Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TANE, pron. Also taen (Ayr. 1816 A. Boswell Works 149; Lnk. 1904 I. F. Darling Songs from Silence 103); tain (Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale Moff 26; Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 23); teen (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 7; Abd. R. L. Cassie Heid or Hert iii.; ne.Sc. 1972), tene (Abd. 1901 Banffshire Jnl. (12 Feb.) 8), tien. [m. and s.Sc. ten, ne.Sc., Ags. tin]

1. As a reciprocal pron., gen. in conjunction with the (t)ither: (the) one (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis, 1808 Jam.; Per., Ayr. 1915–23 Wilson; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Gen.Sc. Cf. Tae, adj.Sc. 1724 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 28:
The tane to had the grots The tither to had the meal.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 9:
The tane may sair the tither fu' well.Ayr. 1789 Burns Elegy on 1788 13:
The tane is game, a bluidy devil.Sc. 1803 Scott Minstrelsy III. 239:
The tane unto the t'other say.Rxb. 1826 A. Scott Poems 51:
The ta'ne a bitch, a dog the tither.Abd. 1884 D. Grant Lays 55:
The tane wad tell a funny tale, The tither sing a song.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 131:
No that he ever did the tane or the tither.Gall. 1900 R. J. Muir Mystery Muncraig 55:
The tane gave a short skirl and the 'tither gae a skrach.Uls. 1953 Traynor Gl.:
Tane tould tother he leed, and the battle riz.Ags. 1958 Forfar Dispatch (9 Jan.):
The tien hez my mither's hair in't.

2. Used elliptically for “either the one or the other.”Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 21:
Hei's uncih lang i comin. Hei's no weel or hei canna wun — the tain.