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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

WADE, v., n.¹ Also wed (Ork. 1910 Old-Lore Misc. III. i. 31), wedd (Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 48, Sh. 1973); wad (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 51, Ayr. 1923 Wilson D. Burns 192; Gall. 1932 A. McCormick Galloway 49; Ork. 1929 Marw.), waud (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.); wide (Sc. 1774 Survey Assynt (S.H.S.) 56, 1783 Child Waters in Child Ballads No. 63. B.v.; Per. 1817 A. Buchanan Rural Poetry 19; Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 35, Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 115; s.Sc. 1904 W. G. Stevenson Glen Sloken 111; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; ne.Sc., Bwk. 1973); wyde (Inv. 1905 J. Fraser Reminiscences 153, wm.Sc. 1906 H. Foulis Vital Spark xii., Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 14), weyd (Abd. 1922 G. P. Dunbar Whiff o' Doric 47). Sc. forms and usages. [wed; n. and m.Sc. + wəid; Ork., Ayr., Gall. + wɑd]

I. v. A. Forms. Pr.t. as above; pa.t. weak wadit, waddit, reduced forms wad (ne. Sc. 1828 Knight's Ghost in Child Ballads No. 265 xiii.), wade (Edb. 1796 H. Macneill Waes o' War 8; Sc. 1800 Thomas Rymer in Child Ballads No. 37. A. vii.); strong widd (Sc. 1715 News Letters 1715–16 (Steuart 1910) 59); pa.p. weak wadit; strong wid (Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 73), widden (Abd. 1867 A. Allardyce Goodwife xviii.; ‡ne.Sc. 1973), wooden (s.Sc. 1830 Thomas Rymer in Child Ballads No. 37. B. vi.).Abd. 1993:
I doot ye'll hae tae wyde ower e burn.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 1:
... the hey haughs an corn parks, snod atween the green-widded knowes, far the yowies an nowt gaed wydin ower steens an dockens an thrissles, wi the muckle Bens ahint, ...

B. Usages: 1. As in Eng. (1) intr. Sc. comb. wading stone, a stone in a river marking the depth of the water, as a guide for persons wishing to cross on foot. Cf. riding-stone s.v. Ride, v., 2. (7). Hist.Per. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XIX. 358:
Two natural great stones in the middle of the river [Isla], called the riding stone and the wading stone.Lth. 1966 A. J. Youngson Classical Edb. 29:
Between 1800 and 1850 innumerable fords with their ridin' stones and wadin' stones were replaced by stone bridges.

(2) tr. To traverse by wading. (i) Used in fig. phrs.: to wade the water, to go through a certain experience, ‘to take the plunge'; no to wade the water wi, to be untrustworthy, not to be relied on. Cf. Ride, v., 4.; (ii) deriv. wadeable, that can be crossed on foot, fordable.(i) m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 141:
I'm dootin' ye're no a'thegither ane to wide the water wi'.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 322:
His ald filloos 'ats waded da water kens whit 'id is tae geong an' spake tae wir guidfaither tae be.(ii) Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize III. vi.:
As soon as the fugitives were within wadeable reach of the bank, they jumpit out of the boat.Sc. 1864 Carlyle Frederick xvii. vi.:
Where the Brook withal is of firmer bottom and more wadeable.

2. intr. Of things: to dip down into or pass through water.Sc. 1794 Session Papers, Arbuthnott v. Scott (12 Feb.) 28:
Interrogated for the pursuers, If, at times the deponent saw the mill-wheels of Morphie going the said wheels were not wading, and whether wading does not lessen the velocity of the wheels motion?Sh. 1950 A. Halcrow Sail Fishermen 167:
Watching the line of buoys extending to the horizon and wading deep.

3. Used in a passive sense, of water: to be passable or fordable, to permit of being crossed on foot. Cf. Ride, v., 5.Lnk. 1827 W. Motherwell Minstrelsy 338:
The water's deep, and will not wade.Fif. 1930:
Thon burn's in spate; it'll no wade the day.

4. Transf., of the ‡sun or moon: to move through cloud or mist (Sc. 1887 Jam.; I., ne., Per., s.Sc. 1973). Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. i. i.:
The Sun was wading thro' the Mist.Sc. 1816 Scott Black Dwarf iii.:
The moon was, in the phrase of that country, wading or struggling with clouds.Sc. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm I. 293:
When [the sun] is said to be wading in the cloud, rain may come.Fif. c.1870 Edb. Ev. News (19 May 1956) 4:
One would hear such a remark as, “The moon is wading the nicht.”Slk. 1902 Border Mag. (Feb.) 29:
He was just lookin' at the mune wadin' through the lift.Abd.⁴ 1932:
It'll be snaw, the meen's weydin.

5. Sh. usage, of fish: to appear on the surface or leap out of the water (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 227, 1914 Angus Gl., Sh. 1973, wed).Sh. 1968 C. Sandison Unst 53:
Mackerel, too, are sometimes caught. Sometimes these may be seen “wading” and one makes for this spot.

II. n. 1. The act of wading, a distance covered by wading (n.Sc., Per. 1973). Rare in Eng.Lnl. 1896 Poets Lnl. (Bisset) 188:
Damm'd up the burn for a paiddle or wade.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 25:
A wullsome wyde, fu' sair tae byde, Throwe gullie-wullie moss.Abd. 1993:
I hid a wyde in e sea at Tarlair tae see if e saat water wid cure ma corns.

2. Shallow water, a ford. Comb. seal's wedd, shallow water where seals come ashore. Deriv. waddie, -y, a wading-place, a ford (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork. 1973).Sh. 1829 Private MS.:
Certain lands with booth, beach and seal's wedd.Ork. 1913 Old-Lore Misc. VI. iii 156:
Crossing a waddy when the burn was swollen.Ork. 1947 H. Marwick Place-Names Rousay 93:
Waddy is a more or less generic name in Orkney for a wading-place or ford.

3. The draught of a boat in water (Ork. 1929 Marw., wade).