A Doric Dictionary E-Book

Douglas Kynoch

• Herausgeber: Luath Press
• Kategorie: Fremdsprachen
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 479

Beschreibung

What's the difference between a meggie-monyfeet and a hornie-gollach? Between snap-an-rattle and murly-tuck? All is explained in the Doric Dictionary. It is a two-way lexicon of words and phrases drawn from the former Banffshire in the North through Aberdeenshire to the Mearns and North Angus and drawn from the published works of most the North-east's best-known writers of the 19th and 20th centuries. As the writer says in his foreword, 'There is not one monolithic form of Doric but a multliplicity of forms; and words can change not only from county to county but from village to village'. The Dictionary contains no fewer than eight variants of the term for a seagull. This new version (2018) is enhanced by a most stimulating injection of Buchan vocabulary drawn from W. P. Milne's historical novel, Eppie Elrick.

Leseprobe

DOUGLAS KYNOCH was born, brought up and educated in Aberdeen. He spent most of his life in broadcasting: with Grampian Television from its opening, then with the bbc in Glasgow. A second career in writing began in the 1990s, his first book Teach Yourself Doric (a spoof language primer) becoming an immediate Scottish best-seller.

This dictionary was first published by the Scottish Cultural Press in 1996. A revised edition was published in 2004.

This new enlarged edition was first published by Luath Press in 2019.

eISBN: 978-1-912387-76-2

The author’s right to be identified as author of this book under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 has been asserted.

The paper used in this book is recyclable. It is made from low chlorine pulps produced in a low energy, low emission manner from renewable forests.

Typeset in 10.5 point Sabon by Lapiz

Printed and bound by iPrint Global, Ely

© Douglas Kynoch 2019

Contents

Preface

Preface to the Enlarged Edition

Spelling

Pronunciation

Bibliography & Key to Code Symbols

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Part One: Doric – English

Part Two: English – Doric

Preface

DORIC IS A NAME given to broad and rustic dialect. Deriving from that spoken by the Dorians in ancient Greece, it has been applied in more recent times to the dialects of England and of Scotland, while in Scotland itself the term refers pre-eminently to the dialect of the Scots language which is spoken in the north-eastern corner of the country. The Doric of north-east Scotland meets both the traditional qualifications. On the one hand, its broadness can present difficulty even for Scots in other parts of Scotland, while on the other, its richest manifestation has always been found in the rural hinterland, where the language has recorded and labelled all the trappings of everyday life in what was a largely farming and fishing community.

It may be useful to establish what we mean in the present context by the term, north-east. For the purposes of this dictionary, it has been taken to include the old counties of Moray, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire, along with the former Kincardineshire, where there are language differences between north and south. Additionally, as the north-east has always claimed as its own such writers as Violet Jacob, Helen Cruickshank and Sir Alexander Gray, their home county of Angus has been included, or at least the northern part of it, which has strong linguistic ties with Kincardine. Certain forms appear in Angus which are unknown in, even alien to the rest of the north-east (no for nae for example); but similarities are strong and argue for inclusion.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that over so extensive an area there should be a considerable number of linguistic differences. If language can change slightly from village to village, as it does, then changes from county to county may be even greater. Only a rash man would say that this or that expression was not Doric simply because it was not his Doric. The truth is that there is not one monolithic form of Doric but a multiplicity of forms, differing to a greater or lesser degree here and there. Not only is there a northern and southern Doric, a Banffshire and a Mearns Doric, there is a farming and a fishing Doric and a now somewhat diluted (and often debased) urban Doric. It is interesting to note how the word for a scarecrow changes from county to county and that for a seagull from town to town.

A north-east born journalist has taken me to task for using the word gae in a Doric context, protesting that gyang was the only allowable rendering of the English verb, to go. This is, quite simply, untrue. It may have been the form used in the area my critic was brought up in; but as is clear from the ensuing text, there are other widely used and acceptable forms such as ging (Aberdeen city) and gang, gaan (coastal) and gae. Individual Doric speakers appear to use more than one.

