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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

THIS, pron., adj., adv. Also †thes (Fif. 1766 Session Papers, Ramsay v. Martin (25 Nov.) 119), thus (Inv. 1911 Buchan Observer (10 April 1962) 7); †tis (Rnf. 1854 Laird of Logan 53); aphetic forms 'is(s) (Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 199, Cai. 1909 D. Houston 'E Silkie Man 3, Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick vi., n.Sc. 1972), See T, letter, 9. (2) (v); Sh. form dis (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.). For the pl. see Thir. Sc. forms and usages. [ðɪs, n.Sc. + i.s; I.Sc. dɪs]

I. pron. 1. Used elliptically for ‘this time' or ‘this place'. Gen.Sc. Obs. or obsol. in Eng., being replaced by now and here.Wgt. 1702 Session Bk. Wgt. (1934) 26:
Distance between this and Kilcudbrigh.Abd. 1971:
I'll hae plenty adee atween this and Whitsunday. He gaed frae this tae Edinburgh.Edb. 2004:
Ah've goat tae get fae this till the end o the month oan sae little siller.

2. Phrs.: (1) aa dis, all this time (Sh. 1972); (2) this o't, this state of affairs, this point or pitch, all this.(1) Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 23:
Whaar's du been aa dis?(2) Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xlvii.:
What's this o't now Mr. Sampson? this is waur than ever.wm.Sc. 1837 Laird of Logan 160:
Sin' it has come to this o't.Mry. 1898 J. Slater Seaside Idylls 92:
I canna bear tae be at this o't.Arg. 1901 N. Munro Shoes of Fortune xxx.:
Mercy on us! what's this of it?Lnk. 1928 W. C. Fraser Yelpin Stane 38:
“What this o't?” roared Tibbie, as she gazed wrathfully at his burden.

3. Used predicatively with a sing. v. and a pl. subject: these (Sh., ne.Sc. 1972).ne.Sc. 1784 A. and H. Tayler Lord Fife and his Factor (1925) 128, 174:
This is my only two objections. . . . This is the effects of the horrid American war.Abd. 1972:
This is them = here they are.

II. dem.adj. 1. Used as a pl. instead of these (Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scoticisms 93; I. and n.Sc., Kcb. 1972; Sh., Ork., Cai., Abd., Ags., Fif., Edb. 2000s).Ayr. 1734 Ayr Presb. Reg. MS. (11 Dec.):
There was no representation advanced against any brother in this bounds.Sc. 1776 Clerk Saunders in Child Ballads No. 69 A.i.:
Sad and heavy was the love, I wat, it fell this twa between.Sc. 1828 Fair Annie in Child Ballads (1956) II. 81:
And what means a' this bonny boys, That follow at her heel?Kcd. 1820 E. Tevendale Misc. Poems 13:
This fouks here present are a' usefu' bodies.Abd. 1913 D. Scott Sc. Stories 32:
Oh, weel, this lads comes in aboot ta ma noo.Cai. 1928 John o' Groat Jnl. (10 Feb.):
'E grun' 'll be 'at thin efter 'is speyts 'at ye can steer'd wi' a stick.Abd. 1934 Abd. Univ. Review (March) 121:
Peer fairmers in this times.Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 13:
Never mind, at least this silly games wis getting mi a bit of peace frae them constantly nagging at mi and it kind of kept the guffified gaffer aff mi back. Rs. 1991 Bess Ross Those Other Times 222:
"You come up the stair with me," he said to Duncan. "I'll need you to give me a hand with this beds," and he took his mug to the sink. ne.Sc. 1992 Sheila Douglas ed. The Sang's the Thing: Voices from Lowland Scotland 244:
Ye'd tae go up tae Rothes on a Sunday night an the pub closed at nine, and ye'd come oot an wait for the bus, an ye seen aa this quines snookin aboot, an that wis the start o' it, happily. Abd. 1993:
Is eens is better'n at eens.

2. = Eng. those (ne.Sc., Ags. 1972). See Thae, II. 2.s.Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.:
Thir shillings (which I hold concealed in my hand) are better than these upon the table.

3. = Eng. to- in combs. this day, this nicht, today, tonight (I., n., em., wm.Sc. 1972). Obs. or arch. in Eng.s.Sc. 1835 Wilson's Tales of the Borders I. 212:
If ye act as weel the morn as ye hae spoken this nicht.Per. 1852 R. S. Fittis Moss-trooper iv.:
I am sair wearied this nicht wi' lang traivel.Lnk. 1880 Clydesdale Readings 114:
Blythe wud I be gin I had been able to pay you this day.Gsw. 1888 A. Hislop Sc. Anecdote 724:
I ken naething about ony chop in the house this day.Ags. 1896 A. Blair Rantin Robin 88:
I hope ye'll never be in sic a puir ill-aff state as I'm intill this nicht.Lnk. 1910 C. Fraser Glengonnar 124:
I'm thinkin' we'll never get that length this nicht.

4. In deriv. thisna, this sort of a, this particular. See thattan s.v. That, II. 4.Ags. 1910 J. Lee Poems 112:
Some folks wad mak' an unco wark 'Bout thisna pleasance, thatna park.

III. adv., qualifying an adj.: so, to such a degree or extent; now only with advs. or adjs. of quantity in Eng. (Sh., ne.Sc. 1972).Abd. 1932 J. Leatham Fisherfolk 13:
A'm this aul', an' I never had a sy-ystem!