Thraw
/θrɔː/noun
A Scots word meaning to twist, wrench, or turn violently; also used in older Scots for a spell or trance-like state in some dialectal senses.
Did you know?Thraw is a genuine Scots word, but its exact ancestry is uncertain; it’s often linked to Old Norse influence in northern Britain, showing how everyday speech can carry the residue of Viking contact.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse / Scots contact period
ON/Scots
thrá / thraw
“to twist, turn, or wrench”
Middle Scots
Scots
thraw
“to twist or distort; to turn aside”
Early Modern Scots
Scots
thraw
“to wrench, contort, or put out of joint”
Modern Scots
Scots
thraw
“to twist, turn, or distort violently”