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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.

PRON, v., n.¹ Also pronn, prone, ¶proon-. For a- forms see Pran, v., n.¹

I. v. To crush, compress, squeeze, flatten (Mry. 1930).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 135:
The horse lay doon o' the fine bit earikie, an' pront 'ir t' death, jist fin she wiz beginnin' t' lay.

II. n. 1. A squeeze, a crushing.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 135:
He ga's finger a pron atween twa stanes.

2. The residue of oat husks and oatmeal remaining from the milling process, bran, Seeds (Rs., Mry., Bnff., Abd. 1966), used in the making of Sowens or flummery (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 463; n.Sc. 1825 Jam.) or as food for animals or fowls; “the name given to flummery” (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.); crumbs (Rs. 1929). Hence used as a call to hens (Inv. 1957, pron-pron). Comb. pron-brose, see 1913 quot.Rs. 1749 Pitcalnie MSS.:
A Compt off what went out of the 6th melder To 2 bolls 2 pecks prone.Inv. 1770 I. F. Grant Highland Farm (1924) 165:
Of pron put in said chist that had ½ meall six firlots.Cai. 1829 J. Hay Poems 102:
My hallan chest is pack'd wi' pronn.Mry. 1889 T. L. Mason Rafford 17:
The soap they used in auld times was manufactured by themsel's, chiefly frae pron an' stale-maister.Sc. 1913 Abd. Jnl. N. & Q. VI. 39:
The old saying, “Gweed pron brose, oot o' the doon-throu' sids” applied to the upland glens, and was given as a guarantee that the brose would be of good quality.Bnff. 1956 W. M. Findlay Oats 179:
The mealy sids (“prone” in Banffshire) are sifted out from the oatmeal.

Deriv. pronack, -ach, prontag, a crumb, morsel, fragment, sphnter (Kcd. 1825 Jam., pronack; Cai. 1903 E.D.D., Cai. 1966, prontag); a state of mush or pulpiness, a mess, hotch-potch (Per. 1966), as of over-boiled potatoes or the like.Per. 1857 J. Stewart Sketches xxxiv.:
When their sticks to proonach went Wi' stanes they made a bold attack.Cai. 1916 John o' Groat Jnl. (14 April):
The guidwife knew how to make nice “bannacks,” “t'yaaving” the leaven and never losing a “prontag.”Per.⁴ 1950:
The tatties have been biled ower lang; they've a gane tae pronach.