Robert Burns: A Glossary of Scottish Terms
— William Michaelian
* Included in Selected Poems of Robert Burns
The Macmillan Company, New York (1926; reprinted 1937)
Background, development, and pronunciation:
Robert Burns and the Scots Tongue
Robert Burns: A Glossary of Scottish Terms
Introductory Poem from Songs and Letters:
The Library Card in My Rabbie Burns
A
A’, all.
Aback, away from.
Abeigh, at a shy distance.
Aboon, above.
Abread, abroad, in sight.
Abreed, in breadth.
Abusin’, abusing.
Acquent, acquainted.
A’-day, all day.
Adle, putrid water, liquid filth, mire.
Advisement, advice.
Ae, one, only.
Aff, off.
Aff-hand, at once.
Aff-loof, extemporaneously, off-hand.
Afore, before.
Aften, often.
A-gley, off the right line.
Aiblins, perhaps.
Aik, an oak.
Aiken, oaken.
Ain, own.
Air, early.
Airl-penny, earnest money.
Airles, earnest money.
Airn, iron.
Airns, irons.
Airt, direction, point of compass, to direct.
Airted, directed.
Aith, an oath.
Aits, oats.
Aiver, an old horse.
Aizle, a hot cinder.
Ajee, to the one side, out of line, ajar.
Alake! alas!
Alang, along.
Amaist, almost.
Amang, among.
An’, and.
An’s, and is.
Ance, once.
Ane, one.
Aneath, beneath.
Anes, ones.
Anither, another.
Artfu’, artful.
Ase, ashes.
Asklent, obliquely, aslant.
Asteer, astir.
A’thegither, altogether.
Athort, athwart.
Atween, between.
Aught, eight.
Aughteen, eighteen.
Aughtlins, anything, in the least.
Auld, old.
Auld’s, as old as.
Aulder, older.
Auldfarran, sagacious.
Aumous, alms.
Ava, at all, of all.
Awa, away.
Awe, to owe.
Awee, a little time.
Awfu’, awful.
Awkart, awkward.
Awnie, bearded.
Ay, always.
Ayont, beyond.
B
Ba’, a ball.
Babie-clouts, baby-clothes.
Backet, a shallow wooden trough.
Bade, endured, remained, desired.
Baggie, (dim. of bag), the stomach.
Bainie, bony, muscular.
Bairns, children.
Bairntime, a family of children.
Baith, both.
Bakes, biscuits.
Ballats, ballads.
Balou, lullaby.
Ban’, band.
Banes, bones.
Bang, a stroke. An unco bang, a heavy effort or ‘tough job.’
Bannet, a bonnet.
Bannock, a cake of oatmeal bread.
Bardie, dim. of bard.
Barefit, barefooted.
Barkit, barked.
Barkin, barking.
Barm, yeast.
Barmie, of, or like barm, yeasty.
Batch, a party.
Batts, the botts.
Bauckie-bird, the bat.
Baudrons, the cat (a generic name, like Reynard for the fox).
Bauks, cross-beams.
Bauk-en’, end of a bank or cross-beam.
Bauld, bold.
Bauldly, boldly.
Baumy, balmy.
Bawk, an open space in a cornfield, generally a ridge left untilled.
Baws’nt, having a white stripe down the face.
Bawtie, a generic name for a dog.
Be’t, be it.
Bear, barley.
Beas’, beasts, vermin.
Beastie, dim. of beast.
Beet, add fuel to fire.
Befa’, befall.
Behint, behind.
Belang, belong to.
Beld, bald.
Bellum, a noise, an attack.
Bellyfu’, bellyful.
Belyve, by and by, soon.
Ben, into the spence or parlor. — R.B.
Benmost bore, the innermost recess, or hole.
Bethankit, the grace after meat.
Beuk, a book. Devil’s pictur’d beuks, cards.
Bicker, wooden dish, cup; a short rapid run.
Bid, to wish, or ask.
Bide, to stand, to endure.
Biel, Bield, a habitation, shelter.
Bien, plentiful, well-to-do, comfortably.
Big, Bigg, to build.
Bigs, builds.
Billie, a good fellow, fellow, chap.
Bings, heaps of anything, such as turnips, potatoes.
Birdies, dim of birds.
Birk, birch.
Birken, birchen.
Birken shaw, small birch wood.
Birkie, spirited fellow, (sometimes slightly depreciatory).
Birring, whirring.
Birses, bristles.
Bit, crisis, nick of time.
Bizzard gled, a kite.
Bizz, bustle.
Bizzy, Bizzie, busy.
Bizzies, buzzes.
Black Bonnet, the elder.
Blae, blue, bleak.
Blastie, little blasted creature, dwarf, a term of contempt.
Blastit, blasted, withered.
Blate, shamefaced, bashful.
Blather, bladder.
Blaud, to slap hard, to thwack; a quantity of anything.
Blaudin’, pelting.
Blaw, to blow, to brag.
Blaws, blows.
Blawn, blown.
Bleatin, bleating.
Bleerit, bleared.
Bleeze, a blaze.
Bleezin, blazing.
Blellum, an idle talking fellow, blabber.
Blether, the bladder; nonsense.
Blethers, nonsense.
Bleth’rin, talking idly.
