Sassenach is a word used chiefly by the Scots and to designate an Englishman or a Lowlands Scot.Sir Walter Scott, The Lady of the Lake, canto v, note 18: "The Scottish Highlander calls himself, Gael, or Gaul, and terms the Lowlanders Sassenach, or Saxons" http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext02/llake10.txtClans of Scotland: Visit Scotland, Scotland's national tourism site http://www.visitscotland.com/aboutscotland/history/Clans It derives from the Gaelic Sasunnach meaning, originally, "Saxon". The modern Scottish spelling is 'Sasannach'. As employed by Scots or Scottish English-speakers today it is usually used in jest, as a (friendly) term of abuse.
