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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MORNIN, n., v. Also mornen; morneen (Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 10); mornan; moarnin, -neen (Sh. 1898 “Junda” Klingrahool 5); moornin (s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell Psalms v. 3); muornin (Rxb. 1926 Trans. Hawick Arch. Soc. 32); mwornin (Slk. 1827 Hogg Shepherd's Cal. (1874) vii.). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. morning. [See -In(g), 1.]

I. n.

Sc. form of Eng. morning. (mornin Cai., Bnff., Ags., Fif., Arg., Gsw., Ayr., Dmf., Rxb.; moarnin Sh., Abd., Edb., Arg., Ayr. 2000s). Also attrib. m.Sc. 1979 William J. Tait in Joy Hendry Chapman 23-4 (1985) 37:
As I stoater hame through Drummond Place
At ten tae five o an April moarnin,
A barrage o birdsang opens up,
Blackies an mavises burstin their haases Dundee 1990 Sheila Stephen in Joy Hendry Chapman 60 52:
" ... Eh'v oanly been behin' meh mulk an' roalls there ulkie moarnin fir the past ileevn yeair. Gsw. 1990 John and Willy Maley From the Calton to Catalonia 44:
Ah, bit gie me Glesca any day. The moarnin mist risin oan the Green. The smell a the Barras oan a Sunday efternin. A few boattles a stout by the Clyde an watchin the sun go doon. Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 42:
I the blue an siller mornan licht,
wi white rime skinklan
bricht i the stibbly field, ... Sh. 1994 Laureen Johnson in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 171:
He lookit alang da next moarneen, on his wye ta Lerook. m.Sc. 1994 Martin Bowman and Bill Findlay Forever Yours, Marie-Lou 19:
Uv coorse ah dinnae believe ye! A wean at your age! You're too auld, Marie-Louise! Yir past the stage ae bein able tae hiv weans! Long past it! Yir imaginin things...it's normal fur a wummin at your age in life tae feel a bit sick in the moarnins... m.Sc. 1999 Janina MacDonald in Moira Burgess and Donny O'Rourke New Writing Scotland 17: Friends and Kangaroos 82:
They'd been reddin oot thir hooses a moarnin, scrubbin flairs, shakin oot mats, scrubbin an pittin swirly paetterns oan thir doorsteps an noo it wis elevenziz.

1. Combs.: (1) morning-blink, the first glimmer of daylight (Sh. 1963); †(2) morning-bout, an early morning stroll; (3) morning drink, a drink taken in the forenoon as a mid-morning break. See n., 3.; †(4) morning-gift, a gift traditionally given by a husband to his bride on the morning after the consummation of the marriage [O.Sc. from 1597]; †(5) morning-lecturer, see Lecturer; (6) morning mun, daybreak, the strengthening of the morning light (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl.; I.Sc. 1963). See Mun; (7) morning piece, a morning snack carried to eat during the mid-morning break (I.Sc., Uls. 1963). See Piece; see also 3; (8) morning roll, a soft bread roll.(1) Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 118:
This morning-blink's ne'er seen by City spark.(2) Ib. 118:
Ye're right early out, I trow ye're gain to tak' your morning-bout.(3) Rs. 1727 Trans. Northern Assoc. (1892) II. 19:
Item. To mason's morning drink and four hours . . . . . £20. 0. 0.Sc. 1903 A. Heron Merchant Co. Edb. 87:
In 1712–13, the entry occurs three times, “By the workmen's morning drink”.(4) Abd. 1824 J. Maidment Garland (1868) 1:
He has wooed the young Countess . . . An' given her for a morning gift, Strathboggie and Aboyne.(7) Lnk. 1862 D. Wingate Poems 18:
To gie the hungry callan' time to eat his mornin' piece.(8)Sc. 1993 Scotsman 6 Oct :
The poems include an Ode to the Rowie, the famous morning roll of the Northeast, and a celebration of the delights of porridge.Sc. 1997 Scotland on Sunday 6 Jul 16:
My morning roll dropped from my teeth as I read that the tabloids now describe Brown as "Heathcliffian" with "brooding, dark good looks".Sc. 2000 Press and Journal 27 Jul 3:
Buchan Indoor Bowling Club is holding a car-boot sale in the car park at South Street, Mintlaw, on Saturday from 10am-1pm. The cost is £5 per car, with tea, coffee and morning rolls on sale.Sc. 2002 Daily Record 18 Jun 7:
To be honest, though, I still can't understand why both McKirdy's and Bell's Diner insist on using those soft, tasteless, sesame seed baps.
Yes, I know they're traditional with burgers but good quality Scots morning rolls should be the only option. Sc. 2003 Sunday Mail 18 May 21:
There are still lots of women, of course, who wouldn't be seen dead without a bit of mascara and lip polish when all they're doing is popping out for the morning rolls.Sc. 2004 Daily Record 29 May 64:
Fletcher, 20, is on his way to establishing riches beyond the wildest dreams of most folk ...
But the only dough his parents are interested in are the morning rolls he delivers every morning he's back at the family home near Dalkeith.

