Do you know the difference between a skellie and a skerrie or a smiddie and a souter? Or that wast is west and waster is wester? No? Then this website will help you out of the wuid and through the yett.
Scots Words and Place-names (SWAP) is a simple but highly useful website created through the collaboration of several organizations, including the University of Glasgow, the National e-Science Centre (NeSC), the Scottish Place-Name Society and Jisc. The project concluded in 2011, but its database is timeless.
The glossary itself is only 8 pages long, but it’s fully searchable and each entry provides the modern form of each word as well as its older Scots form. The etymology, definition, modern examples, historical evidence and other notes are also listed and provide a wealth of information.
Those interested in learning more can expand their research by making use of the extensive list of related links provided on SWAP.
You’ll find the glossary here: Scots Words and Place-names
