Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
HAAIN, n. Also haawin, -wie, howin; and orig.pl.forms -ance, -aness (Marw.), hawance. [′hɑ: in, -wi(n); ′hɔuin, -ən(ə)s]
1. Economy, husbanding of goods, moderation or restraint in spending (Ork. 1929 Marw.; Ork., Cai. 1956). Gen. in phr. to hae haain i', to use sparingly (Marw.).Ork. 1915 Old-Lore Misc. VIII. i. 41:
Dere wasna ony loaf dan, na deed, an' 'e clined butter api' twa o dem wi' 'is ain toomb, an' A'm telt, 'e hedna ony hawance on da butter.
2. A very small fraction, a particle, found in neg. phr. not wan howaness, not a —, not an iota (Ork. 1929 Marw.).
[The form is that of a vbl.n., appar. ad. O.N. haga, to manage, arrange, Norw. haga, id., hag, moderation, management. See Haag above, with sim. meanings. There may be some confusion with Havin(g)s.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Haain n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/haain>
