SEIR, SER, _adj._ various, separate. Rolland, Prol., 295; R.R., 990; "Freires of Berwick," 321. O.N. _ser_, for oneself, separately. Originally the dative of the refl. p.r.o.n., but used very frequently as an adverb.

SEMELEY, _adv._ proper, looking properly. Wallace, I, 191; Wyntoun, IX, 26, 53. _Seimly_, _semely-farrand_, good-looking, handsome, also means "in proper condition." Redundant, since _semely_ and _farrand_ in Sco. mean the same. O.N. _saemiligr_.

See Skeat.

SHACKLET, _adj._ crooked, distorted. Burns, 322, I, 7. O.N.

_skakkr_, skew, wry, distorted, _skakki-fotr_, wry leg, Norse _skakk_, crooked, so Sw. dial. _skak_, Dan. _skak_, slanting.

The palatal _sh_ is unusual, but cp. _dash_ from _daska_.

Norse words generally preserve _sk_ in all positions, genuine Eng. words do not. See Part I, 12 and 13.

SHIEL, _sb._ shelter, protection. Burns, 226, 119, 3. O.N, _skjol_, shelter, cover, refuge, Norse _skjul_, _skjol_, p.r.o.n. _shul_, _shol_, Dan. _skjul_, id., _skjule_, to conceal. _Shielin_, sb. shelter, may be formed from the vb.

Sh.o.r.e, _vb._ to threaten. Ramsay, I, 261. Origin rather doubtful.

Has been considered Scand. See _schoir_.

SIT (sit), _vb._ to grieve. Wallace, I, 438. O.N. _sta_, Norse _syta_, to care. See _syte_, sb.

SITEFULL, _adj._ sorrowful, distressing. Douglas, I, 40, 19. Cp.

Norse _suteful_. See _syte_, sb.

SKAIL, SKALE, SCALE, _vb._ to scatter, disperse, dismiss, part, leave. A very common word. O.N. _skilja_, separate, O. Dan.

_skiliae_, Norse, _skilja_, Dan. _skille_, Sw. dial. _skila_.

The long vowel is unusual. Cp. _skeely_ in N. Sco. from O.N.

_skilinn_. The same change of _i_ to an e-vowel is observed in _gleit_ and _quey_.

SKAIL, _sb._ a storm, a strong wind that "skails." Isaiah, XXVIII, 2. See _skail_, vb.

SKATH, SKAITH, SCAITH, _sb._ harm, misery. O.N. _skai_, harm, damage, Norse _skade_, id., Dan. _skade_, O.E. _sceaa_.

SKANT, _sb._ want, poverty. Burns, 290, I, 3. O.N. _skammt_. See Skeat. Cp. _skerum skamti_, in short measure.

SKANTLIN, _sb._ little. Burns, 5, 5, 7. As adv. generally _skantlins_, _scantlings_, scarcely. O.N. _skamt_.

SKANTLY, _adv._ with difficulty, hardly. C.S., 69. See _skant_.

SKAR, _sb._ a scarecrow, a fright. Lyndsay, 437, 1633. From vb.

_skar_, to frighten, Eng. _scare_, M.E. _skerren_. O.N.

_skirra_. See Skeat.

SKEIGH, _adj._ originally meant timid, then very frequently, dainty, nice, finally, proud. Dunbar, T.M.W., 357. Burns, 193, 46, I.

Norse _sky_, Dan. _sky_, adj. and also vb. _sky_, to avoid.

B-S. compares Sw. _skygg_ also, which is the same word, but the vowel is long. The Sco. word, furthermore, seems to suggest an older diphthong. It could, however, not be O.E.

_sceah_, which gave M.E. _scheah_ and should have become _schee_ in N. Sco. Doubtful.

SKER, _adj._ timid, easily frightened. Dunbar, T.M.W., 357; Lyndsay, 227, 126. O.N. _skjarr_, shy, timid, Sw. dial. _skar_, M.E.

_scer_, Cu. _scar_, wild.

SKEWYT, _vb. pret._ turned obliquely. Wallace, IX, 148. O.N.

_skaeifr_, O. Ic. _skeifr_, oblique, Norse _skaeiv_, _skjaiv_, crooked, Dan. _skjaev_. The Dan word exhibits monophthongation of _aei_ to _ae_ (not to _e_, _i_, as in _sten_).

SKILL, _sb._ motive, reason. Gol. and Gaw., 147; Bruce, I, 214, 7.

See Skeat, and Kluge and Lutz. In Dunbar, 307, 63, "did nane skill," did not do a wise thing.

SKOG, SCOUG, _sb._ place of retreat, shelter, protection. Dalr., I, 30, 29; Isaiah, x.x.xII, 2. O.N. _skuggi_, shade, Norse _skugge_, O. Sw. _skuggi_.

