Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1836
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SOWDAN, n. Also sowdian, soudien in sense 2. [′sʌud(ɪ)ən]
1. A term of abuse (Ork. 1929 Marw.); specif., a tyrannical, cantankerous person (Abd. 1961, obsol.).
2. A big clumsy corpulent person (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928), soudien, s.v. sodi, 1914 Angus Gl.; I.Sc. 1971).Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 592:
Fur aa dat kleaz, itt wid a leepit a Sowdian aff o' da benz.
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"Sowdan n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/sowdan>
