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Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales from Burns to Buchan

Page 23

by Gordon Jarvie


  knowe, hilltop.

  a’, all

  gowd, gold

  gae, go

  nane, none;

  gaes, goes

  wad, pledge, wager

  kirtle, skirt

  aboon, above

  bree, brow

  hie, go, speed

  fand, found

  pu’d, pulled

  twa, two

  a’, all

  wand, baton (symbolizing rule)

  nae, no

  snooded, bound

  Aince, Once;

  amang, among

  ony, any

  spak, spoke;

  auld, old

  Haud, Hold

  bairn, baby

  nane, none

  siller, silver

  gowd, gold

  bide, live

  aince, once

  wae, woe

  snell, bitter cold

  frae, from

  tiend, tithe, fee

  the night, tonight

  the morn, tomorrow

  ken, know

  mirk, dark

  maun bide, must wait

  ken, know

  unco, unfamiliar

  syne, then

  renoun, privilege

  kaim’d, combed

  thae’s, these are

  esk, newt

  sae, so

  het, hot;

  gaud, bar;

  airn, iron

  taen, taken

  kend, known

  een, eyes

  tree, wood

  ferlie, a strange sight

  ilka tett, each tuft

  siller, silver

  lowted, bowed

  Harp and carp, play and recite (as a minstrel)

  weird, fate;

  daunton, daunt

  Syne, Thereupon, Then

  maun, must

  taen, taken

  rade, rode

  gaed, went

  braid, broad

  leven, lawn

  gae, go

  aboon, above

  mirk, dark

  stem, stars

  pu’d, pulled

  wad gie, would give

  dought, could

  tryst, market

  gane, gone

  Black Art, magic, the devil’s work. The devil was often referred to as ‘the black man’.

  ceilidh, Gaelic name for a social gathering, often involving dance, music, songs, storytelling and other entertainment.

  pappies, breasts.

  claes, clothes.

  pit a glamourie ower him, cast a spell over him.

  kist, wooden chest, box.

  hirples, hobbles, limps.

  thrapple, throat.

  chapman billies, tradesmen laddies

  drouthy, thirsty

  gate, road

  nappy, ale

  fou, mellow;

  unco, very

  slaps, gaps (in the hedges)

  fand, found

  skellum, rascal

  blellum, noisy drunk

  ilka melder, every meal-grinding

  naig, horse;

  ca’d, shod

  fou, drunk

  warlocks, wizards

  mirk, dark

  gars, makes;

  greet, weep

  bleezing, blazing

  reaming swats, foaming new beer

  Souter, Cobbler

  thegither, together

  rair, roar

  lades, loads

  maun, must

  black arch, midnight

  key-stane, centrepiece

  sic, such

  ’twad it would have

  Deil, Devil

  skelpit, hurried;

  dub, puddle

  Whiles, Sometimes

  bogles, goblins

  houlets, owls

  smoor’d, was smothered

  birks, birches;

  meikle stane, big stone

  brak’s, broke his

  bairn, child

  abune, above

  ilka bore, every chink

  John Barleycorn, Whisky

  tippenny, cheap (tuppenny) ale

  usquabae, whisky (Gaelic)

  swats… ream’d, beer so frothed

  noddle, head

  car’d… boddle, he didn’t care tuppence

  vow, wow;

  unco, extraordinary

  Nae cotillion, brand-new dance step

  A winnock-bunker, (On) a window-sill

  towzie tyke, dishevelled beast

  skirl, shrill

  dirl, clatter

  presses, cupboards

  shaw’d, showed

  cantraip, weird trick

  haly, holy

  airns, irons

  span-lang, hand-long

  rape, rope

  stack, stuck;

  heft, haft

  cleekit, linked hands

  carlin, witch;

  reekit, steamed

  coost, cast aside;

  duddies, clothes

  wark, work

  linket, went arm in arm;

  sark, vest

  queans, young lasses

  flannen, dirty flannel

  seventeen-hunder, fine-woven

  breeks, trousers

  hurdies, buttocks

  Rigwoodie, Wizened

  wad spean, would wean

  Lowping, Leaping

  crummock, walking-stick

  fu’ brawlie, quite well

  winsome, pleasant

  wawlie, nimble

  core, corps (de danse)

  kend, known

  dead, death

  meikle, much

  bere, barley

  cutty sark, short shift;

  Paisley harn, coarse cloth

  vauntie, proud (of it)

  ken’d, knew

  croft, bought

  maun cour, must cover

  lap, leapt;

  flang, kicked

  hotch’d, jerked

  syne, then

  tint…

  theqither, altogether took leave of

  bizz, bustle;

  fyke, fuss

  herds, herd-boys

  byke, hive

  pussie’s, the hare’s

  eldritch, horrible

  hollo, shout

  fairin’, just deserts

  herrin’, herring

  key-stane, top or mid-stone

  The fient…, Never a tail

  ettle, effort

  hale, whole

  claught, clutched

  soucht, sought.

  chairge, custody.

  kent the gate, knew the way.

  solans, solan geese, gannets.

  Forby, moreover, besides.

  Tod, Fox (sometimes a nickname).

  dwallin, dwelling.

  lang loan, long street.

  benorth, to the north of.

  uncanny, eerie, creepy.

  deevil’s cantrips, devil’s tricks. Folklore had it that the Devil tried to shipwreck Anne of Denmark here, as she sailed to Leith in 1589 after her marriage to King James VI of Scotland in Oslo.

  mirkest, darkest.

  kenned, knew.

  on the sneck, unlatched, unlocked.

  wabster, weaver.

  but, kitchen.

  creish, tallow-fat.

  gart me scunner, made me sick.

  cawed, pulled, moved.

  steeket, stuck shut.

  skirled, yelled.

  deid lug, dead ear.

