Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1712-1727, 1786-1928
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BUT, BUTT, BOT, prep.2 and conj. Also 'bout. [bʌt]
I. prep. Without (Ags.1, obsol., Kcb.1, Kcb.9 1937, obs. or obsol.).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 157:
He could eat me but salt.Sc. 1724–1727 Ramsay T. T. Misc. (1733) 168:
What signifies how pawky, Or gentle born ye be, — bot youth?Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 21:
An' noo the loon bood gan his lane, But ony lamp or guidin' rein.Ags. 1820 A. Balfour Contemplation, etc. 280:
Now Mr Preses, butt a' banter, Consider this, as you're a wanter.Gsw. 1860 J. Young Poorhouse Lays 167:
I'se wad ye had a merry splore 'Bout whisky, porter, yill.Lnk. 1712 Minutes J.P.s Lnk. (S.H.S. 1931) 129:
But prejudice to the generality foresaid.Ayr. 1786 Burns To a Mouse vi.:
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble, But house or hald.w.Dmf. 1925 W. A. Scott in Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 19:
I hae come away but my knife the day.
II. conj. 1. Except, unless. Arch.Sc. 1802–1803 Minstr. Sc. Border (ed. Scott) III. 276:
And but ye read them right, she said, Gae stretch ye ont and die.
Phrs.: †(1) but and, (a) besides, as well as, and also; (b) unless; (2) but if, if only; †(3) but tho', nevertheless.(1) (a) Sc. 1724–1727 Ramsay T. T. Misc. (1733) 181:
A kame but and a kaming-stock.(b) Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Pop. Ballads I. 237:
O gangna, lady, gangna there! I wierd ye, gangna there! For, but and this black hour be past, I rede ye'll rue it sair.(2) Sc. 1904 Wife of Usher's Well in Ballads (ed. Child) No. 79 B. v.:
Lie still, lie still a little wee while, Lie still but if we may; For gin my mother miss us away She'll gae mad or it be day.(3) Ags. 1855 A. Douglas Hist. of Ferryden 13:
Ah, but tho', we'll a' come to you.
2. Used in strong asseverations with suppression of a preceding imprecative phr. = Eng. "(blow me) if or but." Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings (1873) 28:
Gin I had him here, But he sud get his thuds.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xiv.:
If ye lay a finger on that young 'oman, but I'se ding the wind oot o' ye!
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"But prep.2, conj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 1 May 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/but_prep2_conj>
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