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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhin, n.² Also: quhyn(n, whin(n; whine; whun. [North. ME quin (Cursor M.), of unknown origin. Also in the later north. Eng. dial.]

1. a. A name given to various very hard, dark-coloured rocks or stones; whinstone.Also attrib. with -craig, -quarrell, etc., and comb. in Quhin-stane n. 1513 Doug. viii iv 110.
Thar stude a pynnakill of quhyn [Sm. quhynn, L. silex] or flynt stone 1535 Stewart 1897.
Great cragis of quhin thai tuke … Syne in ane cirkill set thame Ib. 52766. — 1587-99 Hume 30/133.
Back from the blew paymented whun … The hote reflexing of the sun Inflams the aireattrib. 1625 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 161.
For leading of fourscoir leadis of wallstanes fra the quhin quarrell to the utter yett 1628 Ib. 216.
To ane quariour that wrocht tua dayes in the castell at the quhin craig, xxiiij s. 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 278.
Gaes of whin rock render the coal next to it as it were already burnt

b. A piece, lump, slab or boulder of whinstone. c. ? A rock or boulder, generally.(1) 1513 Doug. viii v 68.
The hillys rerdis, quhil dyndlis roik and quhyn [: dyn] Ib. ix ix 95.
With a gret quhyn, or roch of cragy stone Ib. xii xii 14.
Mont Apennynus … with roky quhynnys hie 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I 93.
For bering of quhynnis to the slop of the wal 1563 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 24 April. 1576 Glasgow B. Rec. I 459.
For wynning of four hunderith draght of quhynnis 1614 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 347. 1659 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 169.
With great stones and whinns 1689 Ib. XII 21.(2) 1513 Doug. vii ix 56.
A rowtand burn … rynnys … on the craggy quhynnys [L. saxis] Ib. viii iv 17.
Quhar as the craggy quhynnys [L. scopuli], dovn declyne 1587 Prot. Bk. J. Muschet 31.
Ane peice of wast lyand vpone the quhynnis at the syd of the kingis dyk 1680 Edinb. B. Rec. X 406.
The whines lyand betwixt his bounds and the sea mark which hes alwayes bein ane fence against the incrotchment of the sea

2. transf. A testicle.Cf. stane for a similar semantic development. a1540 Freiris Berw. 212 (M).
I dreid me sair, and he cum in this innis And find me heir, that I los both my quhynnis