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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.

SHITHER, v., n.1 Also shuther. [′ʃɪðər]

I. v. To shiver, shudder (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1970). Hence shitherin'-bite, a piece of bread eaten after bathing to allay shivering (Id.). Cf. Chitterin' Bit.Rxb. 1808 A. Scott Poems 34:
Wow but the thoughts o' siccan dirdum, brither, Is fit to gar ilk hill o' feeling shuther.
Fif. 1825 Jam.:
The hungry shitherin' orphan's tale.
em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 13:
Aw throu itsel the haill warld grues;
The stanes o its mountains shither an pairt;
Awfu tae hear its doolsome murn
An the rivin o its hert.

II. n. A shudder, shiver.Clc. 1882 J. Walker Poems 54:
There crap owre me an eerie shither.

[Orig. somewhat uncertain. The form is found also in n.Eng. dial. and may be merely a variant of shiver, but in Sc. there may also be some influence from shudder (see D, 4.) and phs. Chitter.]

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"Shither v., n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 26 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/shither_v_n1>

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