Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SABBATH, n. Also Sc. forms Sawbath (Sc. 1827 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 38, Abd. 1865 G. MacDonald Alec Forbes xxvi.; Fif. 1887 S. Tytler Logie Town I. xiv.; Ags. 1923 V. Jacob Songs 9), Sawbbath (Sc. 1925 Scots Mag. (Dec.) 228), Sawbith, Saubbath. In Sc. usage, esp. among older speakers, applied to Sunday as a day of the week without specific connotation of its religious significance. Also attrib. Adj. and adv. Sabbathly, (recurring) every Sunday. [′sɑ:bəθ, ′sǫ:-]Ayr. 1820 Galt in Blackwood's Mag. (Aug.) 467:
As the Rev. Mr F — Sabbathly says.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie lxxxvii.:
It was a Sabbathly theme of regret.Sc. 1842 Children in Trades Report (2) I 21:
The Sunday, or, as they are called, Sabbath schools in Scotland.Fif. 1844 J. Jack St Monance 19:
Rigged out in his Sabbath-day's claise.Ags. 1889 Barrie Auld Licht Idylls iii.:
Jess's Sabbath bonnet. . . . Hendry was hustled into his Sabbath coat.Sc. 1896 R. Masson Elem. Eng. Comp. 39:
To use the word ‘Sabbath' as the ordinary name of the day is to be guilty of a Scotticism.Per. 1896 I. MacLaren Brier Bush iii., iv.:
Marget in her Sabbath dress. . . . Drumsheugh and Hillocks in their Sabbath blacks.Slg. 1932 W. D. Cocker Poems 50:
Ilk Sawbath he would scart the stibble frae his chin.Sc. 1995 Daily Record 25 Feb 14:
Stonemason Matthew Gilfillan reeled in two salmon on the Sabbath. But he paid the price for it yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court. Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 47:
" ... There's nae Sabbath Schule the day - Mrs Barron the dominie's nae weel sae ye maun sit throw the sermon wi me. ..." em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 9:
The Haly Ghaist has warked wi'in
Tae cleanse them in the latter days,
An Christ's humility adorns
Their ooter sels like Saubbath claes.