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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SHEDDA, n. Also -ae (Lth. 1920 A. Dodds Songs 7), -o(w) (Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 24; Abd. 1928 Weekly Jnl. (1 Nov.) 6; Sh. 1970), -y (Bwk. 1880 T. Watts Woodland Echoes 49), sheda (Ayr. 1913 W. McKisock Sc. and Eng. Poems 47), -ow; shaida (Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 43; Kch. 1970), -ow; shad; shadda, shaddae, shaddaw; shaddah, -day, shaddie, (Bwk. 1879 W. Chisholm Poems 23), -y; shadam (Ork. 1904 Dennison Orcad. Sk. 3, 1931 Orcadian (7 May)). Sc. forms of Eng. shadow (Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 76; Uls. 1916 S.S. McCurry Ballad of Ballytumulty 77). Hence sheda'less (Sc. 1927 M. Angus Sun and Candlelight 9). See P.L.D. § 49. [Sc. ′ʃedə, Lth. -e]

Sc. forms of Eng. shadow. (shedda Ags., Dmf.; sheddae Fif.; shadda Bnff., Abd., Arg., Gsw., Ayr.; shaddae Bnff., Edb., Rxb. 2000s). Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 33:
"Thoo couldno possibly like a lass as thin as yin. Id's a winder they pat her in a picture, for thoo could herdly see her side on. Shae wis cheust like a shedda."m.Sc. 1982 Stewart McGavin in Hamish Brown Poems of the Scottish Hills 38:
cannily
the mists smoor
hale mountain waas
turn peerie craigs tae
inaccessible pinnacles
an sheddaes tae
bleezan bogles.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 55:
C'wa intil the shaddas
a Scotland this nicht;
see hoo, 'mang the dairk,
the confidence o sicht
gies owre tae the unshair.Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 28:
The eident licht endlang the simmer yird
Liggs sairly on a hert that canna see
Beyont the shaddaw in the valley's briest.Sh. 1991 William J. Tait in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 45:
An hert an sowl an boady seem
Pickit wi aa da bloed an ime
O history: dan sometimes I mind,
As veevly as I mind da sea,
Sunlycht an shedow o dy een,
An aa da sunlycht meant tae me.

Sc. comb. shadow-half, -land, the portion of a piece of ground ot estate which faces north and is turned away from the sun. Common in medieval deeds. Per. 1763 Caled. Mercury (7 Feb.) 68:
The shadow-half of that Oxgate of land in Pitcaithly. Abd. 1788 Invercauld Rec. (S.C.) 213:
With Tofts, Crofts and pertinents being the two merk shedow land thereof. Sc. 1888 C. Mackay Dict. Lowland Sc. 185:
Sir Walter Scott built Abbotsford on the wrong side of the Tweed - in the shadow-half.