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: 1808-1828, 1893-1922
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BEMEAN, v. To disparage, degrade, humiliate; with refl. pron., to lower oneself. In these senses rare in St.Eng. Three quots. in N.E.D. dated 1688, 1742, 1866. The Concise and Un. Eng. Dicts. omit it. The word is found also in Eng. dial. (see E.D.D.).Bnff. 1922 J. Mitchell in Bnffsh. Jnl. (16 May) 8:
Aye, Jean'll be gey sair bemean't.Abd. 1828 P. Buchan Ballads, John o' Hazelgreen II. 254:
How blythe and happy might he be . . . Gets you to be his bride, fair maid, And him I'll no bemean.Rnf. 1808 R. Tannahill Poems and Songs (1876) 350:
Tae fyle my han's wi sic as ye, — Gude feth! I'll ne'er bemean me.Kcb. 1893 S. R. Crockett Stickit Minister 255:
They werena gaun to bemean themsel's to sen' ye nae word.