Blin’, blind.
Blins, blinds.
Blin’t, blinded.
Blink, a blink o’ rest, a short period of repose, a short time, a moment,
a look, a glimpse.
Blinks, looks smilingly.
Blinkers, a term of contempt (cf. ‘blighters’); pretty girls, esp. one who
glances slyly, or gives the ‘glad eye.’
Blinkin, smirking.
Blitter, bittern.
Blue-gown, one of those beggars who get annually on the king’s birthday
a blue cloak or gown with a badge (cf. Edie Ochiltree in Scott’s The
Antiquary).
Blude, Bluid, blood.
Bludie, Bluidy, bloody.
Blume, bloom.
Bluntie, a sniveller, stupid person.
Blypes, shreds.
Bock, vomit, belch.
Boddle, a small coin.
Boggie, dim. of bog.
Bogles, ghosts.
Bonie, beautiful, pretty.
Bonnocks, same as bannocks.
Boord, board.
Boortrees, elder shrubs, ‘planted much of old in hedges of barnyards.’
— R.B.
Boost, must needs.
Bore, a hole or rent.
Botch, an angry tumor. — R.B.
Bouk, corpse, body.
Bouses, drinks.
Bow-hough’d, crook-thighed.
Bow-kail, cabbage.
Bow’t, crooked.
Brae, the slope of a hill.
Braid, broad.
Braid Scots, broad Scotch.
Braid-claith, broad-cloth.
Braik, A kind of heavy harrow.
Braing’t, reeled forward.
Brak, broke.
Brak’s, broke his.
Brankie, well attired.
Branks, a kind of wooden curb for horses.
Brany, brandy.
Brash, sickness.
Brats, rags.
Brattle, a short race, a sprint; also a noisy onset.
Braw, handsome.
Brawly, perfectly.
Braxies, morbid sheep, sheep that have died by disease or accident.
Breastie, dim. of breast.
Breastit, sprang up or forward, pressed forward with the breast.
Brechan, a horse-collar.
Breckan, fern, bracken.
Bree, juice, liquid, liquor.
Breeks, breeches.
Breer, briar.
Brent, straight, brent new, brand new, smooth, unwrinkled.
Brewin, brewing.
Brief, a writing.
Brig, a bridge.
Brither, brother.
Brock, badger.
Brogue, a trick, fraud.
Broo, water, broth.
Brooses, races at country weddings who shall first reach the
bridegroom’s house on returning from church.
Brose, thick meal and water, porridge.
Browst, as much malt liquor as is brewed at a time.
Browster-wives, ale-house wives.
Brugh, burgh, borough.
Brulzie, brulyie, a broil.
Brunstane, brimstone.
Brunt, burned.
Brust, burst.
Buckie, dim. of buck, a smart young fellow, also a perverse or refractory
person.
Buckskin, Virginian, American.
Buff, to best.
Bughtin-time, the time of collecting the sheep in the pens.
Buirdly, strong, imposing-looking, well-knit, ‘husky’.
Buke, book.
Bum, to hum.
Bum-clock, a beetle.
Bumming, making a noise like a bee.
Bummle, a blunderer, an idler, a drone.
Bunker, chest, window-seat.
Burdie, dim. of burd, girl, young woman, damsel.
Bure, bore, did bear.
Burn, a small stream, brook.
Burnie, dim. of burn.
Burnewin, i.e. burn the wind, a blacksmith.
Bur-thistle, the spear-thistle.
Busking, dressing, decorating.
Buskit, dressed.
Busks, adorns.
Buss, a bush.
Bussle, a bustle.
But, without, unprovided with.
But an’ ben, kitchen and parlor.
By, past, apart.
By attour, besides, moreover.
Byke, a multitude, a swarm, a beehive.
C
Ca’, to drive; a call.
Ca’d, named, driven.
Ca’s, calls.
Ca’t, called.
Ca’ throu’, to push forward.
Cadger, a carrier, peddler.
Cadie, a young fellow, a lad.
Caff, chaff.
Caird, traveling tinker.
Calf-ward, a small inclosure for calves.
Callans, boys.
Caller, fresh.
Callet, a trull.
Cam, came.
Cankert, cankered.
Cankrie, cankered, crabbed.
Canna, cannot.
Cannie, careful, softly, wary, artful, cautious, gentle.
Cannilie, dexterously, carefully, quietly.
Cantie, in high spirits, cheerful, lively.
Cantin’, canting.
Cantrip, a charm, a spell.
Cants, merry stories, sprees.
Cape-stane, cope-stone.
Cap’rin, capering.
Careerin, cheerfully.
Carl, a churl, countryman, fellow.
Carlin, an old woman.
Cartes, cards.
Cartie, dim. of cart.
Caudrons, cauldrons.
Cauf, a calf.
Cauk and keel, chalk and red clay, crayons.
Cauld, cold.
Caulder, colder.
Caups, wooden drinking vessels.
Causey, causeway.
Cavie, a hen-coop.
Chamer, chamber.
Change-house, a tavern.
Chap, a fellow.
Chapman, a pedlar.
Chaup, a blow, a stroke.
Chear, cheer.
Cheek for chow, cheek by jowl.
Cheep, chirp.
