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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

RAW, adj., n.², v.² Also I.Sc. forms ra, raa (Sh. 1946 J. Gray Lowrie 34). [rǫ: I. and ne.Sc. rɑ:]

Sc. usages:

I. adj. 1. Combs.: (1) raw-dawd, a midday cold snack eaten out of doors, a piece of oat-cake and cheese; (2) raw-gabbed, ra-gabet, voluble in an ignorant uninformed way (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928)). Cf. O.Sc. raw-mowit, id., 1508; (3) rawins, = (6) (Cai. 1921 T.S.D.C.); (4) raw-leaven, the dough of oatcake before being toasted (Bnff. 1925; Sh. 1967); (5) raa-saith, bait (in the form of chopped-up limpets, etc.) which is thrown out on the water to entice the fish to come in (Ork. 1929 Marw.). See Saithe, n.²; (6) raw-sowens, also contracted forms rawsons, rasins (Rs., Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.; ne.Sc. 1967), ¶rawins (Cai. 1921 T.S.D.C.), the liquid resulting from steeping the husks of oats after grinding in water and before boiling (I. and ne.Sc. 1967). See Sowens.(1) Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 59:
Raw dawds make fat lads.(6) Kcd. 1814 G. Robertson Agric. Kcd. 431:
This . . . retaining all the seeds, allows the liquid matter now called raw-sowens, to pass into a vessel below.Rnf. 1825 Jam. s.v. Sowens:
Sometimes for want of milk or beer, raw-sowens is used.Sc. 1846 W. Tennant Muckomacky 13:
She bang'd their bellies fu' o' meat, Gruels and good raw-sowins bitter.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 16:
Yonner's the flagon fur the raa sowens. Gae me't, I'll need tae full't, Aw doot; for they'll a' be famishin' I'm seer.Rs. 1921 T.S.D.C.:
A former meal in rural parts was sowens and sowens to them, i.e. raw and boiled sowens. Hence rawsins would be raw (uncooked sowens).Bnff.² c.1930:
It wis an aafa scarce 'ear, an mony a time we hid nithing bit porrich an rawsons to wir supper.

2. Damp, not fully dried ont, of corn sheaves (Abd. 1923 H. Beaton Benachie 221; Sh. 1967).w.Lth. 1868 H. Shanks Poems 130:
Heart up wi' the dryest an' best you can find, Ony raw in the butts set outside to the wind.

3. Of young birds: unfledged, in combs. raw giblich, -giblick, -gaiblick, an unfledged bird, -gorblin, fig., an immature, inexperienced youth (Rxb. 1923 Watson W. B.). See Gaiblick, Gorblin.

II. n. Neat whisky (Sh., Cai. 1967). Cf. Eng. raw, undiluted, of spirits.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller v.:
After swallowing a single glass of the “raw”.

III. v. Of corn: to absorb damp, to soften and grow mouldy.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 42:
Nor da grain o' dry bare taen ta da mill dat's standin' rawin' an' wastin' i' da barn.Sh. 1904 E.D.D.:
When corn, dried on a kiln, is allowed to stand for some time unground, it gets soft, or is said to raw.