Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

OOTHER, n. Also outher; (w)ooder, ouder, owder. [′u:ðər, ′(w)u:dər]

1. The fluff from wool, cotton, etc., when it begins to fray (Rxb. 1825 Jam., wooder, 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Peb., s.Sc. 1964). Hence outhery, ooderie, fluffy, like fluff, shaggy (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; s.Sc. 1964); by extension: “a term applied to cattle, when from their leanness, roughness of skin, and length of hair, it appears that they are not in a thriving state” (Bwk. 1825 Jam.); also well-to-do, “well-lined” (Rxb. 1958 Trans. Hawick Arch. Soc. 34).Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 9:
Wui breezes threh the Border hills ti blaw away the ooder an the speeder-wobs threh a body's herns.

2. A light morning mist or haze; the flickering haze that rises from the ground on a warm day (Slk. 1825 Jam.), appar. from its fluffy or woolly appearance, but it is somewhat uncertain whether this is the same word.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck x.:
A cloud of light haze (or, as the country people call it, the blue ouder) slept upon the long valley of water.
Slk. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 III. 33:
A haze or ouder as it is often named, indicates a cold state of the atmosphere.

[A deriv. of Oo, n.1, formed on the analogy of Pouther, powder, powdery refuse. For the meaning cf. oose s.v. Oo, n.1, 3.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Oother n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/oother>

19870

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: