Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DIN, adj. Sc. form of Eng. dun, of a dingy colour, mouse-coloured. In Mod.Eng. gen. used of animals but in Sc. also of persons = dark-complexioned, sallow. Gen. (exc. I.) Sc. Also used as n. as in Eng. = dun colour, a dun-coloured horse. Also †dinn.Sc. a.1876 Twa Sisters in Ballads (ed. Child 1882) I. No. 10M. x.:
But ye was fair and I was din.Sc. 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' the Ling 33:
On sic a dour Din-grey December day.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 123:
Her face was smear'd wi' some din colour'd gree.Ags. 1912–19 Rymour Club Misc. II. 124:
The sixth pair they are twa dins.wm.Sc. 1868 Laird of Logan 81:
Your ain man, waesucks, is nae great pennyworth; the skin o' him as din as a withered dockan.Rnf. 1721 W. Hector Judicial Rec. (1876–78) II. 117:
The said compleaner . . . had belonging to him ane dinn gray horse.Ayr. a.1796 Burns Tarbolton Lasses (Cent. ed.) iii.:
She's dour and din, a deil within, But aiblins she may please ye.Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 87:
Thy belly's but a dirty din.Slk. 1829 Hogg Shepherd's Cal. II. 207:
Poor Will o' Phaup . . . wi' his din sark and his cloutit breeks.

Hence 1. dinness, sallowness, darkness (Cai.⁷, Bnff.² 1940); 2. dinnish, adj., rather dun-coloured; 3. din-skinned, sallow-complexioned (Cai.⁷ 1940; Abd.²⁷ 1948).1. Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 172:
“It's a mercy dinness is na sair,” quoth an eminent wit to a certain auld Lucky who had the Ethiopian's skin.2. Sc. 1720 Caled. Mercury (Nov. 14):
A whitish gray Colour'd Horse, pretty white all over, inclining a little to the Dinnish about the Hips.