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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FAIMILY, n. Also faimly, faimley, faimlay, femaly, femily, femlie. Gen.Sc. forms of Eng. family. [′fem(ə)lɪ, ′fɛm-]Sc. 1690 Nairne Peerage Evid. (1873) 27:
The heirs of the femaly of Nairne.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb vii.:
Oot o' three hunner heids o' faimilies, . . . nae less nor twa hunner an' sixty-one protestit.Uls. 1879 W. G. Lyttle Readings by Robin 61:
They beetled champ wae it in my femily for sayven generations back.Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick i.:
Sae what does Pate dae but lift his lines an' tak the gait doun the brae, an' his haill faimily wi' him.Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo 110:
But yin has to consider weys and means wi' a young faim'ly and a sma' wage.Lth. 1925 C. P. Slater Marget Pow 15:
It's the fashion in high faimlies appearingly.Ork. 1952 R. T. Johnston Stenwick Days (1984) 25:
" ... Thoo forced him tae leave Orkney, an' emeegrett tae Austrellia, an' he hid a gey herd time o'd workin' in the mines an' herdly makkin' enough tae bring up his femly. ... " wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 9:
See, yince hame Ah'm no' happy in masel'
Until Ah ken that a' the faimily's well. Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 24:
I wis biding at 19 Ferries Crescent at this time. There were a faimily of lassies bade ben the hoose frae us and they were aa very nice, hard-working girls and every een of them wis a filleter. Edb. 1995 Irvine Welsh Marabou Stork Nightmares (1996) 151:
JOHN STRANG'S MA NAME! FUCK YIS AW, YA CUNTS! ANY BASTARD IN THIS FUCKIN SCHEME'S GOAT ANYTHING TAE SAY TAE ME OR MA FAIMLAY, YIS KIN SAY IT TAE MA FUCKIN FACE! em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 248:
' ... Ye're a loner, ye dae yer ain thing, ye dinna hae a telephone let alane ten numbers on the BT freens and fuckin faimly scheme ... '