sgian dubh
/ski.ənˈdu/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.01 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A small, single-edged knife worn tucked into the hose (stocking) as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress along with the kilt.
Example Sentences
- "[Y]oung Durward sprung lightly as the ounce up into the tree, drew from his pouch that most necessary implement of a Highlander or woodsman, the trusty skene dhu, and, calling to those below to receive the body on their hands, cut the rope asunder in less than a minute after he had perceived the exigency."
- "Give me my skene-dhu, and let me go on my road. I should have been half way to Stirling brig by this time—Give me my dirk, and let me go."
- "In another moment claymores and skene-dhus gleamed in the grasp of several uplifted hands; [...]"
- "The hasps, which were evidently intended to be secured by padlocks, had lost their fastenings, which were supplied by two skean-dhus—the small dagger of the Highlander—which had been thrust through the iron loops, and kept the casket perfectly water-tight."
- "The word sgian now means any kind of knife, but formerly denoted the peculiar dirk which was one of the weapons of the Irish. It was frequently called sgian dubh, i.e. black knife, either from the usual colour of the haft, or from the fatal blow which it so often dealt."
- "In his hand was a long, sharp-pointed "sgian-dubh," the cherished gift of his father, the plaything of his early youth, and the trusty companion of his manhood and riper years."
Etymology
Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic sgian-dubh: sgian (“knife”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sek- (“to cut; to cut off, sever”)) + dubh (“black; (figurative) hidden”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“deep”)). The plural form sgianan dubha is also borrowed from Scottish Gaelic.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *sek-, sgian-dubh, *dʰewbʰ-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ski.ənˈdu/
- British English: /skiː.ənˈduː/