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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HINDER, v., n.² Also hender (Ags. 1825 Jam.), hindir; hinner; hiner (ne.Sc. 1881 Gregor Folk-Lore 201). Hence hinnerance, hindrance (Abd. 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer x.; Cai., ne.Sc. 1957). [′hɪn(d)ər]

I. v. 1. Used as in Eng. both tr. and intr. = to detain, put obstacles in the way, prevent, embarrass, delay, but often followed by inf. or vbl.n. in place of the usual from or in (Sc. 1752 D. Hume Polit. Discourses 56). Gen.Sc.Slk. 1708 T. Craig-Brown Hist. Slk. (1886) II. 367:
Mr M'Ghie's servants hindered them to come into the seats.Gall. 1732 Session Bk. Minnigaff (1939) 559:
Grisell M'Lroy allowed ten grots for mantinance to her child, she being hindered to work by its badness.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan II. iv.:
If the warst should come, will ye hinder a lad to stand sidie for sidie wi' ye?Rnf. 1846 Rnf. Mag. (Sept.) 15:
Well, then, what's to hinner us helpin' ourselves.Ags. 1894 A. Reid Heatherland 122:
That wadna hinder them to rype The garret bare frae en' till en'.Edb. 1900 E.H. Strain Elmslie's Drag-Net 7:
What's to hender you doin' the same thing wi' a photographic chimera.Abd. 1929 Scots Mag. (March) 451:
It didna hinner Rab lang tae fa i' love wi' 'er.Abd. 1991 David Ogston in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 117:
The cancer they could only hinner some
Wie radium

Hence combs. ill-hinderin', interfering, officious (Cai. c.1920–57), ill-hindered, interfered with (m.Lth.¹ 1957).

2. (1) To render it unnecessary, save one the trouble, followed by the inf. (Sh. 1957).Sh. 1898 Shetland News (3 Sept.):
Da sin is ower da waaster planticrub, dat's juist sax o'clock frae da know, an' hit'll hindir me ta waive apo' you.

(2) Used idiomatically in narrative style in phr. you'll no hinder me, him, etc., as a form of asseveration equivalent to an emphatic pa.t., sc. “it did not prevent me, him, from . . .” Gen. (exc. s.) Sc.Dmf. 1822 A. Cunningham Tales (1874) 352:
So ye'll no hinder certain water elves and sea fairies, . . . from falling in love with the weel-faured wife of Laird Macharg.Sc. 1859 C. Graham Mystifications 4:
Ye widna hinder Willy to dry the lint upon the kiln.wm.Sc. 1888 Anon. Archie Macnab 89:
Sae you'll no hinner it, that when the Shows come to the toon, I'm there alang wi' the lave.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 248:
I tak's a guid look, an' ye'll no hinder me ta see da bow.Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 23:
Bit whin my back wis turned, doo'll no hinder a man it wis staandin' dere wi' a borrow ta mitten da twa bags.

3. To linger, dawdle (Sh., ne.Sc., Ags. 1957). Also to hinder time, to waste time (Ib.). Now obs. in Eng.Kcd. 1893 Stonehaven Jnl. (26 Jan.) 2:
I'm a' luggs thegither; aff wi't, an' nae ony mair spladdin, ye'r hinderin' time.Sc. 1929 Scots Mag. (May) 148:
He wis henderin' lang i' the lobby.

II. n. A hindrance, obstruction, a cause of delay (Sc. 1787 J. Elphinston Propriety II. 184; n.Sc. 1808 Jam., hender; I., ne. and em.Sc. 1957).Ags. 1864 Arbroath Guide (20 Feb.) 3:
But there's nae hinder noo at the fit o' the toon.ne.Sc. 1872 J. G. Michie Deeside Tales 24:
Coming and going without let or hinder as he had a mind.Knr. 1905 H. Haliburton Excursions 7:
There's nae hairm nor hinder in a shooer.Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae French 15:
The hinner here is maist absurd; Juist ope the door!Abd. 1920 C. Murray Country Places 2:
A' this was a hinner; an' up the moss side He ran noo at siccan a rate.Abd. 1933 N. Shepherd Pass in Grampians x.:
But what hinder would it be to his salvation, or your own, to save this lass of his from losing hers?