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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WORTH, adv. Also wirth (Abd. 1923 R. L. Cassie Heid or Hert iii.); with, woth, wuth. Only in phr. to †fa (see Fa, v., 9. (28)), gae or gang (aa, clean) worth, -aworth, to go to pot, to become spoilt or useless, to go to ruin in any sense, by illness, bankruptcy, dissipation, etc. (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 112, with, woth; Bnff. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 17; ne.Sc. 1974, (aa) worth). [(ɑ:) wʌrθ, wʌθ]Sc. 1808 Jam.:
He's gane aw with, he's gone all to wreck: i.e. every thing is gone against him.
Ags. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
Efter the aivrins are ripe, they gae wuth in a day.
Bnff.9 1927:
He's gane a worth wi' drink. His horse's gane aworth wi' 'im.
Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick xvii., xxiii.:
The aal piper grew forfochen an' his breath gaed wuth . . . Fat gait Shuse didna gae wurth upo ye a' that lang rodd.

[Orig. prob. from aworth, variant form of award, Awald, adj., on one's back, helpless, later construed as aa worth and hence reduced to worth, with extension of meaning. See notes to Awald, n., Yaval.]

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"Worth adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/worth_adv>

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