Glossary and Indexes
Glossary
A’, all
Aboon, above
Abune, above
Acton, stuffed leather jacket worn under coat-of-mail
Ae, one, single, sole, mere
Aff, off, oft
Aften, often
Aiblins, perhaps
Aik, oak
Ain, own
Airn, iron
Alake, alas!
Alane, alone
Amang, among
An, and
Ance, once
Ane, one
Ankers, anchors
Anse, once
Ask, newt, lizard
Atabal, Moorish kettledrum
Attour, above
Auld, old
Awa’ or awa, away
Awn, own
Ayme, aim
Bairn or bairnie, child
Baith, both
Bale, fire, faggot
Ban, band
Bane, bone
Bartizan, a small overhanging turret jutting out from the top of a tower
Bash, beat, smash in
Beacon, a fire lighted on a height as a danger signal to call together warriors to repel the enemy
Bedeen, immediately, forthwith; often used as an expletive, or as a rhyme-word at the end of a line
Belay, lie in the way for
Beltan or Beltane, a Celtic pagan festival celebrated on May Day or May 3d, by lighting bonfires on hilltops
Bent, coarse grass, open field, sandy knoll covered with coarse grass, the hollow of a hill
Berserk, ancient Norse warrior who raged with fury in battle
Bigged, built
Bigly, pleasant to live in, spacious
Billie, comrade, brother
Birk, birch
Birkie, lively
Birling, drinking
Bla, blow
Black Rood Stone, The Black Rood of Melrose, a crucifix of supposedly great sanctity
Blee, colour, complexion
Blew, blue
Blin, cease, stop
Blude, blood
Borrow, set free, deliver, ransom
Boud, behoved, was obliged
Bouir, bower
Boun’, bound, bound home
Bour, bower
Bout, bolt
Bower or bowir, lady’s chamber, a house, a rustic cottage
Bra’, fine, handsome, brave
Brae, down, a slope of a hill
Braid, broad. “A braid letter”; a letter on a broad sheet, or a long letter
Brak, broke
Brake, thicket, a place overgrown with ferns, shrubs, and brambles
Brash, sickness
Brast, burst
Brattle, race, hurry
Braw, comely, handsome, well-dressed
Bree, brows, eyebrows
Brode, breed
Broom, the Genista, a shrub with bright golden flowers
Bughts, pens
Burd alone, by himself, solitary
Burn, brook
Busked, dressed, adorned
But and, and also
Bygane, gone by
Byre, cow-house
Cade lamb, lamb brought up by hand, pet lamb
Callant, lad
Cam’ or cam, came
Capapie, cap-à-pié, from head to foot. Armed cap-à-pié, armed from head to foot
Carl or carle, churl
Carline, old woman, peasant woman
Carlish, churlish, uncivilized
Carp, tell tales, sing or chant ballads
Castle-yate, castle-gate
Caul or cauld, cold
Channerin’, fretting
Chaps, jaw, chops
Cheik, cheek
Child or childe, a youth of gentle birth
Christentie, Christendom
Claith, cloth
Claymore, large sword
Cleedin, clothing
Clour, bump on the head from a heavy blow
Clouted, heavy and patched
Clouted cream, clotted cream
Cloutie, patched, ragged
Coft, bought
Cold, could
Contrair, contrary, opposed
Corbie, raven
Cosh, quiet
Coud, could
Couldna, could not
Couthy, friendly, kind, loving
Cow-me-doo, Coo-my-dove, loving name for a dove
Craig, neck, throat
Craw, crow
Crawed, crowed
Cum, come, came
Cumbruk, cambric
Cushat, ring-dove, wood-pigeon
Dae, doe
Dantonit, daunted
Daunton, daunt, subdue
Daw, dawn
Dean or den, dell, narrow glen
Death-thraw, death-struggle
Dee, do, die
Degree, rank. “Served him in his own degree,” offered him respect according to his rank
Deil, Devil
Dinna, do not
Dochter, daughter
Doo, dove
Dought, should be able tot can
Doun, down
Dour or doure, hard, severe, savage
Dove, word of endearment for one pure and gentle
Downa, cannot
Drap, drop
Drapp’d, dropped
Dree, be able, stand. “As fast as he might dree,” as fast as he could, undergo, suffer
Drumlie, gloomy
Duddis, poor clothes, tatters, duds
Dule, grief
Dun, dark coloured, of a dull brown colour
Dune, done
Eccho, echo
Eche, each
E’e or ee, eye
Effeir, pomp, circumstance, bearing, garb, panoply
Eident, unrestingly
Eildon, a high hill with three-pointed summit, overlooking Melrose town. Eildon Tree, the spot where Thomas the Rhymer is supposed to have uttered his prophecies
Eiry, eery, weird, dreary, gloomy, fear-inspiring
Eldern, old
Elritch, elvish
Elyed, vanished
Eneuch, enough
Enoo, enough
Ere, ever
Erle, earl
Erlish, elvish
Erst, first, formerly
Even cloth, smooth cloth, with nap well shorn
Eve of St. John, Midsummer Day, June 24
Eyne, eyes
Fa’ or fa, fall, befall
Faem or faeme, foam
Fairing, gift, present given at a fair
Fallow deer, small European deer, of a fallow, or pale yellow colour
Fand, found
Fa’se, false
Fashes, troubles
Faulds, folds
Faured, favoured
Fause, false
Feckless, weak, feeble, silly
Fee, wealth
Feircly, fiercely
Fell, sharply, severely, keen, eager
Fere, mate, consort, companion
Ferlie, marvel, wonder
Fidge, fidget
Flang, flung about, skipped
Flatter, float
Flee, flay
Flude, flood
Forbode, “Over God’s forbode”; God forbid!
