Glossary
Ablach—insignificant person.
Aivrins—cloudberry.
Ajee—to one side.
Antrin—occasional.
Arles—earnest given in striking a bargain.
Asklent—askance.
Awat—I wot.
Awin’—owing.
Baillie—alderman; baillie (water)—bailiff; baillie (in the byre)—cattle-man.
Ballants—ballads.
Bane—bone.
Banster—one who binds the sheaves.
Barkit—encrusted with dirt.
Bauldrins—cat.
Bawd—hare.
Beet to—had to.
Beets—boots.
Begood—began.
Bents—hilly ground on which coarse grass grows.
Besom shaft—broom handle.
Bield—shelter.
Biggin’—building.
Bike—hive.
Birk—birch.
Birlin’—whirring.
Birn—burden.
Birr—whirr.
Birse—bristles.
Birselt, birslin’—scorched, scorching.
Bishop—to beat down earth or stones.
Blate—bashful.
Bluffert—blast of wind.
Bonnet-laird—yeoman.
Bool—bowl, marble.
Boss—hollow.
Bothy—cottage where farm servants are lodged.
Bourtree—elder.
Braxy—sheep that has died a natural death.
Break—hollow in a hill.
Breet—brute.
Brochan—oatmeal boiled thicker than gruel.
Brulzie—brawl.
“Buchan”—Buchan’s “Domestic Medicine.”
Buirdly—stalwart.
But-an’-ben—cottage divided into two apartments.
Byous—exceedingly, out of the common.
Cadger—hawker.
Caird—travelling tinker.
Cairtin’—playing cards.
Caller—cool, refreshing.
Cannas—-canvas.
Canny—safe, prudent, judicious.
Cantrip—mischievous trick.
Carlie—little old man.
Cauldrife—causing the sensation of cold.
Caup—turned wooden bowl.
Cauper—maker of caups, wood-turner.
Caur—calves.
Causey—causeway.
Caw—to drive.
Chappin’—knocking.
Chappit—struck (the clock “chappit”); chappit kail—mashed or bruised colewort.
Chaumers—chambers.
Clachan—hamlet.
Claik—gossip.
Clash—gossip.
Clawed the caup—cleaned the dish. As a punishment the person last to get up in the morning had to clean the common bowl.
Cleadin’—clothing.
Cleekit shalt—pony suffering from string-halt.
Clinkin’—mending by rivetting.
Clockin’—brooding.
Clorty—dirty, sticky.
Closs—enclosure, passage.
Cloutie—small cloth.
Clouts—mends, patches.
Cogue—wooden milking pail.
Connached—abused, wasted, destroyed.
Coof—coward.
Core—company, corps.
Corp—corpse.
Coup—to exchange.
Couthy—affable, kindly.
Covin-tree—trysting-tree, large tree in front of the mansion house where visitors were received.
Cowe—twig of a shrub or bush.
Cowshus—cautious.
Cowt—colt.
Crack—to chat.
Craft—small farm.
Craggins—jars.
Creel—basket.
Creepie—low stool.
Creesh—fat, grease.
Crouse—brisk, lively, bold.
Crowdy—meal and water mixed cold.
Cruisie—ancient oil lamp.
Cuisy—cast, threw.
Cuitikins—gaiters.
Cushie doo—wood pigeon.
Dambrod—draught board.
Daundrin’—strolling.
Daw—dawn.
Dibble—to plant in a small hole.
Dicht—to clean, to wipe up.
Ding—to overcome, to excel.
Dirl—tingle.
Dirlin’—vibrating.
Displenish—to disfurnish, sale of furniture of any sort.
Divot—turf.
Doddit—without horns.
Doit—a small copper coin.
Dool—woe.
Dozin—in a benumbed state.
Dreep—drip, empty to the last drop.
Dregie—refreshment given at a funeral.
Drift—driving or driven snow.
Drooth—drought, thirst.
Dryster—man who dries the grain before grinding.
