Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ANA, ANNA, ANAY, ANNAY, AWNA, n. Also used attrib. A river-island, a holm. [′ɑnɪ, ′ɑnĕ Kelso]

1. n.Rxb. 1756 Proof, Walker of Easter Wooden 1–2 (Jam.²):
Depones, that the nolt never pastured on the Anay; and that when they did ly down, it was always on the stones at the head of the Anay; and that when the cattle came into the water-channel at the head of Wooden Anay, there was no grass growing, unless what sprung up among the stones.Rxb. 1820 Caledonian Mercury (Jan. 29):
The Ana, or island, opposite to the library [Kelso], was many feet under water.Rxb. 1859 Jeffrey Hist. Roxb. III. i. 7:
The present anna, lower down the river, opposite the Chalkheugh.Rxb. 1985 Alistair Moffat Kelsae: A History of Kelso from Earliest Times 111:
The mill must be what is now known as Maxwellheugh Mill. ... Its mill lade ran between an anna in the Teviot and that bank of the river.

2. attrib. Annay land, awna land, awna soil. (See quots.)Rxb. 1794 Gen. View Agric. Rxb. 11:
The awna soil, a provincial name for the alluvion of rivers, whether it is deposited in form of an island, or haugh. . . . This awna land.Rxb. 1805 R. Forsyth Beauties of Scot. II. 68:
The flat lands exposed to inundation are distinguished in this county by a provincial appellation, that of annay lands.