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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.

WITHOUT, adv., prep., conj. Also Sc. forms withoot; ¶widout (Sh. 1886 G. Temple Britta 36); reduced forms (also in Eng. dial.) wi' out (Rnf. 1873 D. Gilmour Pen' Folk 30), wi'oot (Kcb. 1885 A. J. Armstrong Friend and Foe 158; em.Sc. 1898 H. Rogers Meggotsbrae 81; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 107; Abd. 1927 Banffshire Jnl. (2 Aug.) 2; em.Sc. (b) 1974); wioot, wiout; and extended forms withouten (Sc. 1726 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 175, Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 107; Sc. 1802 Scott Minstrelsy I. 128; Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of the Lairds iv.; Per. 1857 J. Stewart Sketches 11; Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xxv.; em.Sc. 1926 H. Hendry Poems 117), withoutten (Sc. 1714 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 16, 1854 D. Vedder Poems 168), withooten (Sc. 1926 H. McDiarmid Penny Wheep 9), withootin (Ags. 1894 A. Reid Sangs 95), wuthouten (s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell St Matthew x. 29), wi' outen (Per. 1897 C. M. Stuart Sandy Scott's Bible Class 44). now mainly liter. For other forms see Athoot, 'ithoot, 'thout. [wɪ′θut, wɪ′ut]

Sc. forms of Eng. without.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie in Neil R. MacCallum Lallans 51 (1998) 5:
"Weel," said the Auld Man, "if thoo're coman wae me thoo'll mind I didno speir thee, for many a time een that geungs aff wioot an errand comes heem wae een, an if thoo comes at a misanter, thoo his cheust theesel tae bleem."ne.Sc. 1985 Ian Morrison in Alexander Scott New Writing Scotland 3 89:
I've nae worked here for near enough five year wioot sorting oot you in me heid.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 19:
Scotland's aye the haflin but withooten yon yirr
that gars ilka hope eidently stir.Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 16:
Listenan tae the uncoguid an aa their havers
wi'oot a vision loupan up o puttan stots.Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 147:
Well, och, I havena done muckle, I just had a few ideas, ye ken, and, well, the land, when it comes to the land, that's all we've got, is it no? Withoot land there's nothing.m.Sc. 1994 Billy Kay in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 145:
Gin it wesnae juist pairtith, it wes rickets for the weans, sillicosis for the men, or an accident that left a faimily wiout a faither or a faither wiout a leg an nae hope o getting ocht o a stairt onywhaur.m.Sc. 1997 Liz Niven Past Presents 13:
Wi'oot leavin yer ain lan
Ye can still be an exile

Sc. usage as a conj.: unless, except that (Per., Fif., Lth. 1915–26 Wilson; Uls. 1953 Traynor; m.Sc. 1974). Colloq. in Eng. since the 18th c. and now considered illiterate. Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scoticisms 101:
I will not go without I am paid for it.Sc. 1813 in J. Thompson D. Stewart's College (1955) 12:
I never take it upon me to put a picture there without the person expresses some wish for it.Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man (1973) x.:
Ye darena try to make your ain way without ye get me to back ye.Ayr. 1823 Galt Ringan Gilhaize II. v.:
On a persuasion, without he was there, something would arise to back the undertaking.Sc. 1825 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) IX. 320:
The money market is in such a state of agitation that I would not like to embark in so large a transaction without I saw [it] settled.Gall. 1881 L. B. Walford Dick Netherby xxiii.:
My lord need na ken naethin', wi'oot there's bletherin' gomerals tak' pains to tell him.Lth. 1912 C. P. Slater Marget Pow xxvii.:
The shortness of the French bairns' petticoats you wouldna believe without you saw it.m.Sc. 1925 J. Buchan John Macnab iv.:
I don't ken without she took a gun with her and had a shot at him.