north. and Sc. Also 4 spone, 5–7 spayn, 6, 8–9 spain, 9 spaan, span. See also SPEAN v. [ad. OF. espanir or MDu. and MLG. spanen (MLG. also sponen), app. related to OE. spana, spona, G. dial. span, teat: cf. SPEAN sb.]
1. trans. To wean (an infant, lamb, etc.). Also fig. and in fig. context.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3018. Quen he [Isaac] was spaned [Fairf. sponed] fra þe pap, His fader … made a fest.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter cxxx. 4. As a childe þat has nede to be on his modur kne and fostird wiþ hur mylke perisch if he be wenyd [v.r. spaned] & takyn fro mylke.
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 107. A womman when sho will spane hur child.
1483. Cath. Angl., 351/1. To Spayn (A. Spane), ablactare.
1509. in Mem. Fountains (Surtees), 235. xl yews with their lames to [= until] they be spaned.
1549. D. Monro, in Macfarlane’s Geogr. Collect. (S.H.S.), III. 293. The Lambes of that end of the countrey uses to be fed, and spained fra the ȝowes.
1570. Levins, Manip., 19. To spane, weane, ablactare, depellere.
1653. in A. Laing, Lindores Abbey (1876), 224. Theirafter the chyld was spayned.
1674. Ray, N. Co. Words, 44. To Spane a Child; to wean it. [Hence in Bailey and later Dicts.]
1781–. in various northern and Sc. dial. glossaries and texts.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 12. The sinfu’ bodies o’ the Elie Were spain’d frae image-worship hailly.
1896. E. Hamilton, in Pall Mall Mag., April, 515. To help the old shepherd in ‘spaning’ the lambs.
† b. Sc. To suspend, as a punishment. Obs.
1516. [see the vbl. sb.].
1529. Extr. Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1871), 5. To … spane thame fra the operatione for yer and day.
2. intr. Of corn: To begin to take root and cast off the seed.
Cf. WFlem. spanen, spenen, spennen, to set (of fruit).
[1828. Carr, Craven Gloss., Corn is said to be in spane or spaan, when it just begins to shoot its roots or to detach itself from the parent grain.]
1843. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., IV. I. 186. That state of transition, in which it cannot be said whether it derives its food from the seed, the soil, or the atmosphere (the state in which it is commonly said to be ‘spaining’).
1863. Mrs. Toogood, Yorksh. Dial. (MS.), The corn is looking yellow; it is just beginning to spane.
Hence Spaned ppl. a. Also † Spaneling, a weaned pig or other animal.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxv. 24. My new spanit howffing fra the sowk.
1560. Knaresb. Wills (Surtees), I. 86. A spaned calf.
1563. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 210. xiij spaned calves. Ibid. (1577), 417. ij sues, iiijor spainlings, & one boare.
1894. P. H. Hunter, James Inwick, xx. 251. I’ll süne hae to stay my stamack wi’ sappy meat, like a spained wean.
