Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1823, 1887-1930, 1995-2000
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DACENT, Daecent, Dacint, Daicent, Deicint, Dassint, adj. Sc. variants of Eng. decent (Cai.7 1939, deicint; Sh. 2002 dassint). Hence dacency and dacently. Gen.Sc. [′desənt Sc., but Cai. ′dei-]Sc. 1823 J. G. Lockhart Reg. Dalton III. 100:
It's a very convenient bit . . . — dacent landleddies — and the best o' company.Sc. 1887 R. L. Stevenson Underwoods 98:
An' naebody for dacency but barely twa or three.Sh.(D) 1919 T. Manson Humours Peat Comm. II. 137:
So, lay aa yon aff an pit daecent stockins an buits ipu dee feet or dan bide hame.Abd.(D) 1929 J. Alexander Mains and Hilly 143:
Bit the foreman wis a daicent chiel, an' he fairly leet ma see foo to dee.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 44:
'Her? I've kent i ma time a curn far coorser folk
At I've likit a dassint sicht better.'em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 183:
It got him intae the chaumers o mairrit weemun and daicent widdaes, and they'd be bumbazed at his appearin. Lnk. 1930 T. S. Cairncross in Scots Mag. (Jan.) 302:
A's past and dune And a' maist dacint.w.Dmf. 1908 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo (1912) v.:
He couldna bury a moudie dacently.
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"Dacent adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 8 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/dacent>
