Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1743-1808
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MAUN, adj. Also maan. Always used preceded by meikle, muckle = great, mighty, large. Cf. Eng. great big.Sc. 1743 Scots Mag. (Nov.) 524:
It has a meikle maun blue pouch hingin' at the carr side o'd, fou o' mullens and chucky-stanes.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 123:
[Maidens] blyth to skreen their faces Wi' hats and muckle maun bon-graces.Sc. 1776 D. Herd Sc. Songs II. 99:
Like a meikle maan lang draket gray goose-pen.Sc. 1784 Caled. Mercury (16 Oct.):
Britain's a muckle maun Balloon.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
Muckle maun chield, a young man who has grown very tall.
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"Maun adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/maun_adj>
