SPENN, _vb._ to button, to lace. Jamieson. O.N. _spenna_, to clasp. Norse _spenna_, lace, _spenne_ sb. a buckle, Dan. _spænde_, Sw. _spänne_, to lace. The O.E. word is _spannan_, without umlaut. The meaning as well as the form of the Sco. word is Scand. SPRACK, _adj._ lively, animated. Jamieson. O.N. _sprǽkr_, quick, strong, sprightly, Norse _spræk_, spry, nimble, Dan. _spræk_, M.E. _sprac_. This is one of a few undoubted Scand. words found in South Eng. diall. SPIL, _sb._ a stake. Douglas, III, 250, 16. O.N. *_spílr_, variant of _spölr_. Cp. Norse _spil_, in the diall. of Western Norway. See _spale_. SPRATTLE, _vb._ to walk through mud, to scramble through wet and muddy places as the result of which one's clothes become soiled. Burns, 10, 11, 3; also 68, 1, 3. O.N. _spretta_, Norse _spretta_ to spurt, sputter, splash, Sw. _spritte_. On assimilation of _nt_, cp. _sprent_. The _l_ is frequentative. Exhibits characteristic Sco. change of _e_ to _a_ before t. Cp. _wat_ for _wet_, _swat_ for _sweat_. SPRENT, _vb._ to start, spring. Wallace, N, 23. O. Dan. _sprenta_, spurt out, spring, start, O.N. _spretta_, Norse _spretta_, shoot forth, spurt. In Cu. a pen is said to _sprent_ when it scatters the ink over the paper. So in Norse. The Sco. word agrees more closely in meaning with the Norse than with the Dan. but exhibits E. Scand. non-assimilation of _nt_ to _tt_ which took place in Norse before 1000. Sw. diall. which otherwise have many W. Scand. characteristics have both _sprenta_ and _spritta_. The word _sprætte_ also occurs in later Dan. SPRENT, _sb._ a spring, as the back spring of a knife. Wallace, IV, 238. See _sprent_, vb. STAKKER, STACKER, _vb._ to stagger. Brace, II, 42; Gol. and Gaw., II, 25. O.N. _stakra_. See B-S. under M.E. _stakerin_. Cp. Norse _stakra_, to stagger, to fall. STANG, _vb._ to sting. R.R., 771. O.N. _stanga_, to prick, goad, also to butt, Norse _stanga_, Dan. _stange_, id., M.E. _stangen_. STAPP, _vb._ to put into, to stuff, fill. Dunbar, T.M.W., 99; Montg. C. and S., 1552; Isaiah, VI, 6; M.W. 21, 12. O.N. _stappa_, to stamp down, Norse _stappa_, to stuff, fill, same as O.E. _stempan_, Eng. _stamp_, Dan. _stampe_. The assimilated form _stampa_ occurs in Norse beside _stappa_. The usage in Sco. is distinctively Norse and the vowel is the Norse vowel. Not the same as Eng. _stop_, O.E. (_for_)_stoppian_ in Leechdoms. With the last cp. Dan. _stoppe_ used just like Eng. _stop_. STARN, _sb._ the helm of a vessel. Dunbar, F., 450. O.N. _stjorn_, steerage, helm, Norse _stjorn_, vb. _stjorna_, to steer, cognate with Eng. _steer_, O.E. _styrian_. For a similar difference between the Eng. and the Norse word cp. Eng. _star_ and Norse _stjerne_. STARR, _sb._ sedge, heavy coarse grass. Jamieson. See Wall under _star_.