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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: sonofthom on Tuesday 15 August 17 13:29 BST (UK)

Title: Old (Scots?) Word
Post by: sonofthom on Tuesday 15 August 17 13:29 BST (UK)

I have discovered an article written in Edinburgh in 1684 describing the execution of an ancestor. There is one word that is new to me and that I cannot find in the dictionary - "snape"; the context is "snaped a gun at them" so it presumably means fired or pointed but as I have never encountered this word before any help would be appreciated.

Title: Re: Old (Scots?) Word
Post by: shanghaipanda on Tuesday 15 August 17 13:45 BST (UK)

1684 Erskine Diary 76.
Three dragoons deponed … that … one of the pannels snaped a gun at them, one of the soldiers alledging it was not snaped but presented only;

from http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/snap_v

Title: Re: Old (Scots?) Word
Post by: KGarrad on Tuesday 15 August 17 13:50 BST (UK)

snape
v.

also sneap, "to be hard upon, rebuke, revile, snub," early 14c., from Old Norse sneypa "to outrage, dishonor, disgrace," probably related to similar-sounding words meaning "cut" (cf. snip (v.)). Verbal meaning "bevel the end (of a timber) to fit an inclined surface" is of uncertain origin or connection. Snaiping "rebuking, reproaching, reviling" is attested from early 14c.

Title: Re: Old (Scots?) Word
Post by: sonofthom on Tuesday 15 August 17 14:06 BST (UK)

Thanks for the speedy replies - much appreciated. I wasn't aware of the online Scots dictionary so this will be an excellent resource for me. Shanghaipanda the passage you quote is from the book I had been reading . He is describing the trial and execution of three Covenanters one of whom is my ancestor Thomas Harkness.

Title: Re: Old (Scots?) Word
Post by: hdw on Monday 28 August 17 21:05 BST (UK)

I imagine it's a variant of "snipe", as in "sniper". I'm not sure what the older meaning of snipe was, but it may just have meant 'to shoot'.

Harry