  Nae mainner o service!, Nothing doing!

  dowp, backside.

  jimp, hardly.

  blythe, happy.

  fa’ into a bit dwam, fall into a bit of a daydream.

  stamach, stomach.

  crack, chat.

  twined, parted.

  brunt far, burnt for.

  sinsyne, since then.

  craigsman, rock climber.

  speldering, sprawling.

  craig face, rockface.
>
  hieest and steighest, highest and steepest.

  tenty, watchful, attentive.

  mindin for, looking out for.

  claught, dragged.

  swat, sweat.

  keeked, looked.

  muckle, big.

  pyking, pecking.

  by-ordinar, extraordinary, unusual.

  neb, beak, nose.

  unco, (1) exceedingly, very; (2) strange, not right.

  ae keek, one look.

  wroucht, worked.

  warstl’t, wrestled.

  dementit, gone crazy.

  brawly, well.

  birzing, grinding.

  crunkled, wrinkled.

  gaed, went.

  stend, thrill.

  spried, spread.

  straucht, straight.

  een, eyes.

  gart, made.

  laigher, lower.

  flegged, flew.

  corp, body.

  dadding, bouncing.

  broucht, brought.

  Rin, Run.

  at ither, at each other.

  whilly-wha, coax.

  Sawtan, Satan.

  ower muckle, too much.

  won, reached.

  speiring for, asking after.

  ilka, each.

  I kenna for that, I don’t know about that.

  I wanted but to gang, I wanted only to go.

  take, catch of fish.

  quo, said, quoth.

  yett, prison-gate.

  press bed, box-bed.

  crap, crept.

  gless, telescope.

  smack, small fishing boat.

  crunkle, fold.

  a wee below, just below.

  chaipel, chapel.

  aw by his lee lane, all by himself.

  lowped, leapt.

  flang, flung.

  daft quean, silly lass.

  waddin’, wedding.

  warlock, male witch.

  a wee thing set ajee, slightly disturbed.

  bide, stay.

  Thon, That.

  crack, word, chat.

  clum, climbed.

  best of the employ, best of the action.

  siller tester, silver sixpence.

  leid draps, lead shot.

  bogles, evil spirits.

  ae, one.

  wanchancy, dangerous, scary.

  span like a teetotum, spun like a top.

  skelloch, screech, cry.

  elbock, elbow.

  dinnling and stending, tingling and throbbing.

  creishy, flabby.

  fa’n, fallen.

  duddy, ragged.

  wrunkl’t, wrinkled.

  forgie, forgive.

  at the hinder end, in due course, later.

  yirk, jerk.

  that dispensation, that outcome.

  grawn, adult, grown-up.

  severals, several (people).

  ae dreidfu’ skelloch, one dreadful shriek.

  hinderlands, backside.

  wab, web.

  puddock, frog.

  thole, tolerate.

  braeside, hillside.

  ∗ ‘We drove our own cattle home, and perhaps some others that were not ours. And we took all the goods out of the hall at Hardriding, and a pretty load of tapestries, and rugs, and other things we have to show for our ride.’

  speering, asking.

  bogle, ghost, spectre.

  Whuppity Stoorie, the name of a witch or bad fairy in Border folklore.

  mavises, song-thrushes.

  loon, rascal.

  bannocks, oatcakes.

  tint, lost.

  Debatable Land, a no-man’s land at the head of the Solway Firth, between England and Scotland.

  smoored, smothered.

  pulses, lentils.

  kin-cough, whooping cough.

  ayont, beyond

  sweir, scared

  aa,

  kelpie, water horse;

  fit, foot, bottom

  whiles, sometimes

  gin, when;

  na, no;

  manes, moans

  arn-tree, alder

  licht, light

  claes, clothes;

  lugs, ears

  nicht, night

  fell, fierce, cruel

  schule, school

  daurna, dare not

  fa’s, falls;

  buss, bush

  Martinmas, II November

  crusie, oil-lamp

  abune, above

  douce, good, pleasant

  fechtiní, fighting

  dominie, teacher;

  pawmies, canings

  mony, many;

  Sawbath, Sabbath

  a’body, everybody

  Dod, God

  hae to gang, have to go

  sic-like, suchlike

  Afore, Before

  guid, good;

  couthie, biddable, agreeable

  leein’, lying

  ken, know

  fowk maun dree, folk must dread

  no like to shift, unlikely to move

  Sae, So;

  gin, if

  deith, death

  kye, cattle

  breith, breath

  oot-by, outside

  mind, remember;

  lang, long

  een, eyes

  fleggit, terrified;

  wean, child

  whaup, curlew

  dee, die

  fitstep, footstep

  airm, arm

  a’thing, everything

  blast, gale

  dreid, dread;

  daurna, dare not

  shilpit, feeble, unreliable

  fa‘in’, falling

  all joco, all jovial (jocose) and pleased with oneself.

  m’eudail, my dear (Gaelic, a term of endearment).

  jinking, dodging, ducking.

  eachd uisge, water horse (Gaelic). This was a beast with magic powers, a sprite or kelpie. Given the chance, kelpies were said to drag their victims under the water and drown them.

  snood ribbon, worn by young, unmarried women, bound around the brow and tied at the back under the hair.

  carriage and pair, carriage driven by two horses.

  peat-hag, ledge of peat, cut for fuel (often from a bog).

 

 

 


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