Dictionaries of the Scots Language:: SND

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1908

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ALTER, v.² (See quot.)Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
Alter, to hesitate; waver; to think twice before doing something, to a. to do a ting.

[Prob. from O.N. haltra, to halt, limp. Jak. says there is a difference in pronunciation between the Eng. and Sh.word, the latter having a strong breath before l.]

Alter v.2

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"Alter v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/alter_v2>

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Alter v.2

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Alter v.2

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Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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