A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420, 1475-1599
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Gyand, Gyant, Gyan(e, n. Also: jyand, geyant, gyen. [ME. gyant (1480), var. of geant. Cf. Geand and Giand.] A giant.(a) c1420 Wynt. vi. 1392.
In Rome thai fand A body off a ded gyand a1500 Henr. III. 97/44.
Off ony knycht gife he micht heir Wald fecht with that gyand c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 887.
On the mont Mychell, quhar he [sc. Arthur] the gyand slew c1500 Crying of Play 8.
A gyaind strang … , That with the strenth of my hand Beres may bynd c1500-c1512 Dunb. lv. 21.
Sum thocht tham selffis stark lyk gyandis 1513 Doug. x. x. 53.
Lyke as Egeon, the kyng of gyandis, Quhilk had … ane huindreth armys and handys 1535 Stewart 53414.
Tha fand … Ane man that tyme of richt greit quantitie, Ontill ane gyand most liklie till be 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 94.
Nor [is] jyand [v.r. gyand] saif be strenth of his bodie(b) c1420 Wynt. i. 314 (W).
Sethis sonis … gat upon thaim … Thir gyantis c1420 Ib. 341.
He come with gyantis full twenty 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 335 b.
Virgil and vthire sais that Poliphemus the gyant eit quyc men 1513 Doug. Comm. ix/2.
The battale betwix the god Dis and the gyantis 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II. 140.
Mair like gyanttis than commoun stature of men 1531 Ib. 172.
Lyke gyantis with huge bodijs 1573 Satirical Poems xxxix. 360.
Caleb … Ourthrew thair castellis and thair gyaintis dang 1596 Dalr. I. 3/4.
Albine, first mother of the geyantis 1596 Ib. 210/28.
Quhais ofspring proceidet of the stock of the ald gyantis(c) a1500 Henr. III. 96/16.
Thair dwelt alyt besyde the king A fowll gyane of ane a1500 Ib. 31.
The gyane wes so strang c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 31.
The Jow was of a grit engyne, And generit was of gyans c1500-c1512 Ib. xxxviii. 20.
He … as gyane raxit him on hicht c1500 Interl. Droich 29.
Quha is cum heir bot I, … That generit am of gyanis kind c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1653.
He wes ane gyane stout and straing c1590 J. Stewart 14/80.
Mychtie Jowe his bittir blasts did rais, And all the proud contemmyng gyans slewattrib. 15.. Clariodus ii. 50.
The michtie campioun … With gyen corpis, … strong and wicht
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"Gyand n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/gyand>
