Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
LUNYIE, n.1 Also lun(z)ie, lungie; leingie; lunyo-, linyo- (Ork.); loon(e), luin. [′lʌŋ(j)i, ′lun-]
†1. Sc. form of Eng. loin, the part of the body (Cld. 1825 Jam., leingie). Also by extension = limb.Sc. 1771 Smollett Humphrey Clinker, Melford to Philips, 8 Aug.:
Lang life to the wylie loon that gangs a-field with a toom-poke at his lunzie, and comes hame with a sackful of sillar.Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 65:
Yet I boud come, Though ilka loon o' me did quake.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxiii.:
Broad in the shouthers, and narrow around the lungies.s.Sc. 1824 J. Telfer Border Ball. 44:
The stinkan brokke, wi' his longe howe loone.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 14:
He gave his lunzie sic a lounder As did the sillie man dumfounder.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., obs.:
Butcher-meat off the lunyie.
Combs.: (1) lunzie-bane, lunyo-been, linyo-. (Marw.), the hip-bone, haunch-bone, huck-bone of an animal (Fif. 1808 Jam.; Ork. 1929 Marw.); (2) lunzie-joint, hip-joint (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); (3) lunie-shot(t), leingie-, hip-shot, having the hip dislocated (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 325; Cld. 1825 Jam., esp. of a horse); †(4) leangie stop, a jerky movement of the loins, a stringhalt (of a horse). Cf. (3); (5) lunzie-string, the cord of a wallet or knapsack hung at the hip. Cf. note to Gaberlunzie.(1) e.Lth. 1755 Caled. Mercury (28 Aug.):
A White Mare . . . with a Scratch in her Fore-foot, and a Lump in her far Side, and high in her Lungie Bone.Sc. a.1796 Sc. Musical Museum V. 500:
Her lunzie-banes were knaggs and neuks.Rxb. 1876 W. Brockie Leaderside Legends 24:
As for Wull himsel, he had a pain, As lang as he leevd, i' his lunyie bane.(4) Per. 1777 Ruddiman's Weekly Mercury (10 July) 32:
A Black Horse, rather inclining to brown, four years of age, switch-tailed, a small neck, a leangie stop in his hinder quarters, and a white spot on each side, being hurt by the saddle.(5) Sc. 1814 in Scott Waverley xi.:
To whistle him [blackcock] down wi' a slug in his wing, And strap him on to my lunzie-string.
¶2. Short for Gaberlunzie, q.v. and cf. (5) above.Sc. a.1851 J. Baillie Works (1853) 822:
May spunkie my feet to the boggie betray, The lunzie folk steal my new kirtle away.
