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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HAIN, v., n.¹ Also †hayn, hane, haen, hen; misprint fain (Sc. a.1744 J. Cockburn Letters (S.H.S.) 100). [he:n]

I. v. 1. To enclose or protect a field or wood by a hedge or fence (Sc. 1814 J. Sinclair Agric. Scot. II. 220; Gall. 1825 Jam.); to preserve grassland from cattle for hay or winter pasture (Sc. 1825 Jam.; wm.Sc., Gall., Dmf., s.Sc. 1956). Gen. found as ppl.adj. hain(e)d, of a grass crop: kept for hay, allowed to lie without being pastured; of a plantation: preserved from cutting; vbl.n. ha(i)ning, an enclosure fenced off originally with a hedge, gen. to protect a hay crop from cattle (Abd. 1825 Jam.) or a plantation from cutting; now found as a place-name. Hence also henwood, timber or a plantation so protected.Sc. 1700 Edb. Gazette (15–19 Aug.):
The Grass of the two Woods, and of one of the Inclosures of the Shank, hain'd since the 15th of May last.Sc. 1702 Foulis Acc. Bk. (S.H.S.) 300:
Jan. 3: to James Watt, Joⁿ Marjor., garner, for setting out trees in the intack and haining at Rae[velstoune].Sc. 1733–4 Lord Cockburn's Letters (S.H.S.) 9:
I think Alexr Wight's wood is only to be hain'd 15 years from cutting.Abd. 1765 Abd. Journal (2 May):
All the old Grass Parks at Haddo House, which have been Winter hained, are to be set for this Summer's Grass.Ayr. 1787 Burns Auld Mare xviii.:
Wi' tentie care I'll flit thy tether, To some hain'd rig.Rxb. 1794 Stat. Acc.¹ XI. 330 Note:
Anciently, the opposite bank of Oxnam water, on the W., was covered with wood, denominated henwood, and is said to have been the rendezvous of the inhabitants, to oppose the English freebooters, when the watch word was, a henwoody.Dmf. 1812 W. Singer Agric. Dmf. 364:
It is well ascertained that few things are more dangerous than rank grass, tainted by haining.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck vii.:
Now, the Quave Brae again, it's our hogg-fence, that's the hained grund like.Rxb. 1918 Kelso Chron. (15 Feb.) 4:
On hills where any amount of hay can be cut, there is not the same need for more enclosures, but still hained hay is always a superior article to that cut from amongst the sheeps' feet.Sc. 1938 Scotsman (11 June) 13:
The Haining, as its name implies, was no doubt one of the enclosures from the old Ettrick Forest, which at one time covered an area greater than the county of Selkirk.

Hence in fig. phrs.: (1) to hain at the breird, to be economical with one's early resources; (2) to have been on the hain'd rig, of a person: to be plump, well-nourished (Fif. 1825 Jam.).(1) Lth. 1933 H. H. Wood R. Henryson 225:
Only last summer I was counselled by an old lady of my acquaintance to “hain at the breird.”

2. To protect, preserve from harm; to spare (trouble or exertion or the like) (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Phr. weel-hained, of a person: well-preserved. Gen.Sc.; not wasted by sexual excesses, chaste (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 342:
Work Legs, and win Legs, hain Legs, and tine Legs.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (1925) 71:
You needna wag your Duds o' clouts, . . . To think that erst you've hain'd my Tail Frae Wind and Weet.Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' lx.:
And swankies they link aff the pot, To hain their joes.Ayr. 1785 Burns To W. Simpson vi.:
She's gotten Bardies o' her ain, Chiel's wha their chanters winna hain, But tune their lays.Edb. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 8:
Our city wa's . . . To hain us twa three staps about Are now laid low.Uls. 1884 Cruck-a-leaghan and Slieve Gallion Lays and Leg. 69:
“An' mind yez,” sez he, to the sooty oul' stokers, “Don't haen him, me boys, with the shovels an' pokers.”Ags. 1895 Arbroath Guide (10 Aug.) 3:
Syne Margit began to gie me my character, an', I assure ye, she didna hain me.Kcb. 1898 T. Murray Frae the Heather 95:
Ye open wide yer lang-hained jaws And belch and sten.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 24:
Doo can hain dy pains, fur I can mak' naethin' o't 'thoot glasses.Abd. 1923 R. L. Cassie Heid or Hert xvi.:
It wud never dee for him tae play the gentleman an' ham himsel' fin a' 'dder body wis tyauvin' sae sair.Ags. 1934 H. B. Cruickshank Noran Water 7:
Ye micht think the sallow buckthorn Ne'er a hairst could hain.

