbell.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Nether n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/nether_n>