Forfaulted, forfeited
Forgather, meet
Forhooyed, forsook
Fornenst, opposite to
Fou, full
Frae, from
Freit, a good or bad omen
Frith, wood, enclosed land
Fu’ or fu, very, full, very much, fully
Gad, bar
Gae, go
Galliard, an old-time brisk dance
Gane, suffice, gone
Gang, go
Gar, make, cause, do
Garr’d, made, caused
Gear, possessions, property, cattle
Geck, mock
Gerfalcon, large falcon of the Northlands
Gi’d, went
Gie, give
Gien, given
Gif, if
Gillore, gallore, in plenty
Gimp, jimp, slender
Gin, if, suppose, granted it be so, whether
Glaive, sword
Gleg, spry, quick
Gleid, spark
Gloamin, twilight
Good b’w’ ye, good be with ye, good-bye, derived from the phrase “God be with you,” or “with ye”
Gos-hawk or goss-hawk, large hawk
Goud, gold
Gouden, golden
Goun, gown
Goups, handfuls
Goved, stared
Gowan, daisy
Gowd, gold
Gowdn, golden
Graith, make ready
Grange, farmhouse with outer buildings
Gratte, wept, cried
Greet, weep
Grew hound, greyhound, grey
Grewis, greyhounds
Groat, old English silver coin worth fourpence issued from 1351-1662
Gude, good
Gudely, goodly
Guid, good
Guise, manner, behaviour
Gurly, grim, growling, surly
Gyant, giant
Ha’ or ha, hall
Had, hold
Hadna or hadnae, had not
Hae, have
Haggis, Scotch dish made of a sheep’s maw filled with minced meat, onions, and other ingredients mixed and cooked with oatmeal
Hail, whole
Half-fou, two pecks, half a bushel
Haly, holy
Hame, home
Han, hand
Hap, chance, fortune
Happed, covered, wrapped
Haud, hold, keep
Hauld, hold
Hay, “Went forth to view the hay,” went to see how the hay was coming on
Heely, slowly, gently
Her lane, by herself
Heugh, steep hill, glen with overhanging sides
Hie, haste, high
Hindberrye, wild raspberry
Hing, hang
Hingers, hangers
Hinny or hinnie, honey
His lane, by himself
Holland or hollin, coarse linen, unbleached or dyed brown
Holt, piece of woodland, a woody hill
Holy Grail, the holy cup, used by the Lord Christ at the Last Supper, was called in medieval romances, “The Holy Grail”
Houf, haunt
Hoysed, hoisted
Hurden, coarse linen or hempen fabric
Hye or hie, haste
Hynd, Hynde, or Hind, young, courteous, gracious, gentle
Hypp, fruit of the dog-rose
I’ or i, in
Ilk or ilka, every, each
Intill, into, in
Its lane, by itself
Jaw, wave
Jawes, surges
Jet, strut
Jimp, slender, slim
Jimply, barely, scarcely, hardly, narrowly
Joup, petticoat
Kaim, comb
Kaimin, combing
Kane, tribute
Kell, a cap of network for a woman’s hair
Kemb, comb
Kemed, combed
Ken, know
Kendna, did not know
Kenned or kend, knew
Kep, catch, stop
Keppit, caught
Kirk, church
Kittle, difficult to manage, risky, ticklish
Knaw, know
Kynast, castle in Northern Germany
Kythe, appear
Laddie, diminutive of lad
Laidley, loathly, loathsome
Laird, squire, lord of the manor, owner of lands
Laith, loath
Lan, land
Lane, lone
Lanely, lonely
Lang, long
Lap, sprang, leaped
Lappered, clotted
Lat, let
Laverock, lark
Lax, relief
Lease, lease (of bucks), three bucks
Leme, gleam
Lend, grant, give
Lettn, let
Leven, lawn, glade, open ground in the forest
Leveret, hare
Liffe, life
Lift, air, sky
Liften, lifted
Lighters, horse-blinders or blinkers
Liken, make like
Lish, lithe, supple, agile
Lither, lazy, idle, worthless, wicked
Littand, staining, defiling
Live-lang, live-long
Lo’ed, loved
Lood, loved
Loof, palm of the hand
Loon, fellow, rogue
