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 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

EESHAN, n. Also eeshin, ¶eetion, ieshan. A child; a tiny tot; someone small and puny of any age; often used in a derogatory or playful sense (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 43, eetion; Cai., Nai., Bnff., Abd. 1950). [′iʃən]Bnff.⁶ a.1917:
Fat eeshin o' a craiter is that ower there aside the smith?Abd. 1923 Northern Idioms in Swatches 84:
The diminutive is equally effective in the most biting terms of sarcasm “Pyoo fie! ye wee ablich — ye ganjin wee eeshan!”L.Bnff. 1934 J. M. Caie Kindly North 15:
An' Sandy sittin' there as mum's a moose, Takin' files a pinch o' sneeshin' — Peer fushionless bit eeshin.Per.⁴ 1950:
That puir wee eeshan's aye hingin aroond like a lost sheep.Cai. 1963 Edb. John o' Groat Liter. Soc. Mag. 8:
Two stupeed ieshans wir 'e loons As roond 'e lambs they ran.Rs. 1991 Bess Ross Those Other Times 125:
He looked at his son at the beginning of his life, and he saw his life, and in his heart he asked the Lord to keep him. The little eeshan put up some fight though, nothing was going to stop him. And now here he was as nice as you please sucking away at his mother as bonnie as could be.