Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1721, 1773-1925, 1988-1998
[0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1]
AIBLINS, ABLINS, Yiblins, Eablins, Yeblins, adv. Perhaps. Gen.Sc. [′eblɪnz Sc.; ′jɛblinz + ′jɪ̢blinz central and w.Rxb.] In quots. chron. order observed.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems, Patie and Roger 224:
But ablins, Nibour, ye have not a Heart, Nor downa eithly wi' your Cunzie part.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems, Drink Eclogue (1925) 55:
Till some auld comerade, ablins out o' place, Near the vain upstart shaws his meagre face.Ayr. 1786 Burns Address to the Deil xxi.:
O wad ye tak a thought an' men'! Ye aiblins might — I dinna ken — Still hae a stake.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems (1876) II. 103:
Ilk day I hae out thro' to plash, Owre muir an' brae, An' ablins whyles but little cash: Whilk mak's ane wae.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxxvi.:
It may feed a hog, or aiblins twa in a good year.ne.Sc. a.1835 J. Grant Tales of the Glen (1869) 151:
Ye may, aiblins, be the better o' learnin' the secret.s.Sc. 1873 Murray D.S.C.S. 105:
Eablins or yeblins.Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn. 1:
Aiblins, perhaps.Ayr.2 1881 (1931):
Aiblins: this was a favourite word of my Grandfather (Darvel, Ayrshire), who died in 1881. He pronounced it as Burns writes it — Aiblins, without the Y.m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 46:
But hear my dream, for aiblins you May find a way to riddle't true.Rxb.(D) 1919 Hawick Express (7 Feb.) 4/1:
An' yiblins, when a's said an' dune, They'll juist be hairpin' on yae tune.w.Dmf. 1925 W. A. Scott Vernac. of Mid-Nithsdale, Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 16:
Aiblins, perhaps. A well-known word, but not in frequent use now.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 14:
It's aiblins daft, this ploiter o pursuit
owre bitter acres whaur the braith micht freeze, ... Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 21:
A bonnie exhibition for a King
tae mak, loupan owre the cassies
daein the Hieland Fling
like a muckle gowk. The lassies
aiblins thocht ye braw - ye widden
heidit feckless redeless randy. Sh. 1991 William J. Tait in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 46:
Hamebound in a founert bus at stiggs an byocks,
Aiblins at its ain wersh waa-geng o swats an sweit, Slk. 1991 Harvey Holton in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 133:
Aiblins abune still; fer-bye fechtan,
fer-bye fleean, he gaes gaitward
fuitless fuitsteids giean girth
tae Bran's back: m.Sc. 1998 Lillias Forbes Turning a Fresh Eye 18:
Aiblins ye'll try a canny keek oot the pane
Dichtin the gless wi yer thoum
