Sc. and north. dial. 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. sb., MSw. lughn, Sw. lugn, Da. luun adj. and sb.). 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 puifs.
b. Of persons, their actions, circumstances, demeanor, 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. Ibid. (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. sb. [= 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.
