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: 1923-1927
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ONTAE, prep. Also ont(e). A compressed form of Eng. owin(g) to, assimilated to ontae, on to, s.v. On, adv., 2. (5).Abd. 1923 Banffshire Jnl. (8 May) 10:
Gin ye dee o' a burs'en skin, it'll be a' ont' the driver.Lth. 1927 Spectator (5 Nov.) 771:
Here in the Lothians it is common to hear "ontae" used to mean "owing to" — e.g. "Dauvit couldna gang to Cupar ontae his wife being onweel."
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"Ontae prep.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 12 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/ontae_prep>
