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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

AWE, AW, Aa, Ya, Yaw, v.² tr. Cf. Aucht, Yaucht, v.³ [ɑ:, ǫ:]

1. To owe (money, etc.). Also ppl. adj.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxxiii.:
Lord Evandale awes ye a day in ha'arst.Sc. 1897 R. L. Stevenson St. Ives x.:
Him that awes siller should never gie siller.Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
Aw, owe; to be bound to pay.Cai.(D) 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 61:
He aa's me saxpence.Bnff.² 1932:
She ees't t' boast 'at she awed nae man a saxpence.m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 44:
Tam wi a gey ill grace
peyed him the awin siller.Ayr. a.1789 Burns The Ronalds, etc. xv.:
But devil a shilling I awe, man.

2. In Bch. yaw (obsol.) occurs with the force of a pr.p. See Awn(d) 1 and Aicht 2.ne.Sc. 1996 W. Gordon McPherson in Sandy Stronach New Wirds: An Anthology of Winning Poems and Stories from the Doric Writing Competitions of 1994 and 1995 60:
She wis weel in wi the Emmerteens - she hid gaen them maet ae hungry winter ti see them throu, an they waar ya her a day in Hairst. Bch. c.1915 Abd.¹⁵:
He wis yaw me a gweed somethin for fat wark Aw did tull him i' ma orra time.