Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Spaun, Spawn, v. Also: spaund. P.p. also spanned. [Late ME and e.m.E. spawn (c1400), span (Prompt. Parv.), spaune (1570) all intr., AF espaundre, OF espandre (1080 in Larousse), L. expandere.]

1. intr. Of a fish: To cast spawn. 1531 Bell. Boece I xliii.
Thir salmond … spawnis, with thair wamis plet to uthir 1580-92 James VI Lusus Reg. 26.
Spaunis 1707 Conv. Burghs IV 433.
The rivers wher salmond usually spaun

2. tr. To produce, generate (something). 1494 Loutfut MS 25a.
Giff ony dois thaim [sc. bees] evil or displeseir thai spaund ane evil bitternes in thar hunny to defend … thaim 1531 Bell. Boece I xliii.
The hie fische spawnis his meltis, and the scho fische hir rounis

3. p.p. Contemptuously, of a person: Produced or born out of. 1679 J. Somerville Mem. II 366.
Most of them [sc. the clergy], if not all … spanned [sic in pr.] out of the dreggs of the people