DCHP-2

scad scat, skad DCHP-2 (August 2016)

• 1 n. — Newfoundland, rare

  a minor snowstorm or a flurry of snow.

  Type: 2. Preservation — Scad is a preservation from British English, where it is attested as far back as 1687 (OED-3, s.v. "scud" 2b), though perhaps with the slightly different meaning of 'driving rain or snow'. In Canada, the term seems to be most often used in the Maritimes, especially Newfoundland, and is attested by the Dictionary of Newfoundland English back to 1910 (DNE, s.v. "scad"). The term appears most frequently paired with the word "snow", as in "a skad of snow" (see the quotations), and is exclusive to Canada (see Chart 1).

  • A regional chart is not possible on account of only one hit for scad of snow in all 13 Canadian domain (6 Aug 2016, SD).

• 2 n. — obsolete

  a thin layer of snow on the ground.

  Type: 3. Semantic Change — Scad, referring to a thin layer of snow on the ground, is, similar to meaning 1, a preservation of British English origin, though this meaning underwent semantic change in Canada. In the new world, the term seems to be most often used in the Maritimes, especially Newfoundland, and is attested by the Dictionary of Newfoundland English back to 1897 (see DNE, s.v. "scad"). The earliest attestation in written language dates from 1884 (see the 1884 quotation).