3. tr. To save (up), hoard, use sparingly, economise. Gen.Sc. Ppl.adjs. hain(e)d, haint, saved, hoarded (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 87), hainin(g), thrifty (Ib. 73), spare, reserved for special occasions (Cai.⁹ 1946), also of a second best used to save a better, esp. of clothes (Sc. 1888 C. Mackay Dict. Lowl. Sc. 83); vbl.n. hainin(g), thrift, economy, penuriousness (Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxvii., haenin, Abd.⁷ 1925); in pl., savings (Sc. 1825 Jam., ha(i)nings); intr., absolutely or with in, on, upon: to be thrifty, economical or penurious (Cai.⁹ 1946; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein). Phr. to hain a coo, to milk sparingly either to rest her or to swell her udder for marketing, etc. (Dmf. 1956).Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 20:
She ga'e us aft hail Legs o' Lamb, And did nae hain her Mutton Ham.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 64:
Nor kept I Servants, Tales to tell, But toom'd my Coodies a' my sell; To hane in Candle I had a Spell Baith cheap and bright.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (1925) 84:
Unyoke then, man, an' binna sweer To ding a hole in ill-haind gear.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 115:
Be as haining o' everything as you can, for thou kens it's a' thy ain.Kcd. 1820 E. Tevendale Misc. Poems 32:
Troth ye might hae hain'd your siller That ye've spent.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail lii.:
Pooking and rooking me, his mother, o' my ain lawful jointure and honest hainings.Slk. 1829 Hogg Shep. Cal. (1874) ix.:
“I made sae muckle at shearing, the last year, that it's no a' done yet.” And he said, “Ah, Tibby, Tibby, but wha can hain like you.”Abd. 1882 G. Macdonald Castle Warlock lvi.:
Whan a' oor bit hainin's was efter the lave, an' we cudna win awa' oorsel's to win mair, what was we to du?Hdg. 1903 J. Lumsden Toorle 220:
He was watching the dame, To find out whare she pursed The hain'd gear o' that hame.Sh. 1906 T. P. Ollason Spindrift 85:
“Leuk weel ta da hoose, joy, an' hain on da firin'.”Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat Comm. I. 122:
Shu wis a hainin, careful woman, an shu could na an widna waste da precious tae.Cai.³ 1930:
He put on his hainin jacket — not the jacket used every day, but kept for special occasions.Ork. 1929 Old-Lore Misc. IX. ii. 77:
Hid wad a' been a guid hainin' o' siller teu i' waages.Lnk. 1954 per wm.Sc.¹:
The Bobby was mirnin' aboot his sair feet an' it was that hard to hain on them.Sc. 1979 Sydney Goodsir Smith in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 34:
Sun, for a day a month adopt,
Mune, sheen a nichtlang year
That hert alane his luve can hain
And finis never fear. Arg. 1981:
A'm hennin it. Edb. 1988:
I had a lot of parsley that I put in the freezer again, I was haining it. Uls. 1988:
Oh yes, I have some, but I was haining it, in case I couldn't get it again. Edb. 1991 J. K. Annand in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 19:
In a gowden bowl I gethert
What flourish I could hain

Hence (1) hainer, a thrifty, saving person (Cld. 1825 Jam.); (2) hainie, hennie, sparing.(2) Abd. 1924 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 59:
The pottage is saurless, ye've been hennie (hainie) wi' the saut.

4. Of rain: to leave off, cease (Sh. 1956).Sh. 1892 Manson's Sh. Almanac:
Da rain hained an da wind banged to wast wi a perfect gandaguster.

¶II. n.

1. A means to thrift, a saving, an economical appliance.Sh. 1953 New Shetlander No. 35. 5:
Shö wisna what you'd caa a hain — O parafeen shö brunt a hantle.

Comb.:h(a)inch-ball. Fif. 1867 St Andrews Gaz. (27 April):
All miners, residing in Cowdenbeath, pleaded guilty to . . . having . . . on the turnpike road near to Cowdenbeath, played at a game called 'hinch-ball,' to the danger and annoyance of the public.

2. The narrow side of a chimney stack (Sc. 1952 Builder (20 June) 942).