What it means
Means “don’t” in Scots, the everyday way to tell someone not to do something, from din plus nae. You’ll hear it in quick warnings and friendly advice alike: dinnae touch that, dinnae bother, dinnae fash yersel. Depending on your tone it can be pure caring or pure telling-off. Classic bit of Scots that somehow sounds better the louder it’s said.
Usage examples
"Dinnae bother phoning him the night, he’s away up the road at the pub, and you’ll just get his da on the line."
"Dinnae touch the cooker, it's still red hot from the dinner."
"Dinnae worry yourself about it, we'll sort the whole thing in the morning."
Where it comes from
Plain Scots, built from din and nae, the old negative that turns do into do not. It sits in the same family as cannae and willnae, the everyday Scots way of saying no to something, and it has stuck around far longer than many a textbook English form.
Editors of this term
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