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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SWEE, v.¹, n. Also swi (Jak.), swey. [swi:]

I. v. 1. tr. and intr. To burn, roast, scorch, singe, to apply or be exposed to fire or red-hot metal, to bore with a hot iron (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 214, 1908 Jak. (1928); Ork. 1929 Marw.; I.Sc. 1972); to sizzle, also imprecatively, to smart (I.Sc. 1972); to heat oneself before a fire (Jak., Marw., Ork. 1972). Comb. swiin-bar, an iron bar heated at one end for boring wood (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)), sweein-irn, id. For phr. sweein o' the sneud, see Snuid, n., 1.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Rales 43:
I hoop shü'll swee i' his kettle o brunstane yet.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 117:
His gleedan claes noo swee'd his hide.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 78:
An frae da lum a heavy drap Ita da fire fell sweein.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (1 Oct., 3 Dec.):
Lat's get dis swee'd head an' feet [of a sheep] oot o' da rod. . . . To clean da gless o' da lamp wi' a bit o' auld cloot apo' da end o' da sweein irn.Sh. 1901 Shetland News (6 April):
I wis tryin' ta swee on a heel hole apon a spade heft.Sh. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. vi. 231:
“I wis do may swee fur dat” . . . a very modified form of consigning an enemy to the furnace of Vulcan.Ork. 1931 Orcadian (7 May):
Gin 'e fand 'im deuan anither pleunky like Dat 'e wad swee for id.Sh. 1958 Shetland News (14 Oct.) 4:
We'd got some mackerel from a boat and thought we'd swee dem ower da fire.

2. To cause heat (on the skin), hence tr. and intr. to (make to) smart, tingle with pain, to sting with excessive heat or cold (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 214, 1908 Jak. (1928); Ork. 1929 Marw.; Sh., Ork. 1972). Vbl.n. sweein, sweyin, the pain caused by a burn or scald (Ork. 1854 N. & Q. (Ser. 1) X. 221, sweyin).Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 590:
Rinnin doon apo ma bak wi a sweein an a yuke itt wiz undumas.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 103:
He gae his heed a muckle rug, That left him wi a sweean' lug.Sh. 1927 Shetland Times (3 March):
A sweein id da ruif o' her mooth.Sh. 1961 New Shetlander No. 59. 6:
Hailie-shooers or sweein sleet.

II. n. 1. A stinging or tingling pain, the smart of a burn or the like (Ork. 1854 N. & Q. (Ser. 1) X. 221, swey, 1929 Marw.; Sh., Ork. 1972).Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 118:
A reed co'l anunder his right knee Set ap sic' a mester fiend o' a swee.Ork. 1927 Peace's Almanac 136:
Da swee o' nettle stings.

2. Deriv. sweeoo in comb. sweeoo-iron, = sweein-irn s.v. I. 1. (Ork. 1972).