Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

P, n., letter of the alphabet.

The sixteenth letter of the alphabet now called pee [pi:] as in Eng., but formerly pay, pae [pe:] (Sc. 1761 Magopico (1810) 1; Bnff. 1836 Ellis E.E.P. V. 777; Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan II. xi.; Lnl. 1880 T. Orrock Fortha's Lyrics 154; Kcd. 1897 Crockett Lad's Love xvi.; Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 133; Sh. 1948 P. Jamieson Letters 248), signifying the breathed lips plosive. In Sc. this is less aspirated than in Eng. in initial position before a vowel, esp. front vowels, but more so intervocalically and finally (see W. Grant Pronunc. Eng. in Scot. 70, Dieth Bch. Dial. 86). Otherwise the usage is as in Eng. and the letter is gen. written double medially after a short vowel. In Sc.:

1. p appears for b in neeper, Neibour, in ne. and em.Sc. (a), Noup, Peysent, Pow, n.³, and has been retained in Lapster, lobster (O.E. loppestre). p is also conventionally used e.g. by Smollett, Dougal Graham, Scott, Galt, Stevenson, to represent the unvoiced b of a Highland speaker, as in pe, ponnie, poy, praw, progue, etc.;

2. Conversely p has been replaced by b in Barley, babteese, babtism (Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 150; Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 228), babtist (Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 683), cabtain (Ib.), Rabscallion;

3. The intrusive p in empty (O.E. æmtig) has been retained in some parts of Scot. with loss of t (see Empy), and p sporadically develops between m and s as in Ramps, Strumps;

4. p is occas. aspirated to ph, f, finally after m as in Bumph, Clomph, gamph (Gamp), Humph, n.¹, Sumph, Trumph. Sc. usage in phr. ¶to P and Q, to question closely, to quiz on points of detail.Ayr. 1833 J. Kennedy G. Chalmers 64:
To the root o' the matter wi' um. P um and Q um tichtly.