What it means
A wean is a child, usually a wee kid, and it’s as everyday as rain on a Saturday. It comes from Scots “wee ane” meaning “wee one”, and you’ll hear it from grannies, parents, and anyone having to herd a gaggle of bairns. It can be affectionate, or mildly frazzled, depending on the volume.
Usage examples
"I’ve had the wean all day and he’s pure hyper, running about the close like a rocket, then greeting when it’s bedtime. Help us."
"The weans are running riot in the back garden again, I cannae hear myself think."
"She had three weans before she was twenty-five and still found time to study at night."
Where it comes from
Contraction of Scots "wee ane", meaning "wee one" or little one. The shift from "wee ane" to "wean" mirrors how Scots routinely fuses adjective and noun into a single tight word. Documented in print from the 18th century and still the default term for child in working-class Glasgow and beyond.
Other ways to say it
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