Chiefly Sc. and north. Forms: 3, 6 strond, strund, 4 stronde, 3– strand. [App. connected with STRIND2, though the phonological relation is obscure.
The first quot. is from a work belonging to a group of writings (the ‘Katharine group’), which show a curious mixture of midland and even northern forms with their markedly southern dialect. (The regular Southern form strund occurs in the same text.) Otherwise the word is purely northern, exc. for its occurrence in the Wyclif Bible and in Wyclif’s sermons, and once in Spenser (who may have imitated Douglas).]
† 1. A stream, brook, rivulet; transf. a stream (of blood, etc.). Obs.
a. 1240. Ureisun, in Lamb. Hom., 189. Þe ilke fif wallen þet of þi blisfulle bodi sprungen and strike dun strondes [Cotton MS. Ibid. p. 202 strundes] of blode.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1033. In middes þat land a welle springes, Þat rennes out wit four strandes.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cix. 8. De torrente in via bibit … Of þe strand in way he drank.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 140. He dide him forþ to flod þat phison is called,… From perlese paradis passeþ þe stronde.
1357. Lay Folks Catech. (Lamb. MS.), 192. Our lady was ful of grace as a stronde ful of watyr.
1388. Wyclif, Num. xiii. 24. Thei ȝeden til to the stronde of clustre [1382 the rennynge watir of the clustre]. Ibid., Deut. ix. 21. Y … castide [it] forth in to the stronde [1382 streem], that cam doun fro the hil.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 5280. Was neuir na cristall so clere as was þa clere strandis. Ibid., 4202, 5507.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 975. A litill strand he fand, that ran hym by.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 4038. The strandis of blude ran throuch the stretis.
1595. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 92/1. Ane strand and rynner of watter that flowis furthe of the said wall.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., VI. 255. In all the bounds of Arabia Deserta … there is no such matter, as Brooke, or strand, much lesse a Riuer.
1650. Sc. Psalms lxxxiii. 9. Do to them as to Midian, Jabin at Kison strand.
1722. W. Hamilton, Wallace, 247. A Strand of Water running by.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, I. xxv. He pass’d the Peel of Goldiland, And cross’d old Borthwick’s roaring strand.
1809. Donaldson, Poems, 39. Ye wives lament … Let tears rin like the Keppin stran’.
1901. Gallovidian, III. 74/1. [The sweat] wus rinnin’ frae their neb-en’s in strauns.
fig. a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xvii. 5. Þe strandis of wickidnes [Vulg. torrentes iniquitatis] has drouyd me.
c. 1375. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 255. And al þis is a stronde of love, þat stronger may no love be. For where is welle of more love, than [etc.].
attrib. 1587. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 469/1. Rex … concessit … 2/16 partes terrarum … haben. ex australi antiquos muros petarum Jo. Purdie ad lie Strandheid.
¶ 2. Used by Douglas and Spenser for: The sea, a sheet of water.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. iv. 5. Eneas and his feris, on the strand Wery and forwrocht, sped tham to the nerrast land.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. vi. 19. By this time was the worthy Guyon brought Vnto the other side of that wide strond, Where she was rowing.
3. Sc. A channel, gutter.
1565. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 387. Canalem, vulgariter ane strand vel a syk.
1721. Ramsay, Rise & Fall of Stocks, 90. Children … In summer dam up little strands, Collect the drizzle to a pool.
1810. Sir A. Boswell, Edin., Poet. Wks. (1871), 53. There in the dirty current of the strand, Boys drop the rival corks.
1903. J. Lumsden, Toorle, I. iii. 14.
| Div ye no’ see ye scaur the vera deuks, | |
| That plouter i’ the strands alang the street? |
Comb. 1822. Scott, Nigel, xv. He has three bairns, they say: they will help him bravely to grope in the gutters. Your good lordship may have the ruining of him again, my Lord, if they have any luck in strand-scouring.
