Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1880-1901
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CHITTY WRAN, -wren, n. comb. Also chittie, chetty wran, and cf. kitty-wren s.v. Kittie, n.1, 5. (13). “The common wren” (Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn., chitty wran; 1907 D. Donaldson Local Names of Birds in North. Whig (30 Nov.), chitty-wren), Nannus troglodytes. Known to Arg.1 1940.Also in reduced form chittie (Ayr. 1929 Paton & Pike Birds Ayr. 83).Lnk. 1880 Cld. Readings (Short) 89:
Ope' the door, my lovely Nan, to your ain we [sic] chetty wran.Uls. 1901 Ulsterisms in North. Whig:
A chitty wran that has built a nest of fog in the carthouse . . . was singin' as loud as any of them.
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"Chitty Wran n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/chitty_wran>
