Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1724-1836, 1901-1935
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ELDIN, Elding, n. Any kind of fuel, esp. inflammable material such as peat, sticks, brushwood, etc., firewood (Rxb. 1942 Zai). Also eilding; elden (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 195); eeldin (Sc. 1909 Colville 122); ellion (Nai. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Nai. & Mry. 454); †yealdon (see Y, letter, 2.(2)); and comb. eard eldin (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Common in n.Eng. dial. Cf. Ilder. [′ɛldɪn, -ɪŋ]Sc. 1724–27 Ramsay T. T. Misc. (1733) II. 182:
Good elding for our winter fire, A cod of caff wad fill a cradle.Edb. 1772 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 5:
Cauld winter's bleakest blasts we'll eithly cowr, Our eldin's driven, an' our har'st is owr.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 90:
Close at the glowan ribs he'd sit, An' ilka wee the eldin hit.Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf ix.:
Mony thanks to ye . . . for collecting sae muckle winter eilding for us.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xlv.:
Take awa yealdon, take awa low.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan III. ii.:
A spark and powder's hasty elding.Rxb. 1901 W. Laidlaw Poetry and Prose 56:
We got our eldin frae the glen, In winter kept a roosin' fire.Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 149:
Then the eldin was thrawn on the muckle Ha' fire, The fou yill barrels broach'd.Sc. 1935 Scotsman (19 Oct.):
The billet fallen from a burdened old wife's “elding”.
