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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sike, Syk(e, n. Also: syik, syick, (sygen). [North. ME and e.m.E. syke (Manning), sike (1611), OE síc, ON sík. Cf. also med. L. (Eng.) sic- (c1169 in OED). Also in the later Sc. and north. Eng. dials.] A small stream; a ditch or channel containing a stream or rivulet. Cf. Siket n.Freq. mentioned as a boundary in accounts of perambulations of lands. Also found in place-names. ? a1398 Cart. Levenax 51.
[Jacentem inter rivulum qui vocatur Pocheburne et le Blindsyke 1457 Reg. Dunferm. 346.
Et a le furde … ad tres lapides et sic discendendo usque ad le modirsyke 1475 Ayr Chart. 90.
Per marresium nuncupatum le Syik 1579 Reg. Privy S. VII 311/1.]
Ducentibus ad lie Murroksyke extra lie Quhyte Reid Moss ad lie syke limitatum … dictum lie syik ducentem ad aquam de Kendell 1431 Liber Melros II 523.
Sextene akiris northe fra the castell sike 1537 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1937) 82.
The syke of Wintownmos on the south 1559 Ayrsh. Coll. IV 108.
Eight acres … bounded by the syke of Robert Broun on the north and Failford Manis on the south 1571 Prestwick Deeds No. 15.
Southwart … to the syik callit the Foulsyik 1592 Lanark B. Rec. 106.
Passand south up ane syik … callit the merche syik 1632 Lanark B. Rec. 325.
The dub quhilk is the heid of Kingsonesburnes and syke 1665 Peebles B. Rec. II 64.
From the Cram sykes and Fouladge syke 1683 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 10.
William Mosse … hes houked ane seuch westward … to the syke called Coallyears boignesyke, and also hes castine the said syke at his oune hand 1690 Swintons App. ccix.
Then it lyes allong ane sycke called Fudden Syck till it come to Fudden Loch(a) c1200 Liber Dryburgh 164.
[In magnum sicum qui extenditur per medium … mussum … per eundem sicum [etc.] 1208–18 Liber Calchou 81.
Ad nigrum vadum quod est in bog & per matricem sicam in bog vsque ad Elwaldisgate 1259 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 26.
Usque in quendam magnum sichum qui dicitur Fulleche 1294 Reg. Paisley 94.]
Assendendo usque in quoddam sykcum inter Lochleboksyd et le Wlplays 1375 Barb. xix 745 (H).
Bot flaikes in the wood they made of wands … And sykes therewith brigged they 1375 Barb. xi 300. c1420 Wynt. viii 3912.
For a gret syk betwene thame was c1420 Wynt. viii 5381.
Bot thare wes nere hym in that stede A depe syk 1421 Liber Melros II 541.
A stante petra deorsum the syke usque ad medium vadi 1460 Hay Alex. 4183.
Thai fillit all the dykis, And stoppit all the passage and the sykis a1500 Henr. Fab. 1042 (Bann.).
Sidlingis a bauk he socht vnto a sike 1499 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II 429.
The gret gray stane on the west syd the syk above the Cragfurd 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 60.
Bedowyn in donkis deip was euery sike [: dyke] 1533–4 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 67.
Betuix the land of Dauid Drouer on the eist pairt and the litill syke on the west pairt 1536 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 168.
And thair ve fand ane falt tane in of our common the southt syd of ane sik 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5085.
Thay hid … Sum … Laich in the eird, and sum thay sank in sykis a1568 Balnaves in Bann. MS 139a/95.
Suppois thow renge our all the grenge And seik baith syk and swche 1586–7 Paterson Ayr & Wigton II 404.
Ane equal half of the xx s. land of Twa-stane-Cors, with syk and medow thairof 1596 Dalr. I 145/19. 1622-6 Bisset I 296/5. 1669 Salmon Borrowstounness 88.
No persoun … [shall] molest them in their sykes, bogs [etc.] 1674 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 4 April.
For taking of the stooles dailes & trees of the hol in the syk(b) 1508 Reg. Cupar A. I 280.
With the hail auchan part of the syikis, with ryg and toft 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 110.
Nocht lang sensyne besyd ane syik Vpoun the sonny syd of ane dyk 1554 Prot. Bk. R. Lumsdane 31.
Ascendand vpe the syik of Toddell slak … to the gray stane 1569 Berw. Nat. C. XXIV 425.
Up ane litill syick to ane parte callit Purvesfauld(c) 1676 Glasgow B. Rec. III 218.
The passage for the watergang therthrow of the syck(d) ?1434 Liber Aberbr. II 67.
Descendand down the law myr to the sygen [L. sicum] callit Ardebuk