Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
HAUDIN, vbl.n. Also hauddin; hauding; had(d)in(g); hadden.
1. Used as Eng. holding, to signify the tenure or occupation of land, but also gen. applied in the Sc. countryside to small farms or ¶houses held on lease (Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 113, hadden; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh., ne.Sc., Ags., Per., Slk., Uls. 1956). See also holding, s.v. Haud.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 13:
I ken na quo she, we're o'er young I fear, Of house or hadding yet to hae the care.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 168:
A wee bit housie to my mind, Wi' twa three bonny trees confin'd, Is a' I'd seek o' haudin' kind.Hdg. a.1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 73:
An' man an' wife, they hecht to hae A haddin o' their ain.Mry. 1806 J. Cock Simple Strains 108:
Ye s' ha'e your house and hadding free, Till Geordie come again.Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man I. 54:
Gin they dinna hunger them out o' their hauddin, they'll keep it.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan II. xi.:
Saw ye ever sic pride! A pillared haddin and two hempie hand-maidens.Dmf. 1844 Carlyle New Letters (1904) I. 309:
Next Letter . . . we hope to address you in some hadding of your own!Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxix.:
A certain portion of the “tacks” on Sir Simon Frissal's property expired; and amongst these was the farm of Gushetneuk. Conjecture, therefore, was naturally rife on the subject of Johnny Gibb's “haudin'.”
2. Possessions, means of support, property (ne.Sc., Fif. 1956), inheritance.Ayr. 1795 Burns 2nd Election Ballad ii.:
Gin he get na Hell for his haddin, The Deil gets nae justice ava!Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems 150:
When John an' me war' married, Our haudin' was but sma'.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxiv.:
A puir lad like himsell . . . that had nae hauding but his penny-fee.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
I wad fain marry that lass, but I fear I haena haddin for her.s.Sc. 1856 H. S. Riddell St Matthew xix. 22:
But whan the young man heard that sayin', he gaed awa sair casan doun, for he had grit haudins.Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 198:
The haill o' my haudin an' wardly plack Button'd beneath the coat on my back.ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 92:
Ye ken my hauddin' an mysel', Mak' it an' me yer ain.
3. Furniture, equipment; trappings (of a horse); the stock of a farm (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1956), esp. sheep.Slk. 1766 T. Craig Brown History Slk. (1886) II. 240:
The “holding” of Bowhill in 1766 was 960 sheep, 4 nolt, and 12 bolls sowing.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 104:
Wad Phillis loo me, Phillis soud possess A gude bein house, wi' haudin neat an' fine.Per. 1802 A. Campbell Journey I. 150:
The haddin of four sheep is allowed to one cow.Peb. 1802 C. Findlater Agric. Peb. 65:
The holding of a farm is the number salved or smeared at Martinmas.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xxv.:
Ye maun just let me ride my ain horse wi' my ain ha'ding.Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
The haddin o' a farm, the quantity or number of scores of stock, i.e. sheep, which a farm is reckoned to maintain or graze.Dmb. 1846 W. Cross Disruption v.:
It was owre little to gang far in the way o' house plenishin' or house haudin', no to speak o' stockin' a farm.
4. A gathering of neighbours to give assistance with some heavy task; also the festivities held on the completion of such labour. Cf. Haud, v. A. 7.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
A hadin o' dellers . . . I was come to see, if du could winn to my hadin.