SKOGY, _adj._ shady. Douglas, III, 1, 21, 16. See _scoug_.

SKRECH, SKRIK, _sb._ a scream, yell. C.S., 39; Rolland, IV, 336.

O.N. Norse _skrik_, a cry, a yell, _skrikja_, vb. Dan.

_skrig_. Cu. _skrike_ to scream. Eng. _shriek_ <>

*_scrician_.

SKRYP, _sb._ bag. Dunbar, F., 509. O.N. _skreppa_, a bag, Norse _skreppa_, Dan. _skreppe_, Sw. _skrappa_, id.

SKUGG, _sb._ a shadow. Dunbar, III, 24, 12. O.N. _skuggi_. See _skog_. Cp. _skog_, vb. to hide. Isaiah, XXVIII, 15.

SKYLE, _vb._ to hide, cover. Jamieson, quotation from Henryson. O.N.

_skjula_, O. Ic. _skjola_, to screen, shelter, Norse _skjula_, Dan. _skjul_, Sw. _skyla_, Fer. _sk?la_, Shetland _skail_, _skol_, cover, protect. Our word corresponds most closely to the Fer. word. Both are developed out of O.N. _skjula_. Cp.

O.N. _mjukr_ > _meek_, in standard Eng. Norse _skjula_ has preserved the original unumlauted vowel. The O.N. word was p.r.o.nounced _sk-iula_ or _sk-jula_. Cp. _skjenka_, which is N. Norse dial. _sheinka_. From _skj_ developed _sh_ in _shielin_.

SKYRIN, _adj._ shining, conspicuous because of brightness, showy.

Burns, 210, 87, 3. O.N. _skirr_, clear, bright, _skira_, to make clear, _skra_, to purify. (Cp. Norse _skjerr-torsdag_, O.N. _skiriorsdagr_, Maundy Thursday.) O.E. _scir_ > N. Eng.

_sheer_.

SLAIK, _vb._ to smooth, to lick. L.L., 457, 2173. O.N. _slaeikja_, to lick, Norse _sleikja_, Dan. _slikke_, O. Sw. _slekia_, Sw.

dial. _slakja_. The Eng. word _slick_, with a short vowel, corresponds exactly to the Dan. word, but may be native. Cp.

M.L.G. _slicken_. _Slikke_ in Dan. may be a loan-word from L.G. The Sco. _slaik_ corresponds in every way to the O.N., and is certainly a loan-word proved by quality and quant.i.ty of vowel.

SLAK, _sb._ a pit, a hollow in the ground, hollow place. Bruce, XIV, 536; R.R., 769. O.N. _slakki_, a slope, Norse _slakke_, Dan.

_slank_. Exhibits W. Scand. a.s.similation of _nk_ to _kk_. Cu.

_slack_, a shallow dell (d.i.c.kinson), Kent, _slank_.

SLE, _adj._ experienced, skillful. Bruce, XVI, 355; XVII, 44. O.N.

_slaegr_, O. Ic. _slaegr_, Eng. _sly_. See Skeat.

SLEEK, _adj._ neat, prancing, said of a horse. Burns, 7, 1, 1. O.N.

_slikr_, smooth. _Sleikit_, smooth, Dunbar, 567, 38; Burns, 117, 114. See Skeat, under _sleek_, _slick_.

SLEUTH, _sb._ track. Bruce, VII, 1 and 44. O.N. _slo_, track, trail. Cp. Norse _slod_, _slode_.

SLOKE, _vb._ to quench. Isaiah, I, 2, 3; and 49, 26. O.N. _slokva_, to quench. O. Ic. _slaekva_, Norse _slokka_, id. The word does not show the Scand. umlaut _o_ > _o_. Cu. _sleck_ has further developed the umlaut _o_ to _e_. Cp. O. Ic. _ae_ < o.="" nh.="">

All such words in Norse exhibit the intermediate stage _o_ up to the present time. In Ic. the _o_ developed to _ae_, in the first half of the 13th century. (See Noreen P.G.(2)I, 529.) In later O. Nhb. also _ae_ > _e_.

SLOKEN, SLOKYN, _vb._ to quench, to satisfy. Dunbar, T.M.W., 283; K.Q., 42; M.W., 116, 35. O.N. _slokna_, Norse _slokna_, inchoative of _slokva_. It may, however, be an infinitive in _en_ from _slokkva_, see _slock_.

SLOKNING, _sb._ the act of quenching, also the power of quenching.

Douglas, II, 26, heading of Chapter XII; Montg. C. and S., 1377. Pr. p., see _sloken_. Cp. O.N. _slokning_, Dan.

_slukning_.

SLONK, _sb._ a ditch, a depression in the land, also a slope on the mountain side. Winyet, II, 19, 5; Wallace, III, 4. Dan.