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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

EFTERNUIN, A(I)FTER-, -neen, -nune, n. Also afternün, efter-, efternin, efternane. [′ɛftər′nyn, ′eftər′nyn Sc.; I.Sc., Ags., m.Sc. + -′nɪn, nn. and mn.Sc. + -′nin]

1. Afternoon. Gen.Sc. -nuin, but nn. and mn.Sc. -neen.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xl.:
An' nae doot it wud be throu' the aifterneen afore ye gat them made siccar an' wan awa' fae the Kir'ton.Kcb. 1894 S. R. Crockett Lilac Sunbonnet iv.:
The lassie's gane gyte! What for wad I be sleepin' in the afternune?Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 95:
I think I'll lay my loof whare my luve lies — Some efternune this year — in your strong paw!Rxb. 1921 Hawick Express (19 Aug.) 3/7:
Aye, George Fraser was Provost at th' time, an' a heavy efternune's work hei had.ne.Sc. 1979 Alastair Mackie in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 65:
The holiday croods on the beach sit oot
this sun-stairved aifterneen and the bairns bawl
fae the sea edge Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 65:
Then een aifterneen, he spotted Violet and started for tae chat her up. Gsw. 1990 John and Willy Maley From the Calton to Catalonia 44:
Ah, bit gie me Glesca any day. The moarnin mist risin oan the Green. The smell a the Barras oan a Sunday efternin. Abd. 1991 Douglas Kynoch in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 87:
Mount Helicon was heelster -
Gowdie aw dampt aifterneen.
An that's the wye I never
Got my magnum opus deen. Fif. 1991 William Hershaw in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 169:
It birls the newsagent's sign aroond,
It blaws like a wild Blake picter
On this mirkfu januar efternin Arg. 1993:
He wis taen intae the ospital on the Friday efternane. Abd. 2000 Sheena Blackhall The Singing Bird 56:
The wyver spun a pearlin wab
That micht hae graced a Scottish queen,
Sae fine it wis-her threid wis snappt
Bi Daith, ae sunny efterneen.

2. A meal taken sometime in the afternoon (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., efternün; Sh.¹⁰ 1950).Mry. 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. xvi.:
Marget'll be gyan tae hae her efterneen. It's tea, tea, eternally wi' that wife.Sh. 1898 Sh. News (19 Nov.):
Da folk i' da sooth is no in sic a hurry ta git a brünnie for der afternün is we ir.