Cheerfu’, cheerful.
Chiel, young fellow, chap.
Chimla, Chimlie, chimney.
Chittering, trembling with cold, shivering.
Chows, chews.
Chuck, chicken, fowl, also a term of endearment.
Chuckie, dim. of chuck.
Christendie, Christendom.
Chuffie, fat-faced.
Clachan, a hamlet, a village.
Claise, clothes.
Claith, cloth.
Claith’d, clothed.
Claithing, clothing.
Clamb, climbed.
Clankie, a sharp stroke, a knock.
Clap, clapper of a mill.
Clark, clerkly, pertaining to erudition.
Clarkit, wrote.
Clarty, dirty.
Clash, idle talk, to talk.
Clatter, to talk idly, Kintra clatter, the tattle or gossip of the country.
Claught, clutched (past tense of cleek).
Claughtin, catching at anything greedily.
Claut, to snatch at, to lay hold of, to clutch; a quantity scraped together
by niggardliness, a handful.
Clautet, scraped.
Claver, clover.
Clavers, idle stories, gossip, nonsense.
Claw, scratch.
Clean, handsome, shapely.
Cleckin, a brood.
Cleed, to clothe.
Cleeding, clothing.
Cleek, to seize, to clutch; cleek the sterling, ‘pinch the ready [money]’.
Cleekit, linked themselves.
Clegs, gad-flies.
Clink, to rhyme, money.
Clinkin, sitting down smartly or abruptly.
Clinkumbell, the church bell-ringer.
Clips, shears.
Clishmaclaver, idle conversation, gossip.
Clockin-time, hatching-time.
Cloot, the hoof.
Clottie, Satan (i.e. hoofie).
Clours, bumps or swellings after a blow.
Clouts, clothes.
Clout, to patch, a patch.
Clud, a cloud.
Cluds, multitudes.
Clue, a portion of cloth or yarn.
Clunk, the sound emitted by liquor when poured or drunk from a narrow- necked bottle, esp. when it is half-empty.
Coatie, dim. of coat.
Coaxin, coaxing.
Coble, a fishing-boat.
Cock, to erect, to stick up aggressively.
Cock, a good fellow.
Cockie, dim. of cock, a good fellow.
Cod, a pillow.
Co’er, to cover.
Coff, to buy, to purchase.
Coft, bought.
Cog, a wooden dish.
Coggie, dim. of cog.
Coila, from Kyle, a district of Ayshire, so called, saith tradition, from
Coil, or Coila, a Pictish monarch. R.B.
Collieshangie, an uproar, a quarrel, a row.
Commans, commandments.
Comin’, coming.
Compleenin, complaining.
Converse, conversation.
Cood, the cud.
Coofs, fools, ninnies; dull, spiritless fellows.
Cookit, that appeared and disappeared by fits.
Cooser, a courser, a stallion.
Coost, cast, shed.
Cootie, a wooden kitchen dish. Fowls whose legs are clad with feathers
are also said to be cootie.
Corbies, crows.
Corn’t, fed with oats.
Corss, the market-place, or market cross.
Couldna, could not.
Counted, considered.
Countra, country.
Couthie, kindly, loving, friendly.
Cowe, to terrify; to lop, to prune; a fright; Cowe the caddy, terrify the
fellow.
Cowp the cran, to tumble over, lit., to upset the fish-basket — i.e., ‘to spill the beans.’
Cowpet, Cowpit, tumbled, upset.
Cow’rin, cowering.
Cour, Cowr, to cover.
Cowt, Cowte, a colt.
Cozie, cozy.
Crabbit, crabbed.
Crack, a story or harangue, talk.
Crackin, conversing, gossiping.
Craft, a croft.
Craft rig, a croft ridge.
Craig, the throat, the neck.
Craigie, dim. of craig, the throat.
Craigs, crags.
Craigy, craggy.
Craiks, landrails.
Crambo-clink, rhymes.
Crambo-jingle, rhymes.
Crankous, cranky.
Cranreuch, hoar frost.
Crap, to crop.
Craps, crops.
Craw, to crow.
Crawlin, crawling.
Creel, my senses wad be in a creel, to be crazed, to be fascinated.
Creepie-chair, the chair or stool of repentance.
Creeshie, greasy.
Crocks, old sheep.
Croods, coos.
Crooded, cooed.
Cronie, a comrade.
Croon, bellow, roar.
Crouchie, crook-backed.
Crouse, gleefully, with spirit.
Crowdie, porridge.
Crowdie-time, breakfast-time.
Crummock, a staff with a crooked head.
Crump, crisp, brittle.
Crunt, a blow on the head with a cudgel.
Cuddle, to fondle.
Cuifs, see coofs.
Cummock, a short staff with a crooked head.
Cunnin, cunning.
Curch, a female head-dress.
Curchie, a curtsey.
Curmurring, a rumbling noise.
Curpin, the crupper, the rump.
Curple, the crupper.
Cushats, wood-pigeons.
Custock, the centre of a stem of cabbage.
Cutty, short, bob-tailed.
Cutty-stool, stool of repentance.
Cut, fashion, shape.
D
Daez’t, stupefied.
Daffin, merriment, folly.
Daft, foolish.
