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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SPEAN, v. Also speane, speen; spen(n), spaen, spain, spane, spayn; spend (Sh.). Pa.p. speaned, spained, spenned, spent, spint. [spen; spin. See etym. note.]

1. (1) tr. and absol. To wean an infant or a suckling animal (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 93, spane, 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 432, spain, spean; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson, spain, spen; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein, spane; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen.Sc. Vbl.n. speaning, spaneing, weaning (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Also in n.Eng. dial.Ayr. 1772 Edb. Ev. Courant (10 Oct.):
The old Stotts and spained Heifers.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 269:
This day we hae our suckler lambs to spane.Ags. 1818 Scots Mag. (Nov.) 410:
As a woman will not marry in May, neither will she spean her child in that month.Slk. 1827 Hogg Tales (1874) 406:
There wad be a dreadfu' confusion at his clippings and spainings.Arg. 1878 Trans. Highl. Soc. 20:
The lambs are separated from the sheep or speaned about the 12th of August.Fif. 1897 S. Tytler Lady Jean's Son v.:
Your auld wife's clavers o' when a bairn has been speaned.Sh. 1898 Shetland News (24 Dec.):
Shü wis wantin' ta spend dem.e.Lth. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 85:
A' the detective spies that e'er were spaned!Rxb. 1926 Kelso Chronicle (27 July) 4:
The cauf's no' spaened yet.Abd. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel Fae Hame 31:
For horse an' human daft days gang, They speent me.wm.Sc. 1934 K. R. Archer Jock Tamson's Bairns 4:
And lammies ne'er sleep by their mithers again, That gang through the gate at the speanin'.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick i.:
Some dacent umman boddy 'at's ain littlin's nae spint.Gall. 1955 Gall. Gazette (12 Nov.) 10:
2 Heifer Calves, 2 Half-Shorthorn Heifer Calves, all spained.Dmf. 1997 Nell Thomson Spit the First Sook 15:
I always thought spaneing a sad time, separating the lambs from the ewes after such a short time together.

Combs. (i) new-speaned, newly weaned, just weaned (I., n.Sc., Kcb. 1971); (ii) speaning-brash, an indisposition affecting children or young animals on being weaned (Uls. 1953 Traynor; Kcb. 1971), transf. of crops; a set-back to growth (Bwk. 1971); (iii) speaning-time, the time of weaning a child or young animal (Uls. 1953 Traynor; Cai. 1971).(i) Rxb. 1801 J. Leyden Complaynt 357:
To nicker like a new-speaned foal.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales (1837) II. 277:
Waking all night with his new-spained lambs.Abd. 1912 A. R. Birnie Pig Charlie 21:
Lowin' like a puckle new spenned car.(ii) Slk. 1803 Farmer's Mag. (Aug.) 353:
Oats experienced cold weather in tillering; consequently remained long in what we call the spaining brash.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xxiii.:
The spaining-brash and the teeth-cutting.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin iv.:
After teethin', cam' the spainin' brash.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr. Duguid 121:
Ane of the weans had the speanin'-brash.Sc. 1890 H. Stephens Bk. Farm IV. 453:
When the “speaning brash” is off the lambs.(iii) Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 109:
At Spaining Time, or at our Lambmass Feast.Rxb. 1767 Craig & Laing Hawick Tradition (1898) 225:
The ewes also before spaining time.Ayr. 1790 A. Tait Poems 192:
At spenning-time there's nought but roars O' herds and dogs.Bnff. 1934 J. M. Caie Kindly North 62:
The swishin' o' milk i' the cogue, an' the din I' the byre fan the speanin' time cam'.

(2) in transferred use, of creating an aversion to food through disgust, fear or the like (ne.Sc., Per., Kcb. 1971). The later exx. are prob. in imit. of Burns.Ayr. 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 159–160:
But wither'd beldams, auld and droll, Rigwoodie hags wad spean a foal.Sc. 1826 Scott Journal (1950) 118:
One of the ugliest countenances he had too — enough, as we say, to spean weans.Kcb. 1881 T. Newbigging Poems 180:
Wi' temper brittle as a slate, And face that ony calf might spane.Ags. 1892 Arbroath Guide (27 Feb.) 3:
Wi' a face on ye that micht spean cats.Abd. 1929 Sc. Readings (Paterson) 87:
That crabbit phisog o' yours wad spean a foal.

(3) used pass.: to be weaned (Ags., Per. 1971). Ppl.adj. speaning, in the process of being weaned.Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Journal 29:
As wanton as a spenin lamb.Abd. c.1770 Garland of Bon-Accord (1886) 32:
And tho' he was near fourscore Lap like a spainin' lamb.m.Sc. 1827 A. Rodger Peter Cornclips 156:
Sae lang we've been nurst on't we hardly can spean.wm.Sc. 1854 Laird of Logan 50:
I am ower auld a bairn to spean now.Lnk. 1895 W. Stewart Lilts 125:
'Tween goo-gooin' to the wean, an' the thocht whan he wad spean.

2. Fig. usages, as in Eng., with from or o(f) (Sc. 1880 Jam.): to draw (one) away from or cause (one) to give up a habit, notion, or the like (ne.Sc., em.Sc.(a), Lnk. 1971); to separate, to part from. Vbl.n. spennan, separation.Edb. 1788 J. Macaulay Poems 126:
His kin a' join'd to rive him frae my arms, An' spane his min' frae thinking o' my charms.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 12:
The sinfu' bodies o' the Elie Were spain'd frae image-worship hailly.Per. a.1893 Harp. Per. (Ford) 284:
A' fechtin' like cats wha'll get Tam for gudeman, An' wad spean me frae courtin' ava'.Lnk. 1923 G. Rae Lowland Hills 31:
Oh, the dool o' bygane spennan'! Far frae Jethart's glen sae dear.Abd. 1929 J. Milne Dreams o' Buchan 19:
His mither canna spen' him fae the ringie an' the kype.Ags. 1945 S. A. Duncan Chronicles Mary Ann 11:
It wud spane ye o' bein' obligin', I can tell ye.