Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A Scotch form (properly two words) of would no—that is, would not.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word wadna.

Examples

  • No. You ken fine your man or yoursel 'wadna' hae the name o 'stealin'.

    The Underworld The Story of Robert Sinclair, Miner James C. Welsh

  • Ye suld munt up a muckle square of canvass, like Dick Tinto, and paint folks ainsells, that they like muckle better to see than ony craig in the haill water; and I wadna muckle objeck even to some of the Wallers coming up and sitting to ye.

    Saint Ronan's Well 2008

  • “He just said he wadna come back,” said the man, with the caution of a prudent Scotchman, who cared not to be the bearer of an unpleasant errand.

    The Bride of Lammermoor 2008

  • “I wadna just presume to recommend our ale,” said Caleb;

    The Bride of Lammermoor 2008

  • Abbey — ye wadna hae me tell the gentleman a lee? and ye ken weel eneugh there is naebody in the town can say a reasonable word about it, be it no yoursell, except the bedral, and he is as fou as a piper by this time.

    The Monastery 2008

  • My ladyship did choose rather to look at the fine tree before me than to pass it by in hopes of a finer; so we walked beside the carriage till we should come to a point, from which, Donald assured us, we might, without scrambling, go as near the tree as we chose, “though he wadna advise us to go nearer than the highroad.”

    Chronicles of the Canongate 2008

  • “That was very natural,” said Tibb; “but ye hae sobered since that, or ye wadna haud our braw gallants sae lightly.”

    The Monastery 2008

  • Johnny Drottle turned up his nose, and wadna hae aught to say to me!

    The Heart of Mid-Lothian 2007

  • God knows, that in my sober mind, I wadna wuss ony living creature to do a wrang thing to save my life.

    The Heart of Mid-Lothian 2007

  • Or what think ye of the brave and worthy champions of the Covenant, that wadna sae muckle as hear a minister speak, be his gifts and graces as they would, that hadna witnessed against the enormities of the day?

    The Heart of Mid-Lothian 2007

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.