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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FIND, v., n. Also fin(n)(d), fun(d), funn. For distribution of forms without d, see s.v. D, 2. [fɪn(d)]

A. Sc. forms: Pa.t. fan(d), faun(d); fann (Sh.), from O.E.fǫnd; foun', fun(d), foond, from O.E. pl.fundon. Contracted forms fand, fant = fand it (Sc. 1887 Jam.). Pa.p. fun(d); funn (Sh.), fune (Sc. 1699 D. Warrand Culloden Papers (1923) I. 266); also irreg. fand (Abd. 1917 D. G. Mitchell Clachan Kirk 42), faund (Fif. 1896 D. S. Meldrum Grey Mantle 293), füne (Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 138), foon (Abd. 1931 D. Campbell Uncle Andie 55), foun'; ¶funden (Sc.(E) 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms xxxvii. 36).Sc. 1983 John McDonald in Joy Hendry Chapman 37 45:
He gangs westlins -
the wey o the souchin wund -
reengin efter an easement
he'll never fund.wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 4:
Aye, hark at auld Narra-Mind and, afore lang,
We'd think ilka hermless thing we did was wrang
Them that wants to can aye funn faut.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 13:
Mebbe aa this cuid but connach braith.
There's monie a gow gaed aifter a wile,
fu-shair o't, yet fun', disjaskit, sair daith,
no hecht o life.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 39:
She lookit up, the auld wife,
an' gied a mudgeon,
as gin she suddenly foond
aa things unreddable.Gsw. 1990 John and Willy Maley From the Calton to Catalonia 40:
We never even fun oot his name!Lnk. 1991 Duncan Glen Selected Poems 20:
I fund you singin like a lintie
in the streets
and doon the road in the park
they are lockin up the swings
for Sunday.m.Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 27:
I hadna fund in treason sae apert
Ane servitour wha staw my traist away.m.Sc. 1992 Iain Banks The Crow Road (1993) 148:
'They pit this green dye in thur petrol, an if yer foun wi that in the tank uv yer motor car, ye get the jile....'Dundee 1992 W. N. Herbert in Janice Galloway and Hamish Whyte New Writing Scotland 10: Pig Squealing 70:
'... But he didna take the wumman's shirt wi him, so when he came back he foond his baby lyin in the hut by its lane wi a knife laid across its throat.'Sh. 1993 New Shetlander Sep 22:
"I'm travelin to Levenwick" he said "and I'm finnin it's a lang wye fae Scalloway. I'd be blyde of a drink of blaand if you had it ..."m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 25:
It's always your damned fault, always! Time and again ah've tried ma best tae git oor heids oot the slabber, and time and again we always fun oorsels sinkin further in...Sh. 1994 Laureen Johnson in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 168:
We fan Annie's graandmidder's death, June, 1945. Shö lay ida hoose for tree days afore onyeen fan her, poor body.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 18:
Big, bonny cat-beast, douce and tame,
Ye wanner roun ma kitchen fleer
An wanner throwe ma thochts; I'll sweir
That there ye've fun a second hame.ne.Sc. 1996 Timothy Neat ed. The Summer Walkers: Travelling People and Pearl-Fishers in the Highlands of Scotland 229:
Asked where he'd find a place to sleep for the night he replied 'I aye claese my een when I sleep - if I can lift me heid come the morn, I'll not complain where I foond it!'Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 9:
Bit Jimmy Higgins wadna be gaun-nae unless somebody fand the garage key.em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 32:
'Where did ye find this ane?' the minister asked.
'Twa mile yonder, abune the toun,' said one of the soldiers. 'He was asleep when we took him.'
'I fund him,' said the boy.

