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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scope, Scupe, Scoup, n.¹ Also: scop, skoip, scoop, skoop; scup, skup, skupe, skwp, skuip(p; scoupe, scowp, skoup, skowp. [ME and e.m.E. scope (c1330), scoupe (1580), scoope (1589), scopp (1641), ‘appar.’ (OED) ‘of twofold origin’, (1) f. MLG schôpe or MDu. schôpe, schoeppe, a vessel for baling water, a bucket, scoop, f. the Gmc. root *skap-, whence OE sceppian, or (2) MDu. schoppe, MLG schuppe shovel. Also in the later Sc. and north. Eng. dials.]

1. A vessel (? sometimes, ? in later use, a utensil with a handle, as a large ladle) for baling out or lifting liquid, or for skimming particles from liquid.Once, pl. without infl.(1) 1680 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 5 June.
For riming of 16 scopes to leave watter 1682 Ib. 28 Jan.
6 scoops at 6 s. 4 d. per peice 1691 Ib.
For riming of 2 scops(b) 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 474.
For ij skwpis to cast watter fra hir keill for the mending of hir ij s. vj d. 1614 Ayr B. Acc. 64.
[Expenses for repairing part of a bridge] … for twa scuppis to laif the wattir x s. 1616 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 9.
For tua watter skuippis to the new frie querrell Ib.
Skuippes 1624–5 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 135.
For tua skuppis to cast out the watter from the wark 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 3.
For 6 skupes 3 g. 1691 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt.
For 9 skuip pieces at 1 s. 8 d. the piece — 1691 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt.
For riming of 5 skuipp(c) 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 454.
For vj greit skowpis for the greit schip to cast the watter 1644 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 56b.
For sex vatir skoups £2 2 s. 1645 Ib. 110b.
For 6 skoups eyrining and corsbanding(2) 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 237.
Tua malt scopis price of baith v s.(b) 1568 Edinb. Test. I 169.
Ane malt skupe price xij d. 1574 Ib. III 195.
Malt skupis price of the dosane x s. 1589 St. A. B. Ct. 10 June.
The pryceis of sex firlottis malt … togidder with the sowme off xl d. for the pryce off ane skupe(c) 1546–7 Reg. Great S. 20/2 n.
4 gret trene scowpis, price of the pece 2 s., ane gret brewing caldroun £5 1590 Digest Justiciary Proc. M 18.
The said scoupe ran out and the licour that wes in itattrib. 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 217b.
For tua skoup rims and rimeng off them 6 s. 8 d.

2. A shovel-like implement (? with a concave blade) for lifting or moving loose material, as grain, gunpowder, etc.Also, see quot. 1645, ? used in ‘washing’ ore.Cf. e.m.E. scope (1546), scopp (1641) a kind of basket, which may be the sense intended in some of the following examples. 1525 Treas. Acc. V 258.
For Orkynnay buttir and powdir baggis with skupis for the artalȝere xx s. 1596 Oldcambus Acc. fol. 15.
Tua barne skowpis 10 s. 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX 291.
Twa blew kames with scouppis estimat to xvij s. vj d. 1645 Ib. LXI 135.
Ane wasching skupe pryce thairof xij s. 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 172.
Skoopes, baskets and all uther necessaries for the use of shipping allenerly 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 363.
In the girnell house … an iron scupe 1686 Brechin Test. VII 162b.
Ane old chist and five skoops

3. Of doubtful application, perhaps in some instances of different origin. Cf. 1 and 2 above. 1510–13 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 287.
[Of 4] lie skoippis [for the quarry, 14 d.] 1515 Ib. 296.
[Making 5] lie skupis [for the quarry, 15 d.] 1515–16 Ib. 301. 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII 193.
Certane bowattis skupes cumpasis & nycht glasis 1597 Bk. Rates 10.
Inuarte custumes … scuppis the dosane … xiij s. iiij d.