Sawney
Encyclopedia
Sandie/y or Sawney was an English
nickname for a Scotsman
, now obsolete, and playing much the same linguistic role that "Jock" does now. Variations included Sanders and Sannock. The name is a Lowland Scots
diminutive
of the favourite Scottish first name Alexander (also Alasdair in Scottish Gaelic form, anglicised into Alistair) from the last two syllables. The English commonly abbreviate the first two syllables into "Alec". In the days after the accession of James VI
to the English throne, under the title of James I, to the time of George III
, and the Bute
administration, when Scotsmen were exceedingly unpopular, and when Dr. Samuel Johnson
- the great Scotophobe, and son of a Scottish bookseller at Lichfield
- thought it prudent to disguise his origin, and overdid his prudence by maligning his father's countrymen, it was customary to designate a Scotsman a "Sawney". This vulgar epithet, however, was dying out fast by the 1880s, and was obsolete by the 20th century.
Sawney was a common figure of fun in English cartoons, and one particularly racist example was called Sawney in the bog house by James Gillray
, showing a stereotypical Scotsman using a communal toilet by sticking one of his legs down each of the pans. It has also been suggested that the south western cannibal Sawney Bean may have been a fabrication to emphasise the alleged savagery of the Scots.
Sometimes also used in the term "Sawney Ha'peth" = Scots halfpennyworth = fool
At the point of Union in 1707 the Pounds Scots was worth 1/12 of the Pound Sterling, thus a Scots halfpennyworth implies worthlessness.
The word "sawney" survives in the current Official Scrabble Player's Dictionary (OSPD), which validates the word in Scrabble tournament play, and is defined as "a foolish person".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
nickname for a Scotsman
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, now obsolete, and playing much the same linguistic role that "Jock" does now. Variations included Sanders and Sannock. The name is a Lowland Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
of the favourite Scottish first name Alexander (also Alasdair in Scottish Gaelic form, anglicised into Alistair) from the last two syllables. The English commonly abbreviate the first two syllables into "Alec". In the days after the accession of James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
to the English throne, under the title of James I, to the time of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, and the Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
administration, when Scotsmen were exceedingly unpopular, and when Dr. Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
- the great Scotophobe, and son of a Scottish bookseller at Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
- thought it prudent to disguise his origin, and overdid his prudence by maligning his father's countrymen, it was customary to designate a Scotsman a "Sawney". This vulgar epithet, however, was dying out fast by the 1880s, and was obsolete by the 20th century.
Sawney was a common figure of fun in English cartoons, and one particularly racist example was called Sawney in the bog house by James Gillray
James Gillray
James Gillray , was a British caricaturist and printmaker famous for his etched political and social satires, mainly published between 1792 and 1810.- Early life :He was born in Chelsea...
, showing a stereotypical Scotsman using a communal toilet by sticking one of his legs down each of the pans. It has also been suggested that the south western cannibal Sawney Bean may have been a fabrication to emphasise the alleged savagery of the Scots.
Sometimes also used in the term "Sawney Ha'peth" = Scots halfpennyworth = fool
At the point of Union in 1707 the Pounds Scots was worth 1/12 of the Pound Sterling, thus a Scots halfpennyworth implies worthlessness.
The word "sawney" survives in the current Official Scrabble Player's Dictionary (OSPD), which validates the word in Scrabble tournament play, and is defined as "a foolish person".