aiblins
English
Alternative forms
- ablins
- ablings
Etymology
From able + -lings.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈeɪ.blɪnz/
Adverb
aiblins (not comparable)
- (Scotland, Northern England) Perhaps, maybe. [Early 17th century.][1]
- 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, II.1:
- ‘I'll no say but she may aiblins hae been his honour's Squire Thorncliff's in her day–but she's mine now.’
- 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, II.1:
References
- “aiblins” in Lesley Brown, editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 5.
Scots
Etymology
able + -lins
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈeblɪnz], [ˈjɛblɪnz], [ˈjɪblɪnz]
Adverb
aiblins (not comparable)
- perhaps