▪ I. lown, a., n., and adv. Sc. and north. dial.
(laʊn)
Forms: 5–7 lowne, 6 louin, loun, 7–8 lownd, 8 lowen, 9 lowan, lound, 6– lown.
[a. ON. *lugn (u stem; Icel. lygn adj., logn neut. n., MSw. lughn, Sw. lugn, Da. luun adj. and n.). The derived lown v. occurs earlier.]
A. adj.
1. a. Of the weather, water, a locality: Calm, quiet, still, unruffled.
| c 1450 Holland Howlat 18 The land lowne was and le, with lyking and luf. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. vii. (Lion & Mouse) xxxviii, The fair forest with leuis lowne and lie. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. viii. 60 Within the havin goith loune. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. Proheme to Cosmogr. 11 In weddir louin and maist tempestius haill, But ony dreid, I beir ane equall saill. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis 156 Then sett he to, with saill and ayre, To seik some lowner harbore thayre. 1584 Hudson Du Bartas' Judith i. (1608) 19 The variant winde is still and lowne. 1683 G. Meriton Yorks. Dialogue 346 How comes thy Clathes seay flurr'd, Barne, this Lownd day? 1826 J. Wilson Noct. Ambr. Wks. 1855 I. 118 Ye may hear him, on a lown day, at every farm house in the village. 1894 Crockett Raiders 221 The wind came..in lown-warm puffs. |
b. Of persons, their actions, circumstances, demeanour, talk, etc.: Calm, gentle, quiet, silent, soft, still.
| 1714 Ramsay Elegy John Cowper ix, To keep a' things hush and lown. 1768 Ross Helenore (1789) 92 My lad, my counsel's ye be lown. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxiv, Sir Richard..had a fair offspring o' his ain, and a' was lound and quiet till his head was laid in the ground. 1823 J. Wilson Trials Marg. Lyndsay xxxiii. 270 But do you think your brother will like Nether-Place? It will be oure lown for him. 1827 ― Noct. Ambr. Wks. 1855 I. 277 You'll keep a lowner sugh or you get halfway from Dalnacarnoch. |
2. Sheltered; cozy, snug.
| 1728 Ramsay Ram & Buck 6 And drave them frae the lowner bield, To crop contented frozen fare. 1867 N. Macleod Starling i, Turnips and stubble are no' to be compared wi'..the win'y taps o' the hills, or the lown glens. |
B. n. [= Icel. logn.] Quiet, calm, stillness, tranquillity; also, shelter.
| 1787 Grose Prov. Gloss., Lun, or Lewe, under cover, or shelter. Under the lun or lewe of a hedge. W. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. vi. ii. (1849) 257 To hear the far-off Kirk-bell ringing shrilly in the lown of a Sunday morning. 1880 Watt Poet. Sketches 60 (E.D.D.) Oor bit hoosie that stood i' the lown o' the shaw. |
C. adv. Quietly, softly.
| 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. 24125 Befoir the wynd thai saillit lone and still. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xlii, For God's sake, speak lound and low. |
▪ II. lown, v. Sc. and north. dial.
(laʊn)
Also 5 llown, 9 lownd.
[f. lown a.]
1. a. intr. To become calm, to calm; also with down. † b. trans. To make calm, to lull. Obs.
| c 1400 Sc. Trojan War (Horstm.) ii. 1012 The see⁓tempestes llownyt not. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. ii. 5 Eftir the wyndis lownit war at will. Ibid. x. ii. 113 The wyndis eik thar blastis lownit sone. 1737 Ramsay Sc. Prov. (1797) 24 Blaw the wind ne'er so fast it will lown at the last. 1894 R. W. Reid Poems 59 The win' was lownin' doon. |
2. To shelter.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xv. 276 And a myle was betuix the seis, And that wes lownyt all with treis. 1802 Coleridge Lett. 26 Aug. (1895) 400, I was sheltered (in the phrase of the country, lownded) in a sort of natural porch on the summit of Sca Fell. |
Hence lowned (lownit) ppl. a., calmed, still.
| 1513 Douglas æneis v. iv. 107 Scherand the lownit air, [scho] Doun from the hycht discendis soft and fair. |
▪ III. lown(e
variant of loon n.1