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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

YAIRD, n.¹, v. Also yeard, yerd; and yird, by confusion with Yird in sense I. 2. Dim. form yairdie; deriv. yairdin by conflation with Gairden. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. yard, an enclosure. See P.L.D. § 48.1.(2). [je:rd]

I. n. 1. Sc. forms of Eng yard.Sc. 1991 Roderick Watson in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 105:
It was screivit in the year saxty-yin
Whan I was let oot o that yerd
Atween the dour waas o Sauchtonm.Sc. 1997 Liz Niven Past Presents 14:
Bairn o seven dischairged
Fae watching the slauchter.
Men yeuk like warriors,
A swine squeals atour the yerd
Trotters clicking on corbled tilesw.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 18:
While doun thir weel-defined trail, fae the station yaird,
Spatter't kye, ti a killin hoose tryst wi Tam Baird.

2. A garden, esp. a cottage- or kitchen-garden (Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scoticisms 113, 1808 Jam.; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Ork., ne., m., s.Sc. 1974). Now only dial. in Eng. See also kailyaird s.v. Kail, 5. (36). Deriv. yairdin, id., by assimilation to Gairden.Wgt. 1707 Session Bk. Glasserton MS. (14 May):
He went to Whithorn that day and brought thence some plants for his yard.Gsw. 1713 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (B.R.S.) 511:
The houses, biggings, yeards, grass pasturages.Cai. 1736 J. T. Calder Sketches (1842) 231:
It was a mischievous diversion to robb honest men's yeards, and that the practice was in itself superstitious.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 106:
The bonny yeard of antient Eden.Ayr. 1785 Burns Address to Deil xv.:
Lang syne in Eden's bonie yard, When youthfu' lovers first were pair'd.Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley viii.:
The cottages being irregularly divided from each other by gardens, or yards, as the inhabitants called them.Abd. 1882 W. Forsyth Writings 155:
Frae Justice Port to Windmill hill Wis wavin' green wi' yairdins a'.Sh. 1892 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 46:
He's creepin trou da yard.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond Bawbee Bowden (1922) 107:
It has been set doon in oor back-yaird.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 385:
Twa o' the dragoons gaed into the yaird tae get a wheen berries.Dmf. 1917 J. L. Waugh Cute McCheyne 81:
My broth-pot will be a richer yin than his when winter's snaws cover the yairds.Abd. 1963 J. Kesson Glitter of Mica 16:
Planting out their “yards” with curly kail and first early potatoes.

Combs.: (1) yaird-dyke, a garden wall (Ork., n., m.Sc. 1974); (2) yaird-fit, the foot of a garden (Lth., Wgt. 1974); (3) yard-head, the top end of a garden; (4) yaird-lupan, of an animal: given to jumping garden-walls (Ork. 1974); (5) yard-male, rent paid for a garden. See Mail, n.¹(1) Kcd. 1705 Urie Ct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 113:
Noe tennent, shall pule doune anie of their yeard deikis.Dmb. 1753 Session Papers, Buchanan v. Towart (9 Aug.) 1:
Cutting and stealing Trees in the Woods of Wester Auchindinnan, or that grew about the Yard-dikes of the said Lands.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 174:
Lay them [docks] on the yard dyke to dry.Lnk. 1881 D. Thomson Musings 18:
The yaird dyke was doon, an' a' things lay in ruins.Sh. 1902 J. Burgess Some Sh. Folk 20:
He caught her by herself at the corner of the yard dyke.(2) Ayr. 1819 Kilmarnock Mirror 136:
I shall relate ye the true account of ane [a ghost], that was seen at my yard-fit.Rnf. 1873 D. Gilmour Pen' Folk 39:
Three times daily did he and his wife meet at “the yard-fit.”(3) Sc. 1721 Caled. Mercury (5 Jan.):
George Watt's, Brewer in the Yard-Heads of Leith.(4) Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 121:
As hich as a yaird-lupan' gimmer.(5) Ags. 1723 Caled. Mercury (11 Feb.):
Ninety eight Pounds four Shillings eight Pennies of Yard-males, . . . with the Fews and Yard-males holding free Burgage.

3. A churchyard (Ork., ne., m.Sc. 1974). The form yird is due to confusion with Yird.Bnff. 1722 Trans. Bnff. Field Club (1887) 90:
That piece of ground in the north end of the yeard.Ayr. 1791 Burns There'll never be Peace iii.:
Now I greet round their green beds in the yerd.Edb. 1866 J. Smith Poems 41:
Low doun yon lanesome, eerie yird.Gall. c.1870 Gall. Bards (Harper 1889) 184:
The lanely yird on the breist o' the brae.Ayr. 1889 H. Johnston Glenbuckie 71:
A “meat tea” ready for the men coming back from the “yaird.”Mry. 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 124:
Afore we got Getherer's corp the length o' the yaird.Rxb. 1933 Kelso Chron. (3 Nov.) 5:
The auld wife in the clachan yird had barely time tae cool.Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 29:
The shilpit mune of autumn
Keeks wanly thro the mirk,
The manse stauns bien and doucelik
In the yaird ablow the kirk.

4. Gen. in pl.: a school-playground, specif. that of the High School in Edinburgh.Edb. 1753 W. Maitland Hist. Edb. 182:
At the Southeastern corner of the High-school-yard.Edb. 1808 Lockhart Scott i.:
I made a brighter figure in the yards than in the class.Edb. 1909 Bk. Old Edb. Club II. 9:
The High School, built 167 years previously, stood in the High School Yards at the foot of Infirmary Street.

5. As in Eng. a stack-yard on a farm. Comb. yardsook, a strong drying breeze at harvest-time after the crop has been stacked (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork. 1974). See Souk, n., 3.

II. v. To stack (corn) in a yard (Ork. 1974).Sc. 1757 Session Papers, Petition A. Smith (8 March) 17:
The Corns of the Croft I got off by Proof, which I took care to see cut down and yarded.