Thran. 23rd of October, 2018 POST·MERIDIEM 11:53

Thran /θræn/ (th of thin, rest of the word as in ‘ran’) is a word used in this part of the world to mean “stubborn, obstinate.” This little vignette on Reddit, about the roads I drive to do my grocery shopping, prompted me to look it up. To my surprise it’s not in the second edition of the OED, but from the Scots dictionaries it is likely the same word as ‘thra,’ which is. For your edification, here is the OED2 entry.

† thro, thra, a.¹ (adv.) Obs. Forms: 3­4 Þra, (5­7 Sc.) thra, 4­5 Þro, thro, throo (5 throe).
[ME. a. ON. Þrá-r ‘stubborn, obstinate, unyielding, refractory, persistent, zealous, eager, keen’, adj. cognate with Þrá n.: see prec.]
1. Stubborn, obstinate, persistent; reluctant to give way, or accede to a request.
(The spelling throw in quot. c 1500 is app. due to confusion with other words.)
a1300 Cursor M. 5803 (Cott.) King pharaon..es ful thra [Trin. Þro], Lath sal him think to let Þam ga.
13.. Ibid. 28092 (Cott.) Vn-buxum haf i bene, and thra A-gayn my gastly fader al-sa.
c1400 Destr. Troy 5246 þat were Þro men in threpe, & thre-tyms mo.
?a1500 Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.) II. 11 In this place, be you never so throe, Shall you no longer dwell.
c1500 Smyth & his Dame 317 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 213 Be thov neuer so throw, I shal amende the sonne, I trow.
c1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) xiii. 31 Than be not thra ȝour scherwand to confort.
1603 Philotus xl, Scho is sa ackwart and sa thra, That with refuse I come hir fra.
b. Of a corpse: Stiff, rigid.
a1400­50 Alexander 4452 Graffis garnyscht of gold & gilten tombis Thurghis to thrawyn in quen ȝe Þraa worthe.
2. Stubborn in fight, sturdy, bold; fierce. Also fig.
c1320 Sir Tristr. 777 þei Þou be Þro, Lat mo men wiÞ Þe ride On rowe.
?a1400 Morte Arth. 3757 They..thristis to Þe erthe Of the thraeste mene thre hundrethe.
c1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 3570 Thir wordes herd the knyghtes twa, It made tham forto be mor thra.
c1400 Destr. Troy 6422 Merion..With Þre thousaund Þro men Þrong hym vnto.
Ibid. 6446, 6462, etc.
c1470 Henry Wallace ix. 846 Wallace with him had fourty archarys thra.
1513 Douglas Æneis viii. xii. 128 And Gelones, thai pepill of Sithya, In archery the quhilk ar wonder thra.
1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) I. 250 The Albionis, thocht tha war neuir sa thra, Out of the feild on force wer maid to ga.
3. Angry, wroth, furious, violent.
13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 344 Anger gaynez Þe not a cresse, Who nedez schal Þole be not so Þro.
c1375 Sc. Leg. Saints ii. (Paulus) 504 As he, Þat firste wes cristis fa, And in thra will his men can sla.
c1380 Sir Ferumb. 3968 Wan Þay come to Þe dupe Ryuer, þat wilde was & thro, Entrye Þanne ne darst hy noȝt.
c1400 Destr. Troy 147 He bethought hym full thicke in his throo hert.
c1440 Bone Flor. 2075 Sche dyd me oonys an evyll dede, My harte was wondur throo.
c1475 Sqr. Lowe Degre 1017 With egre mode, and herte full throwe, The stewardes throte he cut in two.
4. Keen, eager, zealous, earnest.
a1300 Cursor M. 14392 (Cott.) Ful deueli war Þai Iuus thra þair blisced lauerd for to sla.
c1320 Sir Tristr. 615 Rohand was ful Þra Of tristrem for to frain.
c1350 Will Palerne 3264 þre M. of men Þat Þro were to fiȝt.
1400 Destr. Troy 470 Mony thoughtes full thro thrange in hir brest.
c1425 Wyntoun Cron. v. vi. 1198 Sancte Gregor..Made special and thra oryson Þat God walde grant his saule to be..fre.
?a1500 Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.) 451 Falsehed to further he was euer throe.
[1775 John Watson Hist. Halifax 547 A person is said to be thro about any thing, who is very keen or intent about it.]
b. fig. Of a thing: Ready, apt, disposed.
a1425 Cursor M. 16560 (Trin.) þei..cut Þis tre in two..What Þei wolde Þerof shape: þerto hit was ful Þro.
B. adv. Obstinately; vigorously; boldly.
a1425 Cursor M. 5997 (Trin.) ȝitt Þe kyng hem helde ful Þro For wolde he not lete hem go.
c1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 6032 Oxen twenty and twa War drawand Þis bell full thra.
c1470 Golagros & Gaw. 60 The berne bovnit to the burgh..and thrang in full thra.