Dubs, dubby—mud, muddy.
Dunt—bang, sound caused by the fall of a hard body.
Dwinin’—pining.
Easin’—eaves.
Eident—diligent.
Eild—old age.
Elbuck—elbow.
Ell-wan’—yardstick.
Elshin—shoemaker’s awl.
Ettlin’—aiming.
Excamb—to exchange one piece of ground for another.
Fa’—fall, fate (black be his fa’).
Fae—from.
Faes—foes.
Faugh—fallow land, “Farmers faugh gars lairds lauch”—old Scottish proverb.
Fauld—fold.
Faured—favoured.
Feal dyke—wall built of sods.
Fell—kill, deadly.
Ferlie—oddity, wonder.
Fiars—prices of grain legally fixed for the year.
Fient, fient haet—not a bit, the Devil a bit.
Fiersday—Thursday.
Firehoose—dwelling house.
Firry—resinous.
Fittit—footed.
Flaffin’—flapping.
Flan—gust of wind.
Flate—scolded.
Fleech—flatter.
Fleems—fleam, lancet.
Fleerish, flint and—flint and steel.
Fleg—frighten.
Fleyed—frightened.
Flyte—scold.
Forenicht—interval between twilight and bedtime.
Forfochen—exhausted.
Fou—stone crop, saxifrage.
Fremt—strange, foreign.
Fret—superstition.
Futt’rat—weasel.
Fyou—few.
Gaberlunzie—beggar.
Gale—gable.
Galshochs—kickshaws.
Gangrel—wanderer.
Gantin’—yawning.
Gean—cherry.
Gey, gey often—considerably, pretty often.
Girn—snare.
Girnal—meal chest.
Girse—grass.
Gizzened—parched.
Glammoch—eager grasp.
Glaur—mire.
Gled, gleed—kite.
Goupin’—staring.
Graith—accoutrements, harness.
Grat, greetin’—cried, crying.
Grauvit—cravat.
Grease—disease affecting horses’ legs.
Greybeard—earthenware bottle.
Grieve—farm overseer.
Grippy—stingy.
Grumlie—grumbling.
Guff—smell.
“Gweed words”—prayers.
Hacks—chaps, the effect of severe cold.
Hag—lesser branches of trees.
Hained—saved, not wasted.
Halflin—half-grown man.
Hame-drauchted—selfish, greedy.
Hamewith—homewards.
Hanks—skeins.
Hantle—much.
Happit—covered.
Harlin’—rough casting.
Harns—brains.
Harp (a mason’s)—wire screen for cleaning sand or gravel.
Hauddin’—holding, house.
Haugh—alluvial ground beside a river.
Hauld—stronghold.
Heeze—heave.
Hine awa’—far away.
Hingin’—hanging.
Hint o’ Hairst—end of harvest.
Hoast—cough.
Hod—hid.
Hodden grey—cloth the natural colour of the wool.
Horn-en’—best room in a two-roomed cottage.
Houkin’—digging.
Hoven—swollen, blown out.
Howe—hollow, valley.
Hummel—without horns.
Hunker—to squat down.
Income—ailment the cause of which is unknown.
Jaud—jade.
Jot—job, occasional work.
Jow—toll of a bell.
Kail—colewort.
Kavils—lots.
Kebbuck—cheese.
Keel—ruddle, chalk.
Kimmer—wife.
Kintra—country.
Kirn—churn.
Kist—box, coffin.
Kittyneddie—sandpiper.
Kye—cows.
Kyte—belly.
Lade—mill race.
Laich—low.
Lair—burying plot, bed.
Laith—loth.
Lampin’—taking long steps.
Lane—alone; his lane, by himself.
Lapbuird—lapboard.
Lapstane—stone on which a shoe-maker beats his leather.
Larick—larch.
Lave—the rest, the remainder.
Lay (turning)—lathe.
Leefu’ lane—all alone.
Leems—implements.
