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 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.

WHAN, interrog. and rel. adv. Also whaun (m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 162; Ags. 1970 Dundee Courier (10 Dec.)); whin (Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 11; Ork. 1904 W. T. Dennison Sketches 2); whuin; whun (Lnk. 1838 J. Morrison McIlwham Papers 10; Uls. 1879 “Robin” Hum. Readings 13, Gall. 1928 Gallov. Annual 27); arch. quhan (Sh. 1886 G. Temple Britta 34). Sc. forms of Eng. when (Sc. 1711 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 12; Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 72; Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 138; Rxb. 1826 A. Scott Poems 36; Kcb. 1885 A. J. Armstrong Friend and Foe xxix.; Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods 83; Sh. 1899 Shetland News (14 Oct.); Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Sh. (as interrog.) 1974). Gen. (exe. n.) Sc. For n.Sc. forms see Fan. Hence whane(v)er (Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 23; Edb. c.1796 H. MacNeill Songs (1801) 69; e.Lth. 1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 29; Ork. 1904 W. T. Dennison Sketches 2), whauniver. [′ʍɑn, ʍən′-] Gen.Sc. usages of whanever: as soon as, at the very moment when (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 140). Also in Ir. dial. Rare and obs. in Eng.Wgt. 1707 Session Bk. Wgt. (1934) 111:
To dismiss him whenever they think it may be most edifying.Gsw. 1715 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (B.R.S.) 534:
To take doun the said daill front whenever the magistrats shall hereafter require the samen to be done.Sc. 1757 D. Hume Letters (Greig 1932) I. 238:
To inform the Faculty that they may choose me a Successor, whenever they think proper.Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scoticisms 107:
I rose whenever I heard the clock strike eight.Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man (1972) xxiv.:
When-ever Master Michael Scott got a near view of the four sable equestrians.Ayr. 1845 Ayrshire Wreath 216:
I've heard say, that he spoke a sentence o' Greek, whenever he cam into the world.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond Bawbee Bowden (1922) 117:
Whenever he was able to see he flew at Sandy like a rased stot.ne.Sc. 1952 John R. Allan North-East Lowlands of Scotland (1974) 190:
A quarter of oatcakes had to be broken over her head and the unmarried women took pieces to dream up a husband on. "Aye," the old man said, "I hear folk are sendin out wee bit knobbles o baker's cake in silvery boxes nowadays; but what power can there be in that? It should be cakes and whisky whan a bride gangs hame."Ags. 1959 Dundee Courier (17 Feb.):
The Lucky Spoons will be posted to babies whenever the engraving is done.m.Sc. 1979 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 79:
Whaun the MacPuddock wis telt that Eck wis a guid sweemer, he decreet that his punishment should be tae act as bodygaird tae his dochter, Ag MacPuddock, whauniver she wis in the watter.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 24:
I can tell hoo sair-duin-by Scotland is,
yet he's richt: he's got whit he needs
and it's a gey sicht mair nor monie anither.
Whaun bairns stairve whitna point in this? Dundee 1989 W. N. Herbert in Joy Hendry Chapman 55-6 93:
whan Dundee gleikit in view
whan Eh wiz fehv: Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 28:
Warlds frae the lyft hae fled, an sterns gane black
Sen yesternicht, bot anely God can read
In the derkened universe o my tuim hert
What galaxies He ended whan you deed. Sc. 1991 T. S. Law in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 33:
A whylsin back that wasnae faur
as haednae seen the furst new caur,
whuin monie coals were gy nearhaun
the surface o the grallocht grun, Slg. 1993 Janet Paisley in Joy Hendry Chapman 74-5 175:
Johnny Scramble,
nae preamble,
draws oan waws whin naebody's lookin,
yaises aerosol cans,
rins awa fae polis vans. m.Sc. 1994 William J. Rae in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 115:
Whaun I said I gat tae ken him richt weel, I wis alludin mair tae his weys.