Dails, deals of wood for sitting on.
Daimen-icker, an ear of corn now and then.
Daisie, daisy.
Daimies, dim. of dames.
Dam, water, mill-race.
Danton, daunton, to subdue.
Dang, knocked, pushed, see ding.
Dappl’t, dappled.
Darg, labor, task, a day’s work.
Darin, daring.
Darklins, darkling.
Daud, to pelt.
Daudin’, pelting.
Dauntingly, dauntlessly.
Daut, to dare.
Daut’t, dared.
Daur na, dare not.
Daut, Dawre, to fondle, to make much of.
Dawtit, fondled, caressed.
Daurk, darg, a day’s labor.
Davie’s, King David’s.
Daw, dawn.
Dawin, the dawning.
Dawds, lumps, large pieces.
Dead-sweer, but little inclined, reluctant.
Deave, to deafen.
Deil, devil.
Deil ma care, devil may care.
Deil haet, devil a thing.
Deleerit, delirious.
Delvin, delving.
Descrive, to describe.
Deservin, deserving.
Deservin’t, deserving of it.
Deuk, a duck.
Devel, a stunning blow.
Dictionar, dictionary.
Diddle, to move quickly, to shake.
Differ, difference.
Dight, cleaned from chaff; to wipe away.
Din, dun in color.
Dine, dinner-time.
Ding, to surpass, be pushed or upset.
Dings, knocks.
Dink, neat, trim.
Dinna, do not.
Dinner’d, dined.
Dirl, a vibrating blow, to vibrate.
Dirl’d, executed with spirit.
Disagreet, disagreed.
Dizzen, dozen.
Dizzie, dizzy.
Dochter, daughter.
Doin’, doing.
Doited, stupefied, having faculties impaired, esp. by age.
Donsie, vicious, restive, testy.
Dooked, ducked.
Dool, sorrow.
Doos, pigeons, doves.
Dorty, supercilious, huffy, ill-humored.
Douce, grave, sober, steady.
Doucely, soberly.
Doudled, dandled.
Dought, could, might (past tense of dow).
Dought na, did not, or did not choose to.
Doup, the backside.
Doup-skelper, one that strikes the tail.
Dour, Doure, stubborn.
Douser, more sedate (see douce).
Dow, Dowe, do, can.
Dowff, pitiless, silly, dull.
Dowie, low-spirited, dreary, mournful.
Downa bide, cannot stand.
Downa do, a phrase signifying impotence.
Doylt, stupid.
Doytin, walking stupidly, doddering.
Dozen’d, impotent, torpid, benumbed.
Dozin, stupefied, impotent, dry-rotted.
Draiglet, draggled.
Drants, prosings, drawls.
Drap, drop, a small quantity.
Drappie, dim. of drap.
Drapping, dropping.
Draunting, drawling, of a slow enunciation, (same as drant).
Draw’t, draw it.
Dree, to endure.
Dreeping, dripping.
Dreigh, tedious, long-drawn-out.
Dribble, drizzle.
Driddle, to work, walk or act in a feeble, unsteady, or uncertain manner,
to toddle.
Drift, a drone. Fell aff the drift, wandered from his companions.
Droddum, the breech.
Drone, the bagpipe.
Droop-rumpl’t, that droops at the crupper.
Drouk, to drench.
Droukit, wet, drenched.
Drouth, thirst.
Drouthy, thirsty.
Druken, drunken.
Drumly, muddy, turbid.
Drummock, meal and water mixed raw.
Drunt, pet, sour humor, huff.
Dry, thirsty.
Dub, a muddy or stagnant pool, a puddle.
Duds, garments.
Duddie, ragged.
Duddies, garments.
Dung, knocked (see ding).
Dunted, beat, thumped.
Dunts, blows, knocks.
Durk, a dirk.
Dusht, pushed or thrown down violently.
Dwalling, dwelling.
Dwalt, dwelt.
Dyke, a low wall or fence of turf or stones.
Dyvors, bankrupts, disreputable fellows, beggars.
E
Earns, eagles.
Eastlin, eastern.
Ee, eye, to watch.
Een, eyes.
E’e brie, the eyebrow.
E’en, evening.
E’enins, evenings.
Eerie, scared, dreading spirits, timid, weird.
Eild, age.
Eke, also.
Elbucks, elbows.
Eldritch, frightful, unearthly.
Eleckit, elected.
Eller, an elder.
En’, end.
Enbrugh, Em’brugh, Edinburgh.
Enow, enough.
Ensuin, ensuing.
Erse, Gaelic.
Especial, especially.
Ettle, design, intent.
Ev’n down, downright, positive.
Expeckit, expected.
Expec’, expect.
Eydent, diligent.
F
Fa’, lot, portion.
Fa’, fall.
Face’t, faced.
Faddom’t, fathomed.
Fae, foe.
Faem, foam.
Faikit, excused, let go with impunity.
Failins, failings.
Fair-fa’, a benediction.
Fairin, a present, a reward.
Fairly, entirely, completely.
Fallow, a fellow.
Fa’n, have fallen.
Fan’, Fand, found.
Farls, cakes of oat-bread.
Fash, trouble, annoyance.
Fash your thumb, trouble yourself in the least.
Fash’t, troubled.