Lettergae—one who gives out the line, the precentor.
Lettrin—precentor’s desk.
Leuch—laughed.
Liftward—skywards.
Limmer—worthless woman.
Lint-pot—pool where lint is washed.
Lippens—entrusts.
Loan, loanin’—piece of uncultivated land about a homestead.
Loupin’—leaping.
Lowse—make loose.
Lozen—pane of glass.
Lum—chimney.
Lythe—-shelter, lea side.
Marrow—match, equal.
Mart—ox killed at Martinmas for winter use.
Mawkin—hare.
Mear—mare.
Mint—aim, intention.
Mirk—darkness.
Mith—might.
Muggins—boot hose.
Monyfaulds—entrails, the part which consists of many folds.
Moss—moor where peats are dug.
Mou’—mouth.
Moulter—multure.
Mouter—multure, miller’s fee.
Mull, snuff mull—box, snuff box.
Mutch—head-dress for a woman.
Mutchkin—liquid measure.
Nearhan’—nearly.
Neeps—turnips.
Neive—fist.
Newlins—newly.
Nick—notch.
Nickum—mischievous boy.
Niffer—to barter.
Nott—needed, required.
Nowt—nolt, neat cattle.
O’ercome—burden.
Oes—grand-children.
Ongauns—goings-on.
Ooks, ouks—weeks.
Oonchancie—uncanny.
Oonfashed—untroubled,
Oxter—arm-pit.
Panged—crammed.
Partan—common sea crab.
Pass—passage.
Pech—to pant, to labour in breathing.
Peer—match, equal.
Peerman—holder for fir candle.
Pig—pitcher.
Pirn—reel.
Plisky—mischievous trick.
Ploy—frolic.
Pock—bag.
Pooch—to pocket.
Pow—poll, head.
Pree’d—tasted.
Preen—pin.
Prob—to pierce.
Puckle—small quantity.
Quaich—drinking cup with two handles.
Queel—to cool.
Queet—ankle.
Quern—stone hand-mill.
Queyn—quean, young woman.
Quirky—tricky.
Rant—quick lively tune.
Rantree—rowan tree, mountain ash.
Rape—rope, especially one made of straw.
Rax—to stretch.
Ream—cream.
Redd up—to clear up.
Reed—rood by measurement,
Reek—smoke.
Reemish—weighty stroke or blow.
Reeshlin’—rustling.
Reets—roots.
Reist—to bank up a fire.
Rifted—belched.
Riggin’—ridge, roof.
Roch—rough.
Rockins—evening gatherings for work and gossip.
Roddens—rowans.
Roup—sale by auction.
Roupy—hoarse.
Routh—plenty.
Rotund—rolled, wrapped,
Ruck—rick, stack.
Ruggin’—pulling.
Rung—heavy staff.
Runt—withered hag.
St. Sairs—market in Aberdeenshire.
Sappy—moist, full of juice.
Saugh—willow.
Scob—to put in splints.
Scouk—evil look.
Scrat—scratch.
Scrunt—stunted in growth.
Scunner—loathing, to disgust.
Seggit—sagged, sunk down.
Seggs—yellow flower-de-luce or iris.
Set—rented.
Seyed—put through a sieve.
Shaltie—pony.
Shank—to knit, knitting.
Shee—shoe.
Shoon—shoes.
Shortsome—amusing, causing the time to seem short.
Shue—sew.
Siccan—such.
Sids—corn husks.
Simmer—summer.
Sizzons—seasons.
Skaith—hurt, injury.
Skeely—skilful.
Skelp—stroke, blow.
Skep—bee hive.
Skirtit—ran quickly.
Skraich—screech.
Skreek of day—dawn.
Slap—opening, piece broken out.
Slee—sly.
Slips the timmers—(metaphor for) dies.
Slock—to quench thirst.
Smorin’—smothering.
Snaw-bree—melted snow.
Sneck—latch.
Sned—to cut, to prune.
