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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

ELDIN, Elding, n. Any kind of fuel, esp. inflammable material such as peat, sticks, brushwood, etc., firewood (Rxb. 1942 Zai). Also eilding; elden (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 195); eeldin (Sc. 1909 Colville 122); ellion (Nai. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Nai. & Mry. 454); and comb. eard eldin (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). Common in n.Eng. dial. Cf. Ilder. [′ɛldɪn, -ɪŋ]Sc. 1724–27 Ramsay T. T. Misc. (1733) II. 182:
Good elding for our winter fire, A cod of caff wad fill a cradle.Edb. 1772 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 5:
Cauld winter's bleakest blasts we'll eithly cowr, Our eldin's driven, an' our har'st is owr.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 90:
Close at the glowan ribs he'd sit, An' ilka wee the eldin hit.Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf ix.:
Mony thanks to ye . . . for collecting sae muckle winter eilding for us.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan III. ii.:
A spark and powder's hasty elding.Rxb. 1901 W. Laidlaw Poetry and Prose 56:
We got our eldin frae the glen, In winter kept a roosin' fire.Hdg. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 149:
Then the eldin was thrawn on the muckle Ha' fire, The fou yill barrels broach'd.Sc. 1935 Scotsman (19 Oct.):
The billet fallen from a burdened old wife's “elding”.