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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HEREAWA, adv. Also hereaway(s), †heiraway (s.Sc.). [′hi:rəwɑ:, -ɑwǫ:; Lth., s.Sc. -ɑwe:]

1. In this neighbourhood, in these parts, hereabouts (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Cai. 1902 E.D.D.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; ‡Bwk. 1942 Wettstein, hereaway; ne.Sc., em.Sc.(a), Kcb., s.Sc. 1957); on this earth. Now only Eng. dial. or U.S. Also used attrib. = belonging to the neighbourhood, local.Sc. a.1754 E. Erskine Works (1791) 560:
Here-away believers are not at home.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 57:
As lang as ye'll be here awa; May health an' strength betide ye.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 183:
Things has wi' dearth been menseless here awa'.Sc. 1838 Wilson's Tales of the Borders IV. 262:
I've been thinking ye're no just a here-a-wa man by your tongue.Cai. 1869 M. Maclennan Peasant Life 137:
Willie Deeran bides hereawa, am thinkin'?s.Sc. 1873 J. Murray D.S.C.S. 225:
“Thay're scheiran' aa roond heir-away,” reaping is going on all around in this direction.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 115:
Thomas wasnae a hereawa man, being an incomer frae Piper's Haugh.Fif. 1894 A. S. Robertson Provost 182:
“Ye dinna belang here-a-wa'?” “No, I don't live here.”Edb. 1900 E. H. Strain Elmslie's Drag-Net 107:
There's a gey wheen folk o' the name o' Johnstone hereawa.Wgt. 1907 J. Donnan Hameland 61:
Nae silence or sulkin' when she's hereawa'.

2. To this quarter, hither (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Obs. in Eng. since 16th c. Phr. hereawa(y), thereawa(y), hither and thither (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Cai., Abd., em.Sc.(a), Ayr., s.Sc. 1957); in a state of indecision or perplexity.Sc. 1718 News from Bathgate 5:
And yet when Highlanders came here away, He was their secret Freind, as many say.Sc. 1769 D. Herd Songs 291:
Here awa', there awa', here awa', Willie, Here awa', there awa', here awa' hame.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xi.:
Things are a' lying, here awa', there awa'.Per. 1881 R. Ford Hum. Sc. Readings 8:
Oor neebour woman tauld me yestreen, nae farrer gane, to tak' guid care o' mysel' when I cam' hereawa'.Gsw. 1898 D. Willox Poems and Sk. 96:
I asked him if he could tell me hoo I cam' hereawa'.Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ i. ix.:
Rin hereawa thereawa, ye winna fin' saucht 'cep in lown-hertit subjection tae the authority o' him wha's putten owre ye.Abd. 1917 C. Murray Sough o' War 24:
I ken that I cam' here awa' some aucht days aifter yeel.m.Sc. 1952 A. J. Cronin Adventures in Two Worlds 77:
I'm just hereaway thereaway. Maybe my notion's all wrong.