2. Used in pl. where Eng. would use a collective sing. (I.Sc., Abd. 1963).Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 19:
He gets up early in the mornings.Edb. 1900 E. H. Strain Elmslies' Drag-Net 10:
An' a'body kent he was a wee ower fond o' his bed in the mornin's.

3. A glass of spirits or a snack taken immediately after rising in the morning and before breakfast (Dmf. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1903 E.D.D.); later and more usu., of a snack or drink taken during a mid-morning break from work. Gen.Sc. Comb. morning-piece, id. (see also 1. (7)).Sc. 1718 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 76:
Steen fresh and fastin 'mang the rest Came in to get his Morning.Edb. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 178:
Up we get an' take our mornin' O' water sometimes mair than cornin'.Sc. 1800 A. Carlyle Autobiog. (1860) 24:
The brandy-bottle — a Scotch pint — made its appearance immediately, and we were obliged to take our morning, as they called it.Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy xviii.:
I hae taen the bent ower the Otterscaperigg a hundred times, day and night, and never could find the way unless I had taen my morning.Sc. 1825 Jam.:
Morning. The designation given to a glass of spirits taken before breakfast, not only in the Highlands, but by many Lowlanders, who pretend that this shocking custom is necessary to whet their appetite.Ork. 1884 Crofters' Comm. Report App. A. 275:
His “morning piece,” when he arose, was half a bannock of bread made from bere ground on the quern.Abd. 1887 Bon-Accord (30 April) 18:
Lat's see a shillin' t' be wir mornin'.Sh. 1897 Shetland News (29 May):
Bread for the Mason's mornings.Kcb. 1900 Crockett Stickit Minister's Wooing 237:
Rab was seeking his “morning” or eye-opening draught of French brandy.Arg. 1906 H. Foulis Vital Spark xiv.:
He was chust holdin' the pipes for a man that wass inside for his mornin'.m.Lth. 1922 “Restalrig” Sheep's Heid 40:
We get intae the habit o' risin' early, takin' oor parritch at a certain 'our, takin' oor mornin' at a certain time ilka day.Sc. 1947 Scots Mag. (June) 175:
Bustling the judges away from their “mornings” to see the competitors take the field.ne.Sc. 1952 John R. Allan North-East Lowlands of Scotland (1974) 134:
Then some older and wiser woman said, "It's time I had ma mornin'," and produced a bottle of whisky from out of her petticoats, and others did the same and passed them round till everybody had had their mornin' and the work proceeded, and proceeded happily all day, ...

¶II. v. To turn out (cattle) for pasture in the morning.Sc. 1879 A. B. Grosart Poems Fergusson 145:
When the cattle are “morninged” in May as stated, with his club and (formerly) touting-horn, the Herd is sent out along with them.