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.
Quotation dates: 1713-1742, 1805-1920
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ROUN, v., n. Also roun(e), roon; †rown; round. [run(d)]
I. v. 1. To whisper, to impart in a low tone. Only arch. or dial. in Eng. Vbl.n. rouning, whispering.Sc. 1713 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) II. 165:
They wer all surprized, and fell a rounding one to another.Sc. c.1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 205:
[She] then rounded in his lug he might Come after midle of the night.Sc. 1742 R. Erskine True Christ 33:
Rounding into their Ear some sudden Comfort.Sc. c.1805 Rare Willie in Child Ballads No. 215 D. x.:
An fat means a' this rouning?Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality iv.:
Round into his lug I wad be blythe o' his company to dine wi' me.Sc. 1858 Carlyle Frederick ix. x.:
Ill Margraf rounded things into the Crown-Prince's ear, in an unmannerly way.Dmf. 1870 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 71:
The bairn cocks up on its doup in the cradle, and rounds in Wullie's lug.Abd. 1893 G. Macdonald Songs 51:
The waukin' man i' the sleepin' man's lug Would rown a murgeon o' power.Sc. 1920 A. Gray Songs from Heine 16:
They roun to themsels sae sadly O' a love that can never dee.
2. To keep on repeating, to go on and on talking of the same thing (Sc. 1880 Jam.).
II. n. A whisper, a secret story (Sc. 1880 Jam.).
[O.Sc. roun, to talk over privately, 1375, O.E. rūn, a secret, rūnian, to whisper. The -d in some of the forms is excrescent.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Roun v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/roun>
