Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

E'EN, Een, n. Evening. This contr. form of Eng. even is now chiefly poet. in Eng. Gen. used to designate the evening before feast or saints' days, e.g. Eel e'en, Fastern's E'en, Halloween, etc. Gen.Sc. Phr. at e'en, in expressing the time of day, corresponds to Eng. p.m. See 1829 and 1910 quots.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs (1759) 23:
Drunken at e'en, and dry on the morning.Ayr. 1786 Burns Ep. to J. Lapraik i.:
An' Paitricks scraichan loud at e'en.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xii.:
I'se e'en pit them in my napkin, and eat them to my supper at e'en.Sc. 1829 New Scotch Haggis 79:
At four-hours-at-e'en Girzie was ta'en doun, an' an altered woman was she.wm.Sc. 1835–37 Laird of Logan II. 283:
The moon gies us light in thae dark Saturday eens, but the sun never shines but when it's day-light.Kcb. 1883 G. Murray Sarah Rae 63:
And e'en and morn I'll daut and cuddle My bonnie Jean.Ayr.¹ 1910:
The train cam in, about fowr at een.