Loot, let, allowed
Lout, bend, bow, lean
Lowed, glowed
Lown, calm, serene, silent, quiet
Lug, ear
Luve, love
Lyart, grey, hoary
Lydder, lazy, idle, loathsome
Lyon’s moods, this possibly means like the mood or pluck of lions; authorities differ as to readings
Lyth, member, joint
Mae, more
Maik or maike, mate
Mair, more
Make, mate, consort
March or Marches, border-frontier, the boundary between England and Scotland. Warden of the March, governor of the Scotch Border
Marrow, mate, wife, husband
Martinmas, mass or feast of St. Martin, November 11
Maun, must
Maunna, must not
Mavis, thrush
May, maid
Meet, scant, close
Meikle, much, great
Merl or merle, blackbird
Merk or mark, about 13s. 4d. in the English money of the time
Mess, mass
Mickle, much, great
Middle, waist
Midsummer Day, June 24
Minny or minnie, mother
Mirk, dark
Mither, mother
Monmouth Cap, flat round cap formerly worn by English soldiers and sailors. Shakespeare mentions it in Henry V
Mony or monie, many, money
Mote, may
Mountain-mere, mountain-lake
Muir, moor
Na, no, not
Nae, no
Naething, nothing
Nane, none
Nappy, heady, strong
Neer, never, ne’er
Neest, nearest, next
Neir, never, ne’er
Neist, next
Nicht, night
Nowt, neat cattle
Nurice or nourice, nurse
O’ or o, of
O’erword, refrain, call, cry
Ony, any
Ower, over
Owre, before, over
Palfray, small saddle-horse for ladies, palfrey
Pall, cloak, mantle
Palmer, Pilgrim returned from Holy Land bearing, as a badge, a branch of palm
Paughty, haughty
Philabeg, highland kilt
Pibroch, a Highland dirge or martial air, a kind of wild, irregular music, performed on the bagpipe
Pickle, choice
Pin, an implement for raising the latch of a door, see tirled
Pine, suffering, pain
Plait, fold, plate
Pock-puddings, bag-puddings
Prie, attain
Prieven, attained
Prin, pin
Pu’ or pu, pull
Pu’d, pulled
Putten, put
Quarry, slaughtered game
Quean, saucy girl or young woman
Rad, afraid
Rade, rode
Rae, roe
Raike, range
Rail, woman’s jacket
Ravin, violent
Raw, row
Ray, array
Reavers, robbers
Reaving, thieving, robbing
Rede, counsel
Reek, smoke
Reifed, stolen, plundered
Reifery, robbery, plundering
Rife, abounding
Rins, runs
Rock, distaff used in spinning
Rode or Rood, Holy Cross, crucifix, see also Black Rood of Melrose
Roul, roll
Roun’ or roun, round, around about
Rowan Tree, mountain ash, which is also called the Fairies’ tree because Witches and Evil Spirits are said to fear it
Rowed, rolled, wound
Rowt, roar
St. John’s Eve, Midsummer Day, June 24
Sae, so
Saft, soft, softly
Saikless, innocent
Sained, crossed, blessed, hallowed
Sair, sore, painful, very much
Sail, shall
Satten, satin
Saul, soul
Saut, salt
Sax, six
Scallop-shell, a small fluted shell. In the middle ages, Pilgrims used to wear scallop-shells as badges of their pilgrimage
Scaur, steep bank overhanging a river, a cliff
Scorke, struck
Scot-free, the word “scot” means payment, fine, reckoning, tax. Scot-free means free from payment; also, without harm, unhurt, safe
Screen, plaid, cloak, large scarf thrown over the head
Scrip, small bag, Pilgrim’s pouch
Sea-maw, gull, sea mew
Sen, sent
Sets with, suits
Seymar, loose robe
Share of Truth, ploughshare of Truth—used as figurative language
Shathmont, measure from top of extended thumb to the extremity of palm—six inches
Shaw, thicket, copse
Sheave, slice.
