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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

INGANG, n., v. Also ingying (Sh.). [′ɪngaŋ, Sh. -gjɪŋ]

I. n. 1. An entrance, entry, fig. beginning (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags. 1958); entry to a new tenancy (Abd. 1958). Cf. Ingaun.Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. xi.:
We war better an' halier i' the ingang o' oor roon-turnin.Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS.:
At the ingang o' the market we met a mannie.m.Sc. 1986 Ian A. Bowman in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 165:
tholin the blash o stangs
to lowse the smeddum that's swith wi the flaught o life
frae your ain ingangs.

2. Lack, deficiency (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Abd., Kcd., Rxb. 1958), loss of weight or measure due to shrinkage, etc. Cf. gae in, s.v. Gae, IV. 12. (2), and Indrink.Mry. 1852 A. Christie Mountain Strains 105:
I'm sure they gart the aul' wife mourn The ingang o' her butter kirn.

3. In pl.: the intestines (Gall. 1825 Jam.; Rxb.⁴ 1946).Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 167:
At that season of the year called Michaelmas, he [the devil] is said to touch . . . the black-berries, or to “throw his club over them,” none daring after that period to eat one of them, or the “worms will eat their ingangs.”

II. v. Only as ingangin, vbl.n., the act of entering, the entrance, entry (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., ingangin, ingannin, 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 12, ingangeen; Ork., Bnff., Gall. 1958); ppl.adj., entering, beginning, first.Sc. 1824 Cornhill Mag. (Sept. 1932) 271:
I had fixed that . . . we should dine the first day, (in the ingangin') at Millburnholm.Ayr. 1833 J. Kennedy Geordie Chalmers 48:
We used to get four lessons frae the inganging to the skale.Sc. 1864–5 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 46:
The psalm sung at the commencement of public worship was called the “inganging” or the “gathering” psalm, from its being sung at the gathering or assembling of the worshippers.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 12:
Ee pit eer collection i the box at the ingangeen.