▪ I. syne, adv. (conj.) Sc. and north. dial.
(saɪn)
Forms: 4 seine, syn, 4–6 (9) sine, 5 seyn(e, syen(e, syon, (8–9 saan), 4– syne.
[Contracted form of ME. sethen, sithen, perh. influenced by ON. s{iacu}ðan; cf. hyne, thyne, whyne for hethen, thethen, whethen. The northern-English spellings with -ei- (-ey-), riming with ī, are common to all four words; their phonological significance is obscure. See also the corresponding form with shortened vowel, sin adv.; cf. sen adv. and sene adv.]
1. Directly or next after that; at the next moment; immediately afterwards; then, thereupon; = since A. 1. (Occas. strengthened by after.)
| 13.. Gosp. Nicodemus 1069 (Galba MS.) In aramathi he set me seine [rimes hein, fein]. 1375 Barbour Bruce xi. 216 Valtir, steward of scotland syne, That than wes bot ane berdlas hyne, Com vith a rout of nobill men. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) i. 4 Þan men passez thurgh þe land of Pynceras.. and seyne to þe citee of Bradrenople and seyne [ed. 1839 aftre] to þe citee of Constantynople. c 1400 Song Roland 826 All the cursed men to mahoun criene, ledes them on the lond, hold to-gedur seyne. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iii. ix. 1085 And there it wes syne mony day. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 87 First to lofe, and syne to lak, Peter ! it is schame. 1513 Douglas æneis i. ix. 78 My fader..The riche realme of Cyper waistit by weir, And wan it syne. 1561 Winȝet Four Scoir Thre Quest. xlvi. Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 106 Be reconcilit with thi brother, and syne cum and offir thi gift. a 1568 Wyfe of Auchtermuchty 47 (Bann. MS.) And the gudman raiss eftir syne. a 1585 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 515 First spye baith, syne try baith. 1681 S. Colvil Whigs Supplic. (1751) 37 He empties all the water, syne He fills the place with brandy-wine. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) I. 28 He first speer'd at the guidman, And syne at Giles the mither. 1785 Burns Holy Fair xxiv, In comes a gaucie, gash Guidwife, An' sits down by the fire, Syne draws her kebbuck an' her knife. 1826 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes Scotl. (1870) 283 Jethart justice—first hang a man, and syne judge him. 1891 Morris Poems by Way, Son's Sorrow 146 Three sons my true-love bore me there, And syne she died who was so dear. 1902 Buchan Watcher by the Threshold 247 Syne he rebuked her coldness. |
† b. (with prospective reference): Directly after this, immediately, presently. Obs.
| c 1420 Sir Amadace (Camden) xviii, Go, loke thou diȝte oure soper syne. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxx. 534 Nay, tary not so we get ado syne. |
c. (in reference to serial order generally): In the next place, next, further, moreover: = then 3 b.
| c 1400 Rule St. Benet (verse) 565 And syen our neghburs sal we luf. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 2 And syne efter sall folowe the principale parties of the buke. c 1550 Rolland Crt. Venus iv. 653 And sine the drink it was sa delicious. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 4 First to pleis god and syne our nobill king. |
2. At a later time, afterwards, subsequently; esp. in phr. soon or syne, sooner or later.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 450–1 Bot syne our lord sic grace thaim sent, That thai syne, throw thar gret walour, Come till gret hycht & till honour. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xii. 198 Abyde vnto syne. c 1587 Montgomerie Sonn. xx. 8 He recompencis, as ȝe play your pairts, Once, soon or syne. a 1600 Hooker Serm. Nat. Pride iii. Wks. 1888 III. 627 As verily as God is just, his justice will show itself upon them soon or sine. 1678 Hist. Indulgence Ep. to Rdr., Soon or syne he shall be put to it. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace 318 Each Rogue..Shall be discov'red soon or syne. 1854 Mrs. Oliphant Magd. Hepburn i. I. 19 His fate..waits for him soon or syne. 1899 Crockett Kit Kennedy vii, We may as well get it over soon as syne! |
3. Since that time, since then: = since A. 2.
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) iv. 13 Seyne hiderward myght na knyght see hir. 1513 Douglas æneis i. ix. 79 Evir syne of Troye..The destructioun hes bene wele knawin to me. Ibid. ii. xi. 99 Neuir syne with ene saw I hir eft. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xlii, I hae seen it mysel mony a day syne. 1854 Thackeray Rose & Ring xii, Marry, indeed am I, my gracious liege—the poor Lord Spinachi, once—the humble woodman these fifteen years syne. |
4. (So long) before now; ago: = since A. 4. See also langsyne.
| [14.. R. Glouc. Chron. (Rolls) 52 (MS. β) Ȝit is nouȝt longe syne.] 1573 Tyrie Refut. in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.) 18 It was Hierusalem ane thousand and fyve hundreth yeir syne. c 1620 A. Hume Brit. Tongue Ded. (1865) i, I..set my-selfe, about a yeer syne, to seek a remedie. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 28 [He] had Luath ca'd him, After some dog in Highland sang, Was made lang syne. 1788 W. H. Marshall Yorksh. II. 349 ‘Hoo lang saan?’ ‘A year saan.’ 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. v, Ye said a gliff syne it was quivis, and now I heard ye say cuivis with my ain ears. 1871 C. Gibbon Lack of Gold xii, He was here a minute syne. |
† B. conj. = since B. 4. Obs. rare.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 1864 (Dubl. MS.) A sot I hym halde, Þat ay hase dene & dispyte of dedes of lityll, Syon [Ashm. MS. Sen] oft þe haslokst her is heuen to þe sternes. c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 181 Eternaile God, quhy suld I thus wayis de; Syne my beleiff all haile remanys in the? |
▪ II. syne
obs. f. sin, sign; var. sind.