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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.

PONE, n., v.¹ Also po(a)n(e); pawn.

I. n. A thin oval strip of green turf measuring about 15 ins. by 5½ in. by 1¼ in., formerly used in Shetland in the roofing of houses or peat-stacks (Sh. 1825 Jam., 1914 Angus Gl., poan, Sh. 1966). Also attrib. Deriv. poanik (Sh. 1900 Shetland News (19 May)), ponek (Jak.), id. Combs. pone-delf, an area of ground from which pones are cut (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)), see Delf; pone-spaed, a spade for lifting turves, pone-tack, v., to thatch with turves or pones (see Thack) (Sh. 1966).Sh. 1822 S. Hibbert Descr. Shet. 114:
Pones, [which are] swards of earth cut very fine, upon the surface of which grows a short grass . . . used for the sole purpose of roofing.Sh. 1872 in A. C. O'Dell Hist. Geog. Sh. (1939) 147:
Over the rafters is laid a covering of pones, divots, or flaas and above this again a thatch of straw.Ork. 1884 R. M. Fergusson Rambles 162:
A braw new hous nived [sic] wi' poanes.Sh. 1899 Shetland News (16 Sept.):
We hae da röf o' wir lamhoos ta ponetack, he's rinnin' in da watter apo' da tings o' lambs.Sh. 1901 Ib. (20 July):
I ran fir da door, an' fistid daa's pone spaed.Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat Comm. 168:
Ye mann keep da pones hale . . . Dey hae ta be laid doon agen i da graef o da bank.Sh. 1947 W. P. Livingstone Shetland 124:
With the ripper, which had a long handle and a sharp blade, a cut was made in the turf parallel with the edge of the bank and thirty inches from it. The spade was inserted under this strip which was lifted in pieces, called pones or faels, and transferred with the shovel to the bottom of the bank, in accordance with the rule that the turf must be replaced.Sh. 1949 New Shetlander No. 18. 14:
Da onnly prison dey could tink a athin such a laa-abidin place wis a aald byre wi a poan-ruif.

II. v. 1. To strip or pare off a thin layer of surface turf (Sh., Ork. 1925 Jam.; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928) pon, Sh. 1966). Phr. to pon de bank, — mor, in peat-cutting: “to pare off the second layer of turf in a bog or on a ledge before getting down to the actual peats” (Jak.). Hence poning, a pared-off piece of turf, a pone, see I.Ork. 1814 J. Shirreff Agric. Ork. 100:
This practice of paring, provincially poning, the surface of grass and heath grounds in a state of common.Sh. 1900 Shetland News (19 May):
Shü poned aff o' da upper moor o' da bank afore me . . . Hae, boy, laek a güde sowl, poan aff dis bit for me.Sh. 1964 Folk Life II. 5:
It often happened that with an extensive growth of heather or grass, even with the top turf removed there was still a depth of earthy moor, full of tough roots, not considered suitable for peat. In this case, a second layer had to be removed. This was known as taking a poaning.

Hence by extension, to cut down grass, hay, etc., to mow (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., pawn). Deriv. pawnee, a scythe (Ib.).

2. To cover a roof with pones, to “thatch” a roof with turves (Sh. 1966). Combs. double-pone, yar-pone, see quot. and Yarfa.Sh. 1897 J. Jakobsen Shet. Dial. 46:
“To yar-poan de ruiff”: to “double-poan”, to put on two layers of sods (in thatching) and not the usual layer of straw.