Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1705-1893, 1951-1952
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LYTHE, n., v. Also lyth, lith(e); laith (w.Sc. 1698 M. Martin St Kilda (1818) 19); lied, lyd, laid (Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Hist. Fif. 53). [lɑeð; Wgt. lɑed]
I. n. The pollack, Gadus pollachius (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; e.Lth., Bwk. 1919 T.S.D.C.; Ork., ne.Sc., wm.Sc., Gall., Uls. 1961).Sc. 1705 J. Spreull Accompt Current 11:
Whiteings, Haddocks, small Cod, Lyths, Macreels, Spirlings.Sc. 1746 Lyon in Mourning (S.H.S.) I. 174:
He catched with hand-lines fishes called lyths, somewhat like young cod.Kcb. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 XI. 13:
Scad, called here lyth or lyd.Ags. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 XI. 256:
The wolf, hog, cat, hawk, cole, and lied-fish.Kcb. 1893 Crockett Raiders iii.:
There was nothing except lythe and saithe in the nets.Ork. 1951 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 76:
I would on summer mornings, aff Skaehua, haal the creels, Or fish for lythe.Abd. 1952 Abd. Press & Jnl. (8 Sept.) 6:
White Fishing Prices . . . lythe, 4/–6/-; saithe, 1/–3/- . . . all per stone.
II. v. In vbl.n. lything, fishing for pollack (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.).
[A variant form of Ly, q.v., with -the from Saithe, another species of coal-fish.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Lythe n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/lythe>