Fashous, troublesome.
Fasten-een, Shrove Tuesday.
Fatt’rels, ribbon-ends.
Faught, a fight.
Fauld, a fold.
Faulding, folding.
Faulding slap, the gate of the fold.
Faun, fallen.
Fause, false.
Faut, Faute, fault.
Fautor, transgressor, culprit.
Fawsont, seemly, well-fashioned.
Fearfu’, fearful.
Feat, spruce, neat.
Fecht, to fight.
Fechtin, fighting.
Feck, the greater portion, bulk; also, value, return.
Feckly, mostly.
Fecket, an under waistcoat with sleeves.
Feckless, powerless, without pith.
Feg, a fig.
Feide, feud.
Feirie, clever, nimble, vigorous.
Fell, the flesh immediately under the skin; keen, biting, nippy; tasty.
Fen, a successful struggle, a shift.
Fend, to keep off, to live comfortably.
Ferlie, to wonder; a term of contempt.
Fetch’t, pulled intermittently.
Fey, predestined.
Fidge, to fidget.
Fidgin-fain, tingling with eagerness.
Fiel, soft, smooth, well, comfortably.
Fient, a petty oath. The fient a, the devil a bit of.
Fier, Fiere, healthy, sound; brother, friend, comrade.
Fillie, a filly.
Fin’, find.
Fissle, to fidget, to tingle.
Fit, foot.
Fittie-lan, the near horse of the hindmost pair in the plough.
Fizz, to make a hissing noise like fermentation.
Flaffan, flapping, fluttering.
Flae, a flea.
Flang, flung, or capered.
Flannen, flannel.
Flarin, flaring.
Flatt’rin, flattering.
Fleech’d, supplicated, wheedled, coaxed, fawned.
Fleechin, supplicating, coaxing, wheedling.
Fleesh, a fleece.
Fleg, a kick, a random stroke, a sudden motion.
Fleth’rin, flattering.
Flewit, a sharp blow.
Fley’d, scared.
Flichterin’, fluttering.
Flie, a fly.
Flinders, shreds.
Flinging, capering.
Flingin-tree, striking part of a flail.
Fliskit, fretted.
Flit, remove.
Flittering, fluttering.
Flyte, to scold.
Fodgel, squat or plump.
Foor, fared.
Foord, a ford.
Foorsday, Thursday.
Forbears, forefathers.
Forbye, besides.
Forfairn, worn-out, jaded.
Forfoughten, over-fatigued with labor or fighting, exhausted.
Forgather, to make acquaintance with, meet.
Forgather’d, met.
Forgie, forgive.
Forjesket, jaded with fatigue.
Forrit, forward.
For’t, for it.
Fother, fodder.
Fou, full, tipsy; a bushel.
Foughten, troubled, exhausted.
Fouth, an abundance.
Fow, bushel.
Frae, from.
Frammit, estranged.
Freath, to froth.
Fremit, strange, foreign.
Frien’, friend.
Fright, a person or thing of grotesque or extraordinary aspect.
Fu’, full.
Fud, the scut of the hare.
Fuff’t, blew, puffed.
Fumblin’, awkward.
Furder, furtherance.
Furms, wooden forms or seats.
Furnicator, fornicator.
Furr-ahin, the hindmost horse on the right hand of the plough.
Furrs, furrows.
Fushionless, foisonless, without strength or pith.
Fy, an exclamation of haste.
Fyke, to be in a fuss about trifles, to fret.
Fyle, to soil or dirty.
Fyl’d, dirtied.
G
Gab, to speak glibly; the mouth.
Gabs, tongues.
Gae, go, gave.
Gaed, walked, went.
Gaen, gone.
Gaets, manners, ways.
Gane, gone.
Gang, to go.
Gangrel, vagrant.
Gapin, gaping.
Gar, to make, to cause, to compel.
Gar’t, made.
Garten, garter.
Gash, sagacious; also self-complacent.
Gashin, conversing.
Gat, got.
Gate, manner, (see gaet), way or road.
Gatty, enervated.
Gaucie, comfortable looking, buxom.
Gaud, goad.
Gaudsman, a ploughboy, the boy who drives the horses in the plough.
Gaun, going.
Gaunted, yawned.
Gawcie, see gaucie.
Gawkies, foolish persons.
Gaylies, pretty well, tolerably.
Gear, wealth, goods. Weel-hain’d gear, well saved drink.
Geck, to toss the head in wantonness or scorn.
Ged, pike.
Gentles, gentry.
Genty, slender, graceful.
Geordie, George. The yellow letter’d Geordie, a guinea.
Get, offspring.
Ghaists, ghosts.
Gie, give.
Gied, gave.
Gien, given.
Gi’en, given.
Gie’s, give us.
Gif’, if.
Giftie, dim. of gift.
Giglets, giggling children, or girls.
Gillie, dim. of gill.
Gilpey, a lively young girl.
Gimmer, a ewe from one to two years old.
Gin, if.
Gipsie, gipsy.
Girdin’, girthing, the belly-band of a saddle or harness.
Girdle, a griddle.
Girn, to grin.
Gizz, a wig.
Glaikit, thoughtless, flighty.
Glaizie, glossy, shiny.
