Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1721, 1773-1825, 1878-1923
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ABEICH, ABEIGH, ABEECH, Abiegh, Abigh, adv. Aloof, aside, away, apart from others. [ə′biç] Sc.
c.1800
The Souters o' Selkirk in W. Stenhouse (ed.) Sc. Musical Museum (1853) IV. 390:
But deil scoup o' Hume and his menzie, That stude sae abiegh on the field.Sc. 1721 Jas. Kelly Proverbs 273:
On painting and fighting look abigh. [And. Henderson in his Proverbs (1832) 136, in the same proverb, substitutes adreigh for abigh. Alex. Hislop's version (1862) 158 gives adreich, while the 3rd edition of the same work gives abeigh.]Sc. a.1774 R. Fergusson (?) in Herd's Sc. Songs II. 170:
But cout wad let nae body steer him, He was ay sae wanton and skeegh; The packmans stands he o'erturn'd them, And gard a' the Jocks stands [sic] a-beech.Sc. 1825 J. Wilson in Blackwood's Mag. XVII. 373:
They should stand abeigh frae the lave o' the characters — by way o' contrast.Sc. 1923 Ranald Macrailt Hoolachan 36:
Stand abeigh, ye foolish, forward folk, and gi'e her Ladyship's goon room for the reel!Mry. 1878 Ballads by the Lady Middleton, quot. in Bnffsh. J. 23rd July, 2:
When ye're set run-rig, gar your neebour sit abeigh.Ags. 1821 Jas. Ross A Peep at Parnassus 19:
A black cat, on a bauk abiegh Gaur'd a' the biggin rock.Knr. 1917 J. L. Robertson Petition to the Deil etc. 91:
Noo, this fecht was a terrible fecht! The hens flew abeigh at the soun'.Lnl. 1910 J. White Eppie Gray 8:
The faither casts his heid abeigh An' looks a kennin' soor.Edb. 1804 Hector MacNeill Poems (1806) II. 137:
They're plenty, nae doubt, wha can had their head heigh, . . . We're a' ganging fine; but we ay keep abeigh, When folk wad keek in at the spinning o't.Rnf. 1800–1810 Tannahill Poems and Songs (1817) App. 266:
Frae thoughts o' that, pray keep abeigh! Ye're far owr auld, and far owr heigh.Ayr. 1786 Burns Auld Mare Maggie viii.:
How thou wad prance, an' snore, an' scriegh, An' tak the road! Town's-bodies ran, an' stood abiegh, An' ca't thee mad.Ayr. 1792 Burns Duncan Gray i.:
Maggie coost her head fu' high, Look'd asklent and unco skeigh, Gart poor Duncan stand abeigh.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 90:
The lasses turned skiegh man, They hid themselves amang the corn To keep the lads abeigh, man.Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Poems 93:
Frae ither fowls ye stan' abeigh, An' like a' fools, wad fain be high.Dmf. 1823 Jas. Kennedy Poems 137:
Spier for the guidman o' Ballangeich Ye hae nae cause to stand abeigh.
