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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

AYONT, Ayon, Ayond, Ayownt, prep. and adv. [ə′jɔnt I.Sc., n.Sc., but Abd. + ə′jɔn; ə′jont m.Sc. + ə′jɔnt; ə′jɔnd Slk.; ə′junt s.Sc.]

A. prep.

1. Place. (1) On the further side of.Sc. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxiii.:
For three sufficient reasons, Bailie Jarvie. — First, for auld langsyne; — second, for the sake of the auld wife ayont the fire at Stuckavrallachan, that made some mixture of our bluids.Sc. 1887 R. L. Stevenson Underwoods 87:
A mile an' a bittock, a mile or twa Abüne the burn, ayont the law.Ags. 1924 M. Angus The Tinker's Road 9:
Ower the bent, an' ower the bent Ayont the blawing sand.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 59:
Ayont the toon, in the bare cauld field,
a ribbit birrs up its lugs. m.Sc. 1991 William J. Tait in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 47:
Nou, ayont the trees
Whase ilka branch maun be booed doonEdb. 1798 D. Crawford Poems 53:
An' that has made the fairies flit Ayont the sea.Wgt. 1907 Jeanie Donnan Hameland 12:
Ayont the heavin' ocean, 'mid scenes an' places braw.Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 10:
The heat wasna cannie as A cam ti the main road, ayownt. the Yill, again.

(2) Used with lie, esp. of a wife = to be the bedfellow of.Ags. 1820 A. Balfour Contemplation with other Poems 263:
A lad like him! who could affront him? In twa three ouks she lay ayont him.

2. Time. Past, later than.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xii.:
A faither is a faither though he live ayont the threescore and ten years whilk is our allotted span.Ayr. 1787 Burns Death and Dr Hornbook xxxi.:
The auld kirk-hammer strak the bell Some wee short hour ayont the twal.Kcb. 1912 A. Anderson Surfaceman's Later Poems 271:
She's just awee ayont sixteen.

3. fig. Beyond any limit, better than.Sc. 1750 Scots Mag. 113:
Simplex munditiis, as auld Horace says; It's far ayont my pith to sound her praise.Sc. 1851 G. Outram Lyrics (1874) 77:
He snuffs, an' he smokes, an' he drinks, an' he chaws, Till he's donnard, an' daised, an' ayont ony use.Bch. 1929 J. Milne Dreams o' Buchan 22:
Something ayon' the ken o' man, Fate, luck, or chance, whate'er ye will.Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' 13:
Wi' birr he bangs his paper out, And thinks his point ayont a doubt.em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 175:
'I did see him. The mornin o his death. But it wasna him that tellt me. He was ayont speakin by then. It was his sister, Jean. She said ye'd been in tae see him, in secret.'m.Lth. 1882 A. Cargill in Mod. Sc. Poets ed. Edwards IV. 55:
His dochter Jean's ayont it a', Guid faith! she is a dainty ladye.Lnk. 1982 Duncan Glen in Hamish Brown Poems of the Scottish Hills 57:
and there's a laverock risin and faain
for real
ayont ony dout
- in my mind! Ayr. 1824 A. Crawford Tales of my Grandmother 185:
Did he ever gie you a present o' ony thing ayont the value o' twa yard o' ha'penny tape?Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems I. 60:
Strong giant life, ayont thy ken, Is stalking at thy side.Rxb. 1847 H. S. Riddell Poems 22:
In troth ye wad hae thought she had A something in her made her glad Ayont the course o' nature. Quasi-noun.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales, etc. (1837) III. 226:
Ye're gaun to do the thing that ye'll repent only aince — for a' the time that ye hae to exist baith in this world and the neist, and that's a lang lang forrit and ayond.

B. adv. Beyond, lit. and fig.Sc. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables frae the French 20:
Juist gang yer wa's ayont, an' fin' anither Wee gressy hillock for yersel, my brither!Sc. 1922 P. Macgillivray Bog Myrtle and Peat Reek 27:
Whar Urie wynds to meet the Don, And Bennachie towers up ayon, There poet Thom her pity won.Sc. 1923 R. A. Taylor The End of Fiammetta 207:
And I rarely loe the burn that rowes Ayont wi' its warlock clavers.Sc. 1927 T. McWilliam Around the Fireside 29:
Ayont, a bonnie Vale I see Wi' hills enfoldin' roon.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 42:
A burn ran i' the laigh, ayont there lay As mony feeding o' the tither brae.Abd. 1873 P. Buchan The Guidman o' Inglismill 32:
A-h! but there's nane ayont to say “Here's tee you.”