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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1721-1955

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GRIND, v.1 Sc. forms and usage:

A. Forms.

1. Pr.t. and inf.: grund (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein); grun (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems, Gl.; Cai. 1900 E.D.D.); grin (see D, 2.); grinnd (Sh.). Grun(d) and grin are also in n.Eng. dial. [Sc. grɪn(d), but Cai., Bwk., Gall. grʌn(d)]Dmf. 1810 R. H. Cromek Remains 119:
Ye maun kill-dry't wi' ice, ye maun grun't but a quairn.
Edb. 1821 W. Liddle Poems 64:
To mak ye new for maut to grun To fill folks fu'.
Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 71:
The task was mine to cadge the lusty dish, An' grin the mustard for the reested fish.
ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 6:
At Mill o' Stra'an, the millert's man Wis busy grinnin' aits.
e.Lth. 1887 P. McNeill Blawearie 78:
The holding-in process on coming down hill, must be accomplished by “grunding” the heels, one after another into the pavement as he proceeds.
Bnff.3 1910:
“He eats as he gruns” — he spends as he earns — he saves nothing.
Gall. 1912 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 240:
When he gaed intae the mill the fairies were thrang grunin' the corn.
Cai. 1916 John o' Groat Jnl. (14 April):
At most of the old country mills there was a gathering of orphans and other poor children on “grunnin” days, and the miller took a cog of meal out of each “awght” or lot for them.
Bwk. 1947 W. L. Ferguson Makar's Medley 14:
Grundin' their teeth, they took the bit.

Hence (1) grindable, of grain: capable of being ground, fit for grinding; (2) grundin'-stane, grindstone.(1) Ags. 1762 J. M. Beatts Hist. Dundee (1878) 116:
That all grindable corns belonging to inhabitants of this burgh be ground at the town's milns.
(2) m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 105:
Whirlin' the grundin'-stane half round an' back again, is aboot the same as round a' the way.

2. Pa.t.: grund (em. and s.Sc. 1955); grun (Rxb. 1942 Zai; n., w. and sm.Sc. 1955); grand (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Sh., Ork. 1955); gran' (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 205; Cai. 1900 E.D.D.); also weak grunded. The above forms are found also in n.Eng. dial. [Sc. grʌn(d); I. and s.Sc. + grɑn(d)]Sc. 1831 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1864) III. 300:
Windin up — windin up, faster than ever ye grunded coffee — I keepit closin in upon him [salmon].
Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 131:
Sheu closed her e'en, her yakels grand.
Mry. 1887 A. G. Wilken Peter Laing 25:
I ca'd the quern roon an' roon, an' gran' the meal.

3. Pa.p.: grund (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; I., em. and s.Sc. 1955); grun (Sc. 1818 Sawers; s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 205; Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Rxb. 1942 Zai; n., w. and sm.Sc. 1955); †grinded; †grind. Used subst. = anything ground (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 243). [grʌn(d)]Ags. 1721 Private Document:
Bring all the grindable cornes . . . to be grinded thereat.
Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 335:
A stane o' barley, grind so white an' nice.
Dmf. 1810 R. H. Cromek Remains 68:
An' three gude dams ran down the trows, Before was grun' the mellor.
Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate xi.:
Have the rest grund in a Christian manner.
Sc. 1829 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1863) II. 285:
No a single bane in your body that's no grund to mash.

4. Ppl.adj. grun(ded) in comb. grun(ded) spice, all-spice (Abd. 1955, grun-).Peb. 1817 R. Brown Lintoun Green ix. ix.:
For cauldrife carlines, carlines nice, Wi' butter, boiled and beat, And dusted o'er wi' grunded spice, Their auld heart-bluids tae heat.

B. ‡Sh. usage. Of a cat: to purr.Sh. 1901 Shetland News (19 Jan.):
Shü tumpid da cat frae whaur shü was sittin' at da fire grindin' wi' hir e'en half close.
Sh. 1955 New Shetlander No. 41. 7:
Du's taen dy mylk, an noo du's grindin, Weel plaesed becaase du's braalie foo.

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