Snell—keen, sharp, severe.
Sonsy—plump.
Sooker—sucker.
Soorocks—sorrel.
Sooter—cobbler.
Sornin’—obtruding on another for bed and board.
Souff—to whistle or con over a tune in a low tone.
Soughin’—sighing, making a low whistling noise.
Souple—supple.
Spae—to tell fortunes.
Spairge—to bespatter by dashing a liquid.
Spate—flood.
Speel—to climb.
Speer—to enquire.
Spring—tune.
Stachers—staggers.
Stance—place, station.
Stang—long pole; (of a trump), tongue of a Jew’s harp.
Starkly—strongly, bravely.
Starn—star.
Steed—stood.
Steek—stitch.
Steer—stir, disturb.
Stent—extent of task.
Stirk—young bullock.
Stob—thorn.
Stobbit—thatched by means of a stob or stake.
Stoitered—staggered, tottered.
Stookit—put into shocks.
Stoor—dust.
Stoorum—gruel.
Store the kin—live, keep up the stock.
Stot—bullock older than a stirk.
Stounds—aches, acute pains.
Streek—stretch.
Streen—yesterday.
Strype—small rill.
Studdy—anvil.
Swak—supple.
Swarfed—fainted.
Swatch—sample piece.
Sweel—swill, to wash away.
Sweer—lazy.
Swith—swiftly.
Swither—hesitate.
Syne—then, since.
Tablin’—top stones on a gable,
Tack—lease.
Tansies—ragweed,
Tap—top.
Tashed—fatigued.
Ted—toad, applied to children or young women as a term of endearment.
Teem, toom—empty.
Tenty—careful, attentive.
Teuch—tough.
Teuchat—lapwing.
Thackit—thatched.
Thewless—feeble.
Thiggin’—to go about receiving supply not in the way of common mendicants, but rather giving others an opportunity of showing their liberality.
Thirled—bound or enthralled.
Thoom—thumb, to massage with the thumbs.
Thrang—throng.
Thrapple—throat.
Thrave—two stocks or sheaves.
Thraw—twist, sprain.
Thrawcruik—implement for twisting straw ropes.
Threeve—throve.
Thrums—ends of yarn; span her thrums—purred.
Timmer—timber.
Tint—lost.
Tirl—act of vibrating.
Tirl the sneck—twirl the handle of the latch.
Tirr—to strip forcibly.
Tittit the tow—pulled the bell-rope.
Toom—empty.
Tocher—dowry.
Tod—fox.
Towmond—twelvemonth.
Trail the rape—Hallowe’en spell which consisted in dragging a straw rope of peculiar make round the house.
Trams—shafts, as of a cart.
Trauchled—draggled.
Travise—division between stalls.
Troke—barter.
Truff—turf.
Trump—Jew’s harp.
Tulzie—quarrel.
Tweezlock—another name for thrawcruik.
Tyauve (wi’ a)—with great difficulty.
Unco—strange, uncommon.
Virr—force, impetuosity.
Vratches—wretches.
Vreetin’—writing.
Vricht—wright.
Wadset—to mortgage.
Waled—chosen.
Waller—weller, frequenter of St. Ronan’s well.
Wardly—worldly.
Wared—expended.
Warslin’—struggling.
Waucht—large draught
Weet—wet.
Weird—fate, destiny.
Whaup—curlew.
Wheeple—shrill intermitting note with little variation of tone.
Whip-the-cat—tailor with no fixed place of business, who goes from house to house.
Whorl—flywheel of a spindle made of wood or stone.
Whylock—little while.
Wicks o’ mou’s—corners of the mouth.
Winceys—petticoats made of wincey.
Wiss—wish.
Wuddy—gallows.
Wye—way.
Yeldrin—yellow-hammer.
Yett—gate.
Yill—ale.
Yird—earth.
Yokin’—working period during which horses are in harness.
Youkie—itchy.
Yowes—ewes.