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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ACQUANT, ACQUENT, Acquaant, Acquaint, ppl.adj. Also awquant (s.Sc. 1880 Border Counties' Mag. I. 64). Acquainted (either foll. by with, or absol. = acq. with each other); having acquaintances (in a specified locality); having knowledge (of a place or thing). [ə′kwɑnt I.Sc., nn.Sc., mn.Sc., Fif., Gall., Uls.; ə′kwɑnt + ɛ sn.Sc., m.Sc., s.Sc.]Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf vi:
They say ye are weel acquent with the gentleman.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy II. xii.:
The cauld iron and your best bluid were like to hae become acquaint when I mastered Mr Frank's right hand.Sc. 1893 R. L. Stevenson Catriona i. 12:
Man, it's weel seen ye're no very acquant in Embro!Sh.(D) 1918 T. Manson Humours Peat Comm. 58:
The P.M. made a bee line for a house about half a mile away, the occupants of which he said he was to some extent “acquaant wi.”Mry.(D) 1873 J. Brown (ed.) Round Table Club 213:
I'm nae weel acquant wi' the Grampians, on the borders o' Angus an' Mearns.Abd.(D) 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxii. 228:
We're jist speakable acquant.Mearns 1844 W. Jamie Muse of the Mearns 32:
All ye that's been acquent wi' me, Sin I was in my youth.Ags.(D) 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) 75:
I'm no' juist acquant wi' a' the oots an' ins o' the thing.m.Sc. 1898 J. Buchan J. Burnet of Barns ii. ii. 128:
Him and me were aince weel acquant.Fif. 1896 G. Setoun R. Urquhart iii. 35:
I was aince acquant wi' a college birkie.Knr. 1925 H. Haliburton Horace in Homespun, etc. 245:
Wi' a' oor feelin's twas acquent, Had words for pleasour an' complent.Arg.¹ 1928:
Are ye acquent wi' her?Arg. 1993:
A'm no acquant wi him.Ayr. 1790 Burns John Anderson my Jo i.:
John Anderson my jo, John, When we were first acquent.Kcb. 1893 S. R. Crockett Stickit Minister iii. 29:
He has taen me a lang gate sins him an' me fell acquant.s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell Psalms (1877) cxxxix. 3:
Thou . . . art acquant wi' a' my wayes.Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 15:
Hei laid on an ranted off yirrds o Border rheime an lore, — that nae man was better acquaint wui.Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn. 1:
I'm well acquant with all his people.