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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.

FOUND, n., v. Also foon(d), foun; †fund (Kcd. c.1730 C. Wright G. Guthrie (1900) 54; Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 163), fun. [fu:n(d)].

I. n. 1. A foundation, base, lit. and fig.; also the excavation made for the foundations of a building. Used in sing. and pl. Gen.Sc.Abd. 1702 T. Mair Ellon Rec. (1898) 305:
It would be necessarie to raze the Church to the found.Sc. 1829 G. Robertson Recoll. 79:
The wooden work of it [roof] was constructed . . . of upright kebbers of rough timber, inserted into the heart of the walls, as low down as the found.Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 172:
Like those unselfish workin men of old, That laid the solid founds o' Christianity.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 175:
All the rubbish was cleared away for the foond of the new tower by the beginning of December.Abd. 1889 W. Allan Sprays 99:
Gin the foun' o' a story be laid tae the line.Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Clay Biggin' 9:
Davy . . . was diggin' the foond for the cot hoose.Rxb. 1921 Kelso Chron. (25 Nov.) 2:
They'll be gaun doon tae the foonds likely.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 61:
I guid furt an' begood ta hok for a foond ta da back wa' o' da byre.Sc. 1948 Scotsman (9 Dec.):
The tunnel takes four right-angle turns round the founds of the R.S.A. building.

Comb.: found stane, a foundation stone. Also fig.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 79:
The foundstane, mother Eve did lay it E'er scarce created.Sc. 1889 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 529:
The covering may be effected with strong pavement, . . . or with rough found-stones, where such can be procured.ne.Sc. 1979 Alastair Mackie in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 63:
that I was boddomed on the saut rigours o your law -
to be vast and various
and yet fixed to the foonds. Fif. 1985 Christopher Rush A Twelvemonth and a Day 197:
You don't know who you're talking to, you worm!
Where were you when I sank the foonds of the earth and threw it up in six days? Sc. 1995 James S. Adam New Verses for an Auld Sang 12:
... young Scotia bricht in braw new goun
will breist the braes wi eident bearin;
juist ae wee step twixt me an foun
on whilk tae bigg thon dream we're sharin Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web iii:
A puil, fit o the Darroch, keepit me drawin fur oors, fur I wis certain a kelpie bedd in its founs, ...

2. Specif.: a ring of stones and brushwood on which a corn-stack is built (ne.Sc. 1953), sometimes including the sheaves forming the base of the stack.Abd. 1920 C. Murray Country Places 1:
[He] roon the ruck foun's wi' the lave o' the loons Played “Takie” by licht o' the meen.Abd. 1953 Abd. Press and Jnl. (4 Nov.):
Has Marion ever forked a “foun” against the wind with the chaff blowing into her face?

‡3. A fund, reserve of money (Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 243; Ags.² 1943); in pl., funds, money. Cf. Fond, n.Sc. 1707 in Earls of Cromartie (ed. Fraser 1876) II. 37–38:
Wee have a better, that is, a more mine-full foond in Scotland then the Indies can affoord.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xxxv.:
Tibbie havin' the purse in her pouch, I hadna sufficient foonds for that.Fif. 1894 A. S. Robertson Provost 32:
By-the-bye, Saunders, was Dauvit i' the Burial Foond (Friendly Society)?Sh. 1919 T. Manson Peat Comm. II. 131:
Paid twinty-five pound a week, an his livin, an his traivellin expenses, firby haein a found laid by fir extrees.

II. v. 1. As in Eng., to lay the foundations of, to found, establish.Abd. 1879 G. Macdonald Sir Gibbie II. xi.:
Though the hoose be fun't upo' a rock, it's maist biggit o' fells, an' the fundation's a' I luik even to see o' 't again.Sc. 1887 in Mod. Sc. Poets (ed. Edwards) X. 338:
For ilka man and mither's son that acts up to his licht, And foonds life's biggin' on the true, and fends it wi' the richt.Sc. 1891 R. Ford Thistledown 124:
The “foondin'” . . . demanded that the “greybeard” should be filled and emptied.w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 84:
Torphichen's kent in fact as foondit
ver' ne'r a thoosant year an yet,
wi its auld name that's Cymric soondit,
yae thoosant mair's a safe-like bet.

Hence combs.: (1) ‡foundin pint, a drink given to the workmen after laying the foundations of a building as an augury of good luck (ne.Sc. 1874 W. Gregor Olden Time 15, funin-; Ork., Ags. 1953); (2) foundin stane, foundation stone.(1) Mry. 1875 A. Jervise Epitaphs I. 300:
A minister [of Knockando] refused to give the workmen a founding pint, . . . upon which they are said to have pronounced a malison against future incumbents.Kcb. 1906 Gallovidian No. 31, 107:
The idea of the foundation sacrifice still subsists in the “foonin pint” and bread and cheese given when starting the building of a house.Per. 1918 J. Meikle Old Session Bk. 183:
The “foundin' pint,” which still drags on a precarious existence.Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS.:
They came to him for a foonin' pint and he gae them a foo bottle o' fuskey.(2) Ags. 1898 J. T. Boyle Spectre Maid 73:
O' him that laid the rock that made His foondin' stane o' fame.

2. intr. with refl. force, with (up)on: to base one's opinion, etc.; to establish itself, be established on (Sh., ne.Sc., Ags., Slg., Fif. 1945).Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xiii.:
Ye shall never lay finger on my daughter, and that ye may found upon.Sc. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Revol. III. i. v.:
All delineation . . . must either found on Belief and provable Fact, or have no foundation at all.Fif.¹⁰ 1943:
Ye canna foond upon what he says.