Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DURKIN, Durgan, -on, n.
1. Applied to anything short, thick and strong, hence a short, thick-set person (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 42, Bnff.2 1941; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn., durgan). Also in Eng. dial. in form durgan.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 42:
A durkin o' a knife: A durkin o' a club.
2. “A big person of a bad disposition” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 42, durgon).
[Gael. durcan, dim. of durc, a lump or piece of anything, a clumsy knife. For sense 2., cf. Gael. duaircean a surly, base fellow. Cf. Durk, n.2, adj.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Durkin n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/durkin>
