Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1877-1923
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GOVANENTY, int. Also go(a)vanendy. An excl. of surprise = My word! (Cai. 1955).Wgt. 1877 G. Fraser Sketches 268:
"Govanendy!" exclaimed the Magistrate, "did she really ca' ya a wh — e?"Gall. 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 466:
But whun A read it ower in the mornin, goavanendy! Sauners! could ye 'a' believe't it? . . . it wus naething but blethers!Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo vi.:
I lookit at the lang length o' settle that was between us, and muttered something aboot meetin' her hauf-road. Govanenty! she cam' her hauf glibly.Kcb. 1923 W. D. Lyell Justice Clerk iv. viii.:
"Govanenty!", as his lordship is fond o' saying, "I wad hae gien warlds — warlds for him to hae seen you do it."
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"Govanenty interj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Jul 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/govanenty>
