Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BARK, n.², v. [bɑrk Sc.; bɛrk Lth. + ɑ, Peb.; bærk s.Sc.]

1. n. A cough of a hard rapid nature. Common in Sc.; the Concise Eng. Dict. marks it as slang.Ags. 1872 Kirriemuir Obs. (5 Jan.) 4/3:
Gotten a plague amon oor young fowk ithenoo. Disna ken futher it is the kinkhost or no, but they've an ill bark an' an ugly drawback wi'd.Edb.² 1933:
He's had a sair bark a' day.

2. v.

(1) To cough.Bnff.² 1933:
Jeems's hoast's nae a grain better; he barket on a' nicht, an' I cudna get a wink o' sleep for 'im.

(2) To give warning.Abd. 1909 J. T. Jeannie Jaffray ii.:
Gif a' oor ministers barkit as faithfully as Robertson . . . we . . . wud ha'e been in oor ain Kirk this aifterneen.

(3) Also berk Sc. form of Eng. bark, of a dog. (Ags., Rxb. 2000s).

Phrase: bark at the bar, make a noise at the door; hence, to plead.Abd.¹ 1929:
Ye can bark at the bar til mornin'.