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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WYND, v., n.², int. Also wind(e): wine, wyne, wyenn. [wəin(d)]

I. v. intr. Of draught-animals in a yoke: to turn towards the left (Sc. 1825 Jam., wynd); also tr., of the driver: to command the animals to turn to the left.Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 93:
Wyn them doon the rigs, min, b' the side o' the corn.

Phr. and derivs.: (1) to hap and (or) wynd, to turn to right or left in ploughing (Fif. 1952); mostly fig. in neg. phr. neither hap nor wynd, to be obstinate, intractable or unmanageable, to refuse to do what one is told or expected to do, “to dig one's heels in”. See also Hap, v.³; (2) agent n., wyner, winer, in the old oxen ploughing-team: the leading ox on the right-hand side which took the first steps leftward on the command to wynd (Abd. 1825 Jam.); in pl. the front pair of oxen. Freq. attrib.; (3) vbl.n. wyn(d)in, winding, (i) the turning to the left of an animal in harness. Also winding out; (ii) freq. in pl.: a piece of land which from being long, awkwardly-shaped or steep, was orig. ploughed only in one direction by the plough turning left after each furrow; “the head and foot rig in a ploughed field on which the horses turn” (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl., winedins), a hintin fur (see Hint, v., 1.) (Fif. 1930); hence a group of rigs in a field which because of its nature is divided into an upper and lower wyndin for convenience of ploughing (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 212, wynan; ne.Sc., Lth. 1974). Comb. tail wynin, the last rig of a field left in ploughing or reaping (Abd. 1921 T.S.D.C.). The word goes back to the pre-Improvement days in agriculture and though still in common use is now imperfectly understood.(1) Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality xxiii.:
A feckless loon had catched twa dragoon naigs, and he could neither gar them hup nor wind.Ags. 1823 A. Balfour Foundling III. v.:
I must stand or gang, haap or wind, at the word of command.s.Sc. 1856 N. & Q. (Ser. 2) I. 395:
To go from you, Hup is used in the southern, and haud aff in the northern countries; while in the towns haap and wynd are used.Ayr. 1866 Trans. Highl. Soc. I. 80:
Farmers, as a rule, will not readily “happ” or “wyenn” in any direction save that which pleases themselves.(2) Abd. c.1780 in Ellis E.E.P. V. 771:
The wyner ouse got the glyack sheaf.Sc. 1808 Jam. s.v. Yule:
The Maiden is given to the horse called the Winder, which leads the rest in the plough.Abd. 1839 A. Walker De'il at Baldarroch 13:
Right sliely in about she slippet, An' o' the horn the wyner tippet.Abd. 1858 J. B. Pratt Buchan 18:
On-wyner. Wyner Ox. A sagacious wyner was frequently kept till he was ten or twelve years old — sometimes even longer.ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore 64:
Whilst he was enjoying his repast the good woman proceeded to give each of the oxen a piece of cakes. One by one the oxen took what was given, except the “wyner.”(3) (i) Sc. 1710 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) I. 240:
Some thought that another plou that was there, also in charity, did touch one of our horses in their winding.Sc. 1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 673:
There will remain other four ridges to plough between the two portions already ploughed, and these are ploughed by winding-out or turning the ploughs to the left hand at the headlands.(ii) Abd. 1724 T. Mair Ellon Presb. Records (1898) 302:
The north side of the upper wynings of the Gleib of Tarves.Bnff. 1774 Session Papers, Petition Reps. G. Gordon (19 July) Report 29:
Two wyndings, or lengths of ridges in the field.Hdg. 1883 J. Martine Reminisc. 383:
The Upper and Under Windings being steep and composed of as stiff, red greasy clay as can be found in almost any other part of East Lothian.Abd. 1923 J. Hunter MS. Diary (3 Jan.):
Wm. Gray was heeding Turnips on up winding.Abd. 1951 Buchan Observer (20 Feb.):
In the case of long, narrow fields it was customary to divide them into two or three windings, so as to be easier for the horses.

II. n. 1. A turning in gen.; a turning-point or change in one's life.Dmf. 1823 J. Kennedy Poems 80:
To tell each feat, and turn and wyne, Of Mungie's life, I dont design.

2. In adv. phr. wyne and onwyne, to right and left, here, there and everywhere (Sc. 1808 Jam.), from wyner and on-wyner, the names of the front right- and left-hand ox respectively in a plough-team. See On-wyne.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 48:
Seek wyne an' onwyne, miss na height nor how, An' cry whan ever ye come upon a know.

3. The call of wyne. See III.Slg. 1818 W. Muir Poems 36:
They to their nags the wyne or howe Scarce heard repeat.

III. int. A call to a yoked animal to turn to the left (Sc. 1825 Jam., wyne; Uls. 1953 Traynor, wynde; sm.Sc. 1974). Also wyne (h)ere (Gall. c.1867).Bwk. 1809 R. Kerr Agric. Bwk. 503:
To their horses, carters employed hap and wind in ordering them to either side, now mostly high-wo and jee.Lnk. 1842 W. Watson Poems 40:
An' by their answerin' our ca' — Hap, wynd, wo back, or step awa.