B. Sc. usages:

I. v. 1. (1) In gen.: to perceive with the senses, be conscious of, feel (Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scotticisms 36). Gen.Sc. In Arg. fin tae.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems 68:
The humble Reptile fand some Pain.Abd. 1778 A. Ross Helenore 14:
'Twas then blind Cupid did let gae a shaft, . . . That baith their hearties fand the common stound.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail xxxv.:
Do as I bid thee, or I'll maybe gar thee fin' the weight o' my staff.Lnk. 1862 D. Wingate Poems 75:
Through the hedge they dartit, Nor fan' hoo sair their skin was scartit.Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 222:
The hill air lats fouk fin' the bothom o' their stamacks.Bch. 1913 W. Fraser Jeremiah Jobb 15:
Oh, come awa', Mrs Smith, Aw fin' faint kin'.Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS.:
I didna fin' my feet aneath me tull I wan within cry o' hame [i.e. I ran like the wind].Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 11:
Hei caresna what ails foak, as lang as hei's no finndin't.Sc. 1948 in W. Montgomerie Sandy Candy 227:
On Christmas nicht I turned the spit; I burnt ma fingers, I find it yet.Arg.³ 1952:
I never fan tae ye comin in last nicht. I thocht I fan tae something movin about in the room.

Specif.: (2) Of touch, to feel with the fingers, to grope (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 84). Gen.Sc. Sometimes in an indecent sense (Bnff.², Abd.²⁷, Ags.¹⁹, Fif.¹⁰, Bwk.², Arg.³ 1945). Also fig. Sc. 1719 George Lockhart Letters (1989) 129:
...I have had occasion and been at some pains to find the merchants' pulses....Bnff. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 57:
I pried her mou' an' thumt her chin, But laigher down did never fin'.Sc. 1821 Blackwood's Mag. (Aug.) 39:
De'il a bit o' oilcake ever crossed their craigs: only find them, man — tak haud o' them — dinna be feared.Lnk. 1862 D. Wingate Poems 32:
Before ye sink a neebor's soul, Tak' time, and fin' his head.Slk. 1892 W. M. Adamson Betty Blether's Correspondence 12:
When findin' for the key. . . . I had stoppit the pend'lum.Ags. 1896 A. Blair Rantin Robin 86:
I . . . fand ower a' the bed, vainly expectin to find some trace o' my guidwife.Edb. 1916 J. Fergus The Sodger 30:
An' fin' whaurever I gang, for I'm blin' frae the war, I'm blin'.

(3) Of smell or taste, to be aware of. Gen.Sc.Dmf. 1822 Scots Mag. (May) 636:
He snuffled wi' his nose just as though he had faund a smell that shouldna been there.Ayr. 1840 J. Ramsay Eglinton Park 53:
I fin' the smell; my boys, huzza! The gravy's spillin'.Ags. 1879 G. W. Donald Poems 9:
For to this hour I find the smell O' bats an' burning leather.Uls. 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings by Robin 80:
I cud a tuk my davey that I fun' the smell o' fried beef.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 19:
Sheu fand de smell o' the burnan' hoose.Sh. 1931 Sh. Almanac Companion 187:
A body cud 'a fun' da smell o' him twinty yairds awa', wi' his hair oil an' scent.

2. intr. Of objects: to feel, produce a sensation. Rare.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 177:
Your breeks are glued to the clammy seat that fin's saft and hard aneath you.

3. Phr.: to fin(d) (the) frost, to suffer hardship or unpleasant consequences. See Frost.

II. n. 1. The feel, impression produced by touch (Bnff., Abd., Kcb. 1950); indecent handling of a woman (Bnff.², Abd.²⁷, Ags.¹⁹, Fif.¹⁰, Bwk.³, Arg.³, Kcb.¹⁰ 1945). Dim. finnie.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 203:
Persons purchasing grain, generally estimate the price of it, by its finnie, or the way in which it feels.Abd. 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer I. iv.:
It's new frae the bakehoose, no ten minutes ago. I ken by the fin' o' 't.

†2. Feeling, humour, mood; a state of eagerness or desire.Abd. 1787 A. Shirrefs Jamie and Bess Invoc. p. viii.:
Gin anes ye pit me in a fin, [I] may, wi' pains, lear to had in, And bla' mair smooth.Abd. 1825 Jam.:
In the fin' of singin. He was in a fin' about winnin awa.