Glaum’d, grasped, snatched.
Gled, a kite, a hawk.
Gleed, a live coal.
Gleg, sharp, quick, cleverly, swiftly.
Gleib, a glebe.
Glib-gabber, smooth-tongued.
Glinted, glanced.
Glintin, glancing.
Gloamin, twilight.
Gloamin-shot, sunset.
Glowrin, staring.
Glowr’d, looked earnestly, stared.
Glunch, a frown, a sour look.
Goavin, looking round with a strange inquiring gaze, staring stupidly.
Gotten, got.
Gowan, the mountain daisy.
Gowany, daisied.
Gowd, gold.
Gowden, golden.
Gowdspink, goldfinch.
Gowdy, head.
Gowff’d, knocked hither and thither, like a golf-ball.
Gowk, a foolish person.
Gowling, howling.
Graff, a grave.
Grained, groaned.
Graip, a stable fork.
Graith, harness, field implements, accoutrements.
Graithing, gear, vestments.
Granes, groans.
Grape, to grope.
Graped, Grapit, groped.
Grat, wept.
Gratefu’, grateful.
Graunie, grandmother.
Gree, a prize; to agree.
Gree’t, agreed.
Greet, to weep.
Greetin, weeping.
Grey-neck, an indifferent person, a mugwump.
Grievin, grieving.
Grippet, gripped, caught hold of.
Grissle, gristle.
Grit, great.
Groaning maut, ale for the midwife and her gossips.
Grozet, a gooseberry.
Grumphie, the sow.
Grun’, the ground.
Grunstane, a grindstone.
Gruntle, the face, snout, ‘mug’; a grunting noise.
Grunzie, the snout.
Grushie, thick, of thriving growth.
Grusome, ill favored, shudder-some.
Grutten, wept.
Gude, God; good.
Gudeen, good even.
Gudeman, goodman, man of the house.
Gudes, goods, merchandise.
Guid, good.
Guid-e’en, good even.
Guid-mornin, good morning.
Guidfather, father-in-law.
Guidwife, the mistress of the house, the landlady.
Guid-willie, hearty, cordial, full of good will.
Gully, a large knife.
Gulravage, riot.
Gumlie, muddy, discolored.
Gumption, understanding.
Gusty, tasteful.
Gutcher, grandfather.
H
Ha’, hall.
Ha’ Bible, hall-Bible, the great Bible that lay in the hall, or principal
apartment.
Ha’ folk, servants.
Haddin, holding, inheritance.
Hae, have, here (in the sense of take).
Haet, the least thing. Deil haet, an oath of negation. Damn’d haet, nothing.
Ha’f, Haff, the half.
Haffets, the temples.
Haffet locks, locks at the temples.
Hafflins, partly.
Hafflins-wise, almost half.
Hag, a scar, or gulf in mosses and moors, a bog.
Haggis, a kind of pudding boiled in the stomach of a cow or sheep.
Hain, to spare, to save.
Hain’d, spared.
Hairst, harvest.
Haith, a petty oath.
Haivers, idle talk.
Hal’, hall.
Hald, an abiding-place.
Hale, whole, entire; Hale breeks, breeches without holes, uninjured.
Haly, holy.
Hallan, a partition wall in a cottage.
Hallions, clowns, common fellows.
Hallowmas, All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1).
Hame, home.
Hamely, homely, simple, unpretentious.
Han’, hand.
Hand-breed, a hand-breadth.
Handless, without hands, useless, awkward.
Hand-waled, carefully hand-picked.
Hangit, hanged.
Hansel, a gift for a particular season, or the first money on any particular
occasion, a first gift.
Han’t, handed.
Hap, to wrap, to shelter. Winter hap, winter clothing.
Hap, hop.
Ha’pence. half-pence.
Happer, a hopper.
Happing, hopping.
Hap-step-an’-lowp, hop, step, and jump; with a light airy step.
Harkit, hearkened.
Harn, a coarse fabric of flax or hemp.
Har’sts, harvests.
Hash, a soft, useless fellow, one who makes a hash of things, an oaf.
Hash’d, smote, disfigured, cut up.
Haslock, descriptive of the finest wool, being the lock that grows on the
hals or throat.
Has’t, has it.
Hastit, hasted.
Haud, to hold, would keep.
Hauds, holds.
Hauf, the half.
Haughs, low-lying lands, meadows.
Hauns, see han’.
Haurl, to drag, to trail.
Haurls, drags.
Haurlin, peeling, dragging off.
Hauver, oatmeal.
Havins, good manners.
Hav’rel, half-witted.Hawkie, a cow, properly one with a white face.
Healsome, wholesome.
Heapet, Heapit, heaped.
Hearin’, hearing.
Hearse, hoarse.
Hear’t, hear it.
Heartie, dim. of heart.
Hech, an exclamation of wonder.
Hecht, promised, offered.
Hechtin’, making a pant.
Heckle, a board, in which are fixed a number of sharp pins, used in
dressing hemp, flax, &c.
Hee balou, a term used by nurses when lulling children, lullaby.
Heels-o’er-gowdy, head over heels.
Heeze, to elevate, to hoist.
Heft, haft.
Hellim, the helm.
Hem shinn’d, having shins like the hames of a horse-collar, which curve
outward.