Sheen, bright, shining
Sheugh, trench, ditch, furrow
Shoon, shoes
Shot-window, projecting window in the stair case of old Scotch wooden house
Sic, such
Sichin, sighing
Sicken, such
Siller, silver
Simmer, summer
Sin, since
Sin, “Thankless sins the gifts he gets,” probably means to hold them in slight esteem. (Footnote in Scott)
Skaith, harm, an injury
Skald, ancient Scandinavian poet or bard
Skaw, promontory or low cape
Skeely, skilful
Skelping, moving rapidly
Skoal, hail!
Sleeks, makes smooth
Slogan, war-cry of the Scottish Highlanders
Sma or sma’, small
Snaw, snow
Snell, sharp, keen, shrill, bitter
Snickersnee, sailor’s sheath-knife or bowie knife
Snood, hair-band
Snoove, go smoothly and constantly
Solan, gannet, solan-goose
Solempne, solemn
Sommer, summer
Sonsy or Sonsie, plump
Sorning, spunging, obtruding
Soudron or Southron, southern, the English
Spak, spake, spoke
Spankie, sprightly, friskly, smart
Speer, ask
Sperthe, battle-axe
Spier, spear
Sta, stole
Stane, stone
Stead, dwelling-place
Steek, stitch
Step minnie, stepmother
Stern-light, starlight
Stour or stoure, dust, skirmish, struggle, battle
Stown, stolen
Strack, struck
Stran, strand
Strang, strong
Strath, valley thro’ which a river runs
Stron, the end of a ridge of hills
Stude, stood
Sucket, sugar-plum
Suld, should
Sune, soon
Swa’d, swelled
Syke, marsh
Syle, soil
Syne, then, afterward, since
Tae, toe
Ta’en or taen, taken
Taffetie, taffeta
Taiglit, tarried
Taiken, token
Tak, take
Tald, told
Tale, number, count
Tane, taken
Tauld, told
Teind, tithe
Tent, take care of, watch, guard
Tent, Spanish wine of a deep red colour
Termagant, a pagan deity, whom the Crusaders said was worshipped by the Mohammedans
Tett, lock of hair or of a mane
Thae, thesef those
Then, than
Thie, thigh
Thimber, heavy, massive
Thir, those, these
Thysell, thyself
Till, to
Tinkler, tinker
Tint, lost
Tirled or tirld, twist or rattle. “Tirld at the pin,” see Pin
Tod, fox
Toom, empty
Touchstone, a kind of compact stone used to test gold and silver
Toun, hamlet, farmhouse
Trailed, dragged
Tree, wood, made of wood
Trow, trust, believe, think
Tryst, appointed place of meeting, also appointment to meet
Turtle-doo, turtle-dove
Twa, two
Twae, two
Twin’d, deprived, parted
Ugsome, exciting disgust, abhorrent
Ummeled, unmixed, pure
Upgive, avow, own up
Upo, on, to, with, at, in
Vair, squirrel-fur
Vaunt-brace, armour for the body
Verra, very
Wa’ or wa, wall
Wad, would
Wae, woe
Waik, glade
Wained, carried, removed
Waith, wandering, roaming, straying
Wall-wightmen, picked, strong men
Waly, exclamation of admiration
Wan, won
Wap, wrap, stuff
War’d, expended, used
Warden, keeper, guardian. Warden of the March, governor of the Scotch Border
Warden Pies, pies made of warden pears—large pears
Warld, world
Warlock, sorcerer, wizard
Warse, worse
Warst, worst
Wasna, was not
Wassail-bout, drinking revel, carouse
Wat, wet
Wauking, watch, walk
Weel, well
Weet, wet
Weir, to collect and drive cattle
Weird, Destiny, Fate, Fortune
Well-kent, well-known
Wene, recess
Wer-wolf, person transformed into a wolf
Westlin, Western
Wha, who
Whare, where
Whaten, what sort, what kind
Whidderan, whizzing
Whin-bushes, furze, gorse
Wi’ or wi, with
Win, wind
Win in, get in
Winna, will not
Wis, know
Withouten or withoutten, without
Wodensday, Wednesday, derived from the name of the Anglo-Saxon god, Woden; which name meant “the furious” or “the mighty warrior”
Wold, would
Wold, open tract of country
Woned, dwelt
Wot, know
Wud, would
Y or I, a prefix to many Middle English words, often used (specially with past-participles) to intensify their meanings
Yallow, yellow
Yate, gate
Y-built, see above Y or I
Yer sel, yourself
Yett, gate
Yont, beyond
Yorlin, yellow-hammer
Yoursell, yourself
Yowlit, yowled, howled, yelped
Y-wis, i-wis, certainly, surely, truly, to wit, indeed
Y-wrought, see above Y or I
Footnotes
1 See Foreword, page vii.
2 See Acknowledgments, p. xv, and Foreword, p. vii.