Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1713-1742, 1805-1920
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ROUN, v., n. Also roun(e), roon; †rown; round. [run(d)]
I. v. 1. To whisper, to impart in a low tone. Only arch. or dial. in Eng. Vbl.n. rouning, whispering.Sc. 1713 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) II. 165:
They wer all surprized, and fell a rounding one to another.Sc. c.1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 205:
[She] then rounded in his lug he might Come after midle of the night.Sc. 1742 R. Erskine True Christ 33:
Rounding into their Ear some sudden Comfort.Sc. c.1805 Rare Willie in Child Ballads No. 215 D. x.:
An fat means a' this rouning?Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality iv.:
Round into his lug I wad be blythe o' his company to dine wi' me.Sc. 1858 Carlyle Frederick ix. x.:
Ill Margraf rounded things into the Crown-Prince's ear, in an unmannerly way.Dmf. 1870 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 71:
The bairn cocks up on its doup in the cradle, and rounds in Wullie's lug.Abd. 1893 G. Macdonald Songs 51:
The waukin' man i' the sleepin' man's lug Would rown a murgeon o' power.Sc. 1920 A. Gray Songs from Heine 16:
They roun to themsels sae sadly O' a love that can never dee.
2. To keep on repeating, to go on and on talking of the same thing (Sc. 1880 Jam.).
II. n. A whisper, a secret story (Sc. 1880 Jam.).
[O.Sc. roun, to talk over privately, 1375, O.E. rūn, a secret, rūnian, to whisper. The -d in some of the forms is excrescent.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Roun v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/roun>