Hen-broo, chicken-broth.
Here awa, here about.
Herriet, harried.
Herrin, herring.
Herryment, plundering, devastation.
Hersel, herself.
Het, hot. Gie him’t het, give him it hot.
Heugh, a coal pit, a steep.
Heuk, a reaping-hook.
Hich, Hie, high.
Hidin’, hiding.
Hilch, to hobble, to limp.
Hilchin, halting, limping.
Hill-tap, hill top.
Hiltie siltie, helter skelter.
Himsel, himself.
Hiney, honey.
Hing, to hang.
Hingin’, Hinging, hanging.
Hirples, walks with difficulty, limps, hobbles.
Hirplin, limping.
Hissels, hissel, so many cattle as one person can attend.
Histie, bare, barren.
Hitch, a loop or knot.
Hizzies, young women, wenches, lasses.
Hoast, a cough.
Hoble, to hobble.
Hoddin, the motion of a man on horseback, jogging.
Hoggie, a young sheep after it is weaned and before it is shorn.
Hog-score, a kind of distance-line drawn across the rink at curling.
Hog-shouther, a kind of horse-play by justling with the shoulder.
Hol’t, holed, perforated.
Hoodie-craw, the hooded crow.
Hoodock, miserly.
Hool, the outer skin or case.
Hoolie! stop! go easy!
Hoord, hoard.
Hoordet, hoarded.
Horn, a spoon made of horn, a comb made of horn.
Hornbook, a primer.
Hornie, Satan.
Host, a cough (same as hoast).
Hostin, coughing.
Hotch’d, fidgeted, ‘shook a shoulder’.
Houghmagandie, fornication.
Houlets, owls.
Housie, dim. of house.
Hov’d, swelled.
Howdie, a midwife.
Howe, hollowly, a hollow or dell.
Howe-backit, sunk in the back.
Howes, hollows.
Howkit, digged, dug up.
Howlet-faced, faced like an owl.
Hoyse, hoist.
Hoy’t, urged on.
Hoyte, to smile crazily.
Hughoc, dim. of Hugh.
Hunder, a hundred.
Hunkers, hams.
Huntit, hunted.
Hurcheon, a hedgehog.
Hurchin, an urchin.
Hurdies, hips, buttocks.
Hurl, to fall down ruinously; to ride, to trundle.
Hushion, a footless stocking.
Hyte, mad.
I
Icker, an ear of corn.
Ier’oe, a great-grandchild.
Ilk, Ilka, each, every.
Ill-Thief, the Devil.
Ill-willie, ill-natured, malicious, niggardly.
Indentin, indenturing.
Ingine, genius, ingenuity.
Ingle-cheek, the fireside.
Ingle-lowe, the household fire, fire-light.
In’s, in his.
In’t, in it.
I’se, I shall or will.
Isna, is not.
Ither, other.
Itsel, itself.
J
Jad, a jade.
Janwar, January.
Jauk, to dally, to trifle.
Jaukin, trifling, dallying.
Jauner, foolish talk.
Jauntie, dim. of jaunt.
Jaups, splashes.
Jaw, to pour, to dash; talk, impudence.
Jillet, a jilt.
Jimp, to jump; slender.
Jimps, a kind of easy stays or underbodice.
Jimpy, neatly.
Jink, to dodge, to move quickly.
Jinker, that turns quickly.
Jinkers, gay, sprightly girls.
Jinkin, dodging.
Jirkinet, an outer jacket or jerkin worn by women.
Jirt, a jerk.
Jo, sweetheart, a term expressing affection and some degree of
familiarity.
Jobbin’, jobbing.
Joctelegs, clasp-knives.
Joes, lovers.
Johnny Ged’s Hole, the grave.
Jokin, joking.
Jorum, the punch-bowl.
Jouk, to duck, to dodge, to make obeisance.
Jow, to swing and sound.
Jumpit, jumped.
Jundie, to justle.
K
Kaes, daws.
Kail, broth made with vegetables, esp. colewort or cabbage.
Kail-blade, the leaf of the colewort or cabbage.
Kail-runt, the stem of the colewort or cabbage.
Kain, farm produce paid as rent.
Kebars, rafters.
Kebbuck, a cheese.
Kebbuck-heel, the remaining portion of a cheese.
Keckle, to cackle, to laugh.
Keekin’-glass, a looking-glass.
Keekit, peeped.
Keeks, peeps.
Keel, red ochre, or reddle, used for marking sheep.
Keepit, kept.
Kelpies, water-spirits.
Ken, know.
Kend, Kenn’d, known.
Kennin, a little bit, ‘merely as much as can be perceived’.
Kent, knew.
Kep, to catch anything when falling.
Ket, a matted fleece.
Kiaugh, anxiety, worry.
Kickin’, kicking.
Kilbagie, whisky from Kilbagie distillery.
Killie, Kilmarnock.
Kilt, to tuck up.
Kimmer, a girl, a wench.
Kin’, kind.
King’s-hood, a part of the entrails of an ox.
Kintra, country.
Kirn, a churn.
Kirns, harvest-homes, merry makings.
Kirsen, to christen.
Kissin’, kissing.
Kist, a shop counter, a chest.
