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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ELEEVEN, adj., n. Also eleyven (Bnff., Abd. 1943); eleiven (Cai.⁷ 1943; Abd. 1941 J. Murray in Abd. Bon-Accord (27 Nov.) 6); ileeven (Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 97; Sh.¹⁰ 1950); †ele'en. [ə′li:vn Sc.; ə′leivn Cai.; ə′ləivn ne.Sc.; ə′le:vn Per.]

1. adj. and n. Eleven. Also used for the ordinal in dates, the eleventh (of a month) (Ork. 1975). Gen.Sc.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Letter x.:
Gang doun the gate to Luckie Gregson's and . . . bide there till ele'en hours the morn.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 9:
I' the lang eleeven o' June month the feck o' the wals o' the toon gaed clean dry.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xviii.:
It's a vera stiff brae, an' ere we wan up to the kirk, it was gyaun upon eleyven o'clock.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods 87:
The clocks were chappin' in house an' ha', Eleeven, twal an' ane an' twa.w.Sc. 1928 J. Corrie Last Day 64:
That's eleeven o'clock a'ready and I haena got half thae things washed.Abd. 1992 Frank Duthie in Sheila Douglas The Sang's the Thing: Voices from Lowland Scotland 253:
I often argued wi ma faither aboot follaein in his footsteps and gan tae the sea. Ma faither put his foot doon and said, "That ye're nae!" "Aw but I am!" I says. "Not if I can help it!" he says, and this would o' been maybe fen I wis aboot eleiven year aul. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 65:
' ... I offered him sax thoosan pund for the citadel, and five thoosan pund for the levies, which was a generous sum, but worth it tae keep my lord sweet - sae he got eleiven thoosan pund aw tellt, no a bad income for nae labour.'

Hence elevent (Slg.³ 1943), eleevent (Bwk.³ 1950), eleivent (Bnff., Abd. 1943), eleventh.Sc. 1862 G. Henderson St Matthew xx. 6:
An' about the elevent hour he gaed out.Lth. 1914 C. P. Slater Marget Pow Comes Home xx.:
That's forty-five year come the elevent of November!

2. n.pl. A straw plait having a breadth of eleven straws (see quot.).Ork. 1920 J. Firth Reminisc. 49:
The narrowest kind of plait had seven straws in its breadth, and was therefore called “sevens”, another was termed “elevens”, while the widest was known as “thirty-twos”.

3. Phr.: eleven-hours, 'le'en hour, a light meal taken at 11 a.m. by labourers and children (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Knr.¹, Wgt.⁴ 1950); also elevener, id. Cf. Fower hours.Rxb. 1805 A. Scott Poems 15:
At length 'le'en hour's time brought the dame, And hearts for joy they flutter'd, For clanks o' 'tatoes hail'd ilk wame.Rxb. 1806 J. Hogg Poems 83:
A guid 'le-en hour.Edb. 1809 A. Stewart Poems 31:
Come in and get your 'leven hours Alang wi' me.s.Sc. 1835–40 J. M. Wilson (ed.) Tales of the Borders II. 274:
I've travelled far to-day, and I'll be a' the better of an elevener.Fif. 1898 “S. Tytler” Mrs Carmichael's Goddesses xv.:
I was trying my 'prentice hand at sawing and hammering and polishing till my ‘leven hours'.