The vocabulary in this dictionary has been drawn from the works of north-east writers published between 1871 and the present day, while Helen Beaton’s book, At the Back of Benachie attempts to reproduce the speech of 100 years before, taking us back approximately to 1815. Some may question the value of including words long obsolete; but they are part of the Doric heritage and are useful for reading older Doric texts. The list of writers is far from exhaustive but contains as many as could be conveniently referred to by one individual over the six and a half month period allowed for the compilation of the dictionary.

Of especial value has been the work of writers of prose or dialogue, of which, sadly, there have been few. Into this category come not only Helen Beaton but the creator of Johnny Gibb of Gushetneuk, Wm. Alexander; the author of the dialogues, Mains and Hilly, James Alexander; several newspaper contributors from Wm. Donaldson’s Victorian prose collection, The Language of the People and the autobiographical work of the Rev. David Ogston. Alexander Smith’s work was of invaluable service in pointing to the linguistic variants to be found in Kincardineshire; and, although he spent the latter half of his life in Buchan and his Doric could conceivably have got a little throwder, I was never myself aware of any confusion.

Doric poetry, though more readily available than prose, can be something of a minefield for someone in search of purity of language, since purity of language need not be the poet’s first concern. For one thing, a poet uses language creatively and moves it on from its original sense to mean something imaginatively different. For another, he or she may borrow terms used in other parts of Scotland, believing any Scots word to be fair game for the writer. Hugh MacDiarmid certainly subscribed to this view and various other writers were to follow his example in the Scottish Renaissance of the early 1920s. For this reason, at an early stage, I had to abandon the work of Helen Cruickshank, a devotee of MacDiarmid, as a reliable example of Angus dialect, when I found several intrusions of the kind described (although a few cullings from Miss Cruickshank’s verse survive to confirm some of the more basic differences of Angus speech). The work of other well-known poets has, for similar reasons, been avoided or used with circumspection.

In using the dictionary, readers will occasionally find a word marked with an initial letter. This points to the writer in whose work the word was found and is an indication of the part of the north-east he or she comes from and the period in which the word was used. A list of authors and appropriate code signs is provided. This system of word identification is rudimentary but may prove useful as a general guide for writers and readers alike.

It may fairly be pointed out that some of the vocabulary listed here is not, strictly speaking, Doric at all but merely a Doric form of English. Suppersteeshun for superstition for example. Yet if this is or was the way in which the word was commonly spoken in the north-east, then it is right that it should be recorded and preserved rather than that the pure English form should be used in the speaking of Doric. As for what is pure Doric and what counts as slang, it is not within my competence to distinguish between the two any more than I can point categorically to obsolete usages.

A Doric Dictionary is offered to the people of the north-east, wherever they may be, in gratitude for having been nurtured by our shared culture.

Douglas Kynoch

Glasgow, 1996.

Preface to the Enlarged Edition

THIS ENLARGED EDITION of A Doric Dictionary benefits greatly from the inclusion of vocabulary drawn from the work of Prof W. P. Milne, whose novel, Eppie Elrick, written in his native Buchan dialect, was published in 1955.

Douglas Kynoch

Aberdeen, 2019.

Spelling

DESPITE SIGNS OF increasing standardisation, there is no universally recognised way of spelling Scots; and readers of the language will find considerable variation. This will become apparent in the first part of the dictionary, where, with a few exceptions, spelling is generally as found in the text from which the word was culled. In turning the dictionary around, however, and compiling the English to Doric section I have thought it sensible to review the orthography to some extent and to reduce the number of spelling options. It is not uncommon, therefore, for a word to be spelt one way in Part One and in another in Part Two, the latter being considered preferable for one reason or another.

There may, in fact, be more than one acceptable spelling in Part Two; and, as I have not eradicated the orthographical forms used in other parts of Scotland, a north-east Doric form may be followed by a more common all-Scotland form (eg, daad and daud; meen and mune; stoor and stour). Both spelling forms are capable of being spoken in the Doric way, while the latter (eg, daud and mune) may also be spoken using a vowel sound alien to the north-east but heard in other parts of Scotland. In writing, then, one has the choice of appealing to an exclusively north-east readership on