Kitchens, seasons, makes palatable.
Kittle, to tickle, ticklish, difficult.
Kittlin, a kitten.
Kiutlin, cuddling.
Knaggie, like knags, or points of rock, knobby.
Knappin-hammers, hammers for breaking stones.
Knowe, a hillock, a knoll.
Knurl, a churl.
Knurlin, a dwarf.
Kye, cows.
Kyle, a district of Ayrshire.
Kyles, nine-pin Kyles, the game of skittles.
Kytes, bellies.
Kythe, discover, show.
L
Laddie, a lad.
Lade, a load.
Laggen, the angle between the side and bottom of a wooden dish.
Laigh, low.
Laik, lack.
Lair, lore, learning.
Lairing, wading and sinking in snow and or mud.
Laith, loath.
Laithfu’, bashful, sheepish.
Lallan, lowland.
Lambie, dim. of lamb.
Lampit, limpet.
Lan’, land, estate.
Lan’ afore, the foremost horse on the left hand in the plough.
Lane, alone.
Lanely, lonely.
Lang, long.
Langer, longer.
Lap, leaped.
Laughin, laughing.
Lave, the rest.
Lav’rock, lark.
Lawin, shot, reckoning, bill.
Lawlan’, lowland.
Lazie, lazy.
Lea’e, leave.
Leal, true, loyal.
Lea-rig, a grassy ridge.
Lear, lore, learning.
Lee, the lea, grass, untilled land.
Lee-lang, live-long.
Leesome, pleasant, lawful.
Leeze me, a phrase of congratulatory endearment, I am happy in thee, or
proud of thee.
Leister, a three-barbed instrument for sticking fish, a salmon-spear.
Len’, lend.
Leugh, laughed.
Leuk, look, appearance.
Ley crap, lea crop.
Libbet, gelded.
Licket, beaten, licked.
Licks, a beating. Gat his licks, got a beating.
Liein, telling lies.
Lien, lain.
Lift, heaven, the sky; a large quantity, a load.
Lightly, to undervalue, to slight.
Liken, to compare.
Lilt, sing.
Limbies, dim. of limbs.
Limmer, a kept mistress, a strumpet, a jade, a minx.
Limpit, limped.
Lin, Linn, a waterfall.
Linket, tripped deftly and vigorously.
Linkin, tripping, hurrying.
Lint, flax. Sin lint was i’ the bell, since flax was in flower.
Linties, linnets.
Lintwhite, linnet.
Lippened, trusted.
Lippie, dim. of lip.
Loan, loanin’, lane, farm road, path.
Lo’ed, loved.
Lon’on, London.
Loof (pl. looves), palm of the hand.
Loosome, lovesome.
Loot, did let.
Looves, palms.
Losh, a petty oath.
Lough, a lake.
Loun, loon, lown, a lout, a clown, a boor.
Loup, to leap.
Lovin’, loving.
Low, flame.
Lowan, Lowin, flaming, blazing.
Lowpin, Lowping, leaping.
Lows’d, loosed.
Lowse, to loosen.
Luckie, a grandmother, an alewife, any elderly woman.
Lug, the ear; to produce, to bring out.
Lugget, eared. Lugget caup, eared cup.
Luggies, small wooden dishes with handles, porringers.
Luke, look.
Lum, the chimney.
Lunardie, a bonnet called after Lunardi the aeronaut.
Lunt, a column of smoke.
Luntin, smoking.
Luve, love.
Luvers, lovers.
Lyart, grey.
Lynin, lining.
M
Mae, more.
Mailie, Molly.
Mailins, farms.
Mair, more.
Maist, almost, most.
Maistly, mostly.
Mak, make.
Makin, making.
Mang, among.
Manse, a parsonage house.
Manteels, mantles.
Mark, an old Scots coin, of slightly greater value than the English
shilling—worth about 26c in American money.
Mar’s year, 1715, the year of Mar’s rebellion.
Mashlum, made of mixed meal.
Maskin-pat, a tea-pot.
Maukin, a hare.
Maun, must.
Maunna, must not.
Maut, malt.
Mavis, the thrush.
Mawin, mowing.
Mawn, a large wicker basket; mown.
Maybe, perhaps.
Meere, a mare.
Meikle, much, great.
Melder, corn or grain of any kind sent to the mill to be ground.
Mell, to meddle.
Melvie, to soil with meal-dust.
Men’, mend.
Mense, tact, discretion, decorum.
Merle, blackbird.
Back to Favorite Books & Authors
Also by William Michaelian
POETRY
Winter Poems
ISBN: 978-0-9796599-0-4
52 pages. Paper.
——————————
Another Song I Know
ISBN: 978-0-9796599-1-1
80 pages. Paper.
——————————
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John Anderson My Jo
John Anderson my jo, John,
When we were first acquent,
Your locks were like the raven,
Your bonie brow was brent;
But now your brow is beld, John,
Your locks are like the snaw;
But blessings on your frosty pow,
John Anderson my jo!
John Anderson my jo, John,
We clamb the hill thegither,
And monie a canty day, John,
We’ve had wi’ ane anither;
Now we maun totter down, John,
And hand in hand we’ll go,
And sleep thegither at the foot,
John Anderson my jo!