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 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PAN, n.² Also pann (Abd. 1808 Jam.); pawn (Ags. 1808 Jam.); paun-, pand-.

1. One of a number of horizontal timbers fixed to the Couples or rafters of a roof and running at right angles to them, a purlin (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 462; n. and s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Dmf. 1965). Obs. in Eng. Hence pan and couple roof, pan and kaiber roof, a timber-framed roof, see quots. and Couple, Caber; adj. comb. pan-checked, splay-rebated (Sc. 1946 Spons' Builders' Pocket-Bk. 441).Peb. 1704 C. B. Gunn Stobo Church (1907) 79:
The Barn must have three new couples with a new roof, the old timber will serve for “pans.”Abd. 1707 Sc. N. & Q. (Ser. 1) X. 45:
To an Ox Byre with 2 Sawn Cupples, Pans, Roof Korses and Kebers.Abd. 1747 Powis Papers (S.C.) 290:
To on Days Work of 2 men & Self at mending Couples and Inputting New Panns in the houses.Dmf. 1761 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. (1928–9) 38:
Alexander Herries in Claubelly cut a piece of birch for a pan to a house and some other pieces for staiks.Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 114:
On these [couples] rested cross-beams on the sides, called ribs or pans.Dmf. 1843 Trans. Highl. Soc. 759:
The roof is what is called by carpenters “pan and couple”, covered with boards rough from the saw, laid on vertically, the joining covered with a batten 2 inches broad.ne.Sc. 1874 W. Gregor Olden Time 15:
Across the couples were fixed the pans, to the number of three or four on each side of the roof. On these, and parallel to the couples, were laid the kaibers, pieces of trees split with axe, or of bog-fir. Such a roof was called pan and kaiber.

Combs.: (1) pan-rape, -raip, one of the ropes, of straw or similar material, fastening down the thatch of a roof or securing a stack (Bnff. 1965); a rope of this type with a horsehair loop at one end, used for trapping birds (Sh. 1962, pandrip); (2) pan roof, a purlin; (3) pan-tree, pann-, id.; a wooden beam running across an Orkney house from wall to wall from which were suspended the chains or simmons used to hold cooking pots over the open fire. In more recent times, a shorter beam running only across the chimney opening (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork. 1965).(1) Sc. 1808 Jam.:
Bag-rape. A rope of straw or heath double the size of the cross-ropes used in fastening the thatch of a roof. This is kinched to the cross-ropes, then tied to what is called the pan-rape, and fastened with wooden pins to the easing or top of the wall on the outer side.(2) Abd. 1738 Monymusk Papers (S.H.S.) 15:
Sixteen piece of pan roof and crabs.(3) Sc. 1753 Session Papers, Buchanan v. Towart (9 Aug.) 2:
He was to make a Pann-tree to his Barn.Gsw. 1767 Session Papers, Petition A. Leitch (3 Feb.) 11:
Resting his roof-tree and a few of his pan-trees upon this wall.em.Sc. 1794 W. Marshall Agric. Cent. Highl. 20:
Upon these couples, lines of “pantrees,” or purlines are fixed.Ork. 1910 Old-Lore Misc. III. iv. 206:
The chain or simmon was fixed to a round stick of Highland birk, which crossed the house just above the fire, either end being built into the side wall just at the eaves or easings. This stick was called the pauntree.