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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

NEW, adj., adv., n., v.¹ Also nyou (Abd. 1928 Press & Jnl. (3 Nov.) 5), nyow (ne.Sc.); neou (Ork. 1929 Old-Lore Misc. IX. ii. 76), nue- (Ork. 1929 Marw., only in combs.); niu (Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 590); noo (Fif. c.1850 R. Peattie MS.; Ags. 1958 Forfar Dispatch (3 July)). Sc. forms and usages. [nju:, Abd. + ‡njʌu, Ags., e.Per. + nu:; Ork. nʌu, nøu, nø in combs.]

I. adj. As in Eng. Sc. Combs and Phrs.: (1) new bread, fig., a novelty (Cai. 1903 E.D.D.); (2) new cheese, a dish made from the cream of a newly-calved cow's milk, sweetened with sugar, and heated in the oven till it thickens (Abd. 1825 Jam.; Bnff., Abd. 1964). Cf. Beest, n., 2.; (3) new-farrant, novel, new-fangled (ne.Sc., Ags. 1964). See Farrant; (4)new licht, — light, see Licht; (5) new morning, adv. phr., on the second morning or day. (6) new start, a new employee. (2) Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 24:
Oor Bluie wull seen be caufed, an' I'll sen' up some o' the lassies wi' a bit new cheese.(3) Abd. 1923 B. R. M'Intosh Scent o' the Broom 23:
Ower newfarrant whimsies they've fairly gane daft.m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 27:
Thir new-farrant weys in the kintra gar me boke,
nou thiggers geits gae roun wi kinkan flauchts;
coorse orra gowks ettlin tae be gentil fowks,
wi graun claes an rings(5) Abd. 1786 Sc. N. & Q. (Ser. 1) X. 30:
New morning (i.e. the second day) it [newmown grass] should be shaken out again.(6)Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 65:
start A new employee is often referred to as a new start: 'Tell the new start big Rab says he's tae go for a long stand.'Dundee 1986 David A. MacMurchie I Remember Another Princes Street! 52:
And, for the first day or two the 'new start' suffered deafness from the incessant clatter of machinery.Dundee 1990 Matthew Fitt in Hamish Whyte and Janice Galloway New Writing Scotland 8: The Day I Met the Queen Mother 14:
One minute, Assistant Manageress Gillian was naewhere to be seen, a wee gust of wind later, there she was, efficient, neat and calm, and asking Rab the new-start to fetch some chips out of the freezer.Edb. 1992:
When I wis a laddie the new starts aye got sent tae the store fur tins o tartan paint.Sc. 1994 Herald 21 Sep 14:
As a qualified lawyer without a job she would fully endorse both concepts that we should kill off some older people in the profession or accommodate some new starts.

Deriv.: ¶newtith, novelty, new or strange ways. For the form cf. Poortith, Bountith.Sc. 1813 The Scotchman 99:
In simmer we hae the fleetin visitors wha amuse us wi their newtith.

II. adv. 1. Newly, recently, just (Abd. 1909 R. J. MacLennan In Yon Toon 10). Gen.Sc., freq. with juist. Obs. from 16th c. in Eng., exc. with ppl.adj. in combs.Abd. 1880 Bon-Accord (9 Oct.) 10:
A've jist new haed ma denner.Slk. 1892 W. M. Adamson Betty Blether 86:
I've jist new gotten my frock tae meet at the neck.Kcb. 1893 Crockett Stickit Minister i. iii.:
They stammered like a boy new into the tenpenny.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1889) xii.:
I was juist noo dune shuttin' the shop.m.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick ii.:
There were two candidates on the short leet . . . baith birkies new aff the airns.Per. 1910 W. Blair Kildermoch 105:
Ae day there was a student birkie, a long slip o' a lad, noo oot o' the college, bidin' wi' the minister.Fif. 1954 Fife Herald (27 Oct.) 2:
I juist seem tae hae new got wan wee bit haver sent awa' tae ye whan it's time I wis sittin' doon tae anither ane!

Deriv. newlin(s), -ans, neulins, newly, recently (ne.Sc., Ags. 1964).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 68:
I steal'd the King of Sweden's knife . . . Whan frae his hand he newlins laid it down.Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 144:
The sun was neulins doun the lift.Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet Sk. 10:
The pat's but newlins on the fire.Kcd. a.1914 Mearns Leader (24 June 1950):
Scotch codlins oor burden for herbour o' Gurdon, . . . Newlins catched on oor gretlins.Abd.²⁷ 1950:
Gin he be deid, it's jist newlins than.

Combs. and Phrs.: (1) new-cal', -ca'd, nucol, nuckle, neucheld, of a cow: newlycalved (Cld. 1880 Jam.), in calf (Per. 1808 Jam., neucheld), about to have her second calf (Bch. 1808 Jam., nuckle). Also in n.Eng. dial. See Ca, v.³; (2) new-cawd, of butter; newly churned (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 260). See Ca', v.¹; (3) newcome, newly arrived. Hence new-come-in-yin, a new arrival, a novice; (4) new-come-o'er, novel; (5) new faa'en, in phr. new-faaen snaa, the latest piece of news, esp. of a budding love-affair; (6) new o' the news, very recently.(1) Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 111:
Nuckle Kye stand rowting on the Loans.Dmb. 1777 Weekly Mag. (20 Feb.) 273:
Frae the braes came down the nucol ky.Ayr. 1786 Burns 2nd Ep. J. Lapraik i.:
While new-ca'd kye rowte at the stake.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings (1873) 67:
A new-cal' cow to fill my byre.(3) Edb. 1898 J. Baillie W. Crighton 12:
Whenever he finds that ony o' the newcome-in-yins have folk wi' a sock shop he makes a dautie o' them an' gets them to bring things in to him.Ork. 1927 H. C. Jean's Garden 31:
What they ca' the newcome rich are buyin' it a'.(4) Sc. 1832 Tait's Mag. (Dec.) 375:
It's new-come-o'erto see barons and barrow knechts cap-in-hand to the like o' me, for my vote and interest.(5) Ags. 1964:
Dae ye ken about the new-faaen snaa? = Do you know that a couple have started courting?(6) Mry. 1887 A. G. Wilken P. Laing 35:
It's only new o' the news that fowk hae stoppit sittin up wi' the deid.

2. Anew, afresh. Used in prefixed position = Eng. re- (see quots.).Sc. 1752 J. Campbell Highl. Scot. 20:
They are commonly obliged to new rig their Houses once a Year.Ayr. 1838 J. Morrison M'Ilwham Papers 13:
They'll help ye to new sklate, an' sweep, an' paint.Abd. 1868 G. MacDonald R. Falconer ii. ix.:
Ye micht as weel new cleed him at ance.

III. n. In adv. phrs.: in the new, of (the) new, afresh, again, anew; recently, of late (Ayr., Kcb., Rxb., Uls. 1964, of the new). Obs. in Eng.Ork. 1700 J. Wallace Descr. Ork. (1883) 242:
The Lords of the Treasury roup it of new, and he that bids most is Taxman and Stewart for the Lease of years he takes it for.Ayr. 1734 Ayr. Presb. Reg. MS. (3 July) 65:
For taking down Eleven Couples and binding them in the new.Slg. 1738 Trans. Slg. Nat. Hist. & Arch. Soc. (1888–9) 40:
That the largest bell in the church has been for sometime rent, and that it is necessar the same be founded of new.Sc. 1768 Widows of Hammermen of Canongate (29 Sept.) 6–7:
The next annual payment out of the Corporation's public stock, shall be of new stocked out upon interest, not under four per cent. yearly.Wgt. 1877 G. Fraser Sketches 274:
Tae get this gentleman's coat-neck padded in the new, for . . . his present coat-neck is dune.Sc. 1896 W. K. Morton Manual 420:
The dominium utile of the lands being surrendered to him, and of new given out to the new vassal.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
It's duist i' the new that he's gotten mairriet.

IV. v. As in Eng., to make afresh, renew. Sc. vbl.n. usages: 1. newin, yeast, barm; the working of the yeast in the making of ale. Cf. Eng. dial. newing, neaving, yeast; 2. in pl., newins, -ens, -ans, -ance, a new or unusual occurrence, a novelty, a wonder, something new (Uls. 1875 A. Knox Hist. Dwn. 49; Kcb. 1900; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Gall., Uls. 1964); news, information (Traynor). Phr. to gie the newance o' to pass on the handsel or luck of something new, as a garment, to someone else.1. Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 43:
It is a baugh brewing that's no good in the newing.Abd.⁴ 1923:
It's ill ale 'at barms i' the brewin' an' soors i' the newin', i.e. of losing heart ere work be well begun.2. Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
It's new-ans to see you down so early. Ye'r behavin' yerself for new-ans.Per. 1881 R. Ford Readings 9:
Five years come Candlemas Maggie gat newins o' a braw situation awa, oot in Astreelia.Gall. 1899 Gallovidian I. 153:
We had, of course, no stiver of siller in any of our pockets, but that was no “newance”.Cai. 1903 E.D.D.:
A child on getting a new garment put on is said to give the newins of it to the person first kissed thereafter.