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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

PENURE, n. Also pin(n)er, -ar, peinor. In comb. penure-pig, pinner-, peinor-, a slotted earthenware money-box for small savings, used esp. by children (w.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ayr. 1956); fig., a miser, one who hoards money, only in Galt. See also Pig, Pint, Pyne-pig, Pirl, Pirn. [′pɛnər, ′pəinər]Sc. a.1800 Mary Hamilton in Child Ballads No. 173 B. vii.:
I put it in a piner-pig.
Ayr. 1826 Galt Lairds xiv.:
Yon twa wizzent and gaizent penure pigs o' Barrenbraes.
Ayr. 1836 Galt in Tait's Mag. (June) 393:
The jingle of my peinor pig told, in sterling language, that erranding was an effectual calling.
Gsw. 1856 J. Strang Gsw. Clubs 491:
For many years he kept a large vase, or pinnar-pig, into which he deposited his literary scraps.
Gsw. 1913 Old Gsw. Club II. v. 310:
Children's money-boxes were called “pinner pigs”.

[Appar. a reduced form of Eng. penury. The form penur, penury, is found in Eng. in 15th c.; for the form pinner, cf. n.Eng. dial. pinner, to pinch or stint, which is appar. the same word.]

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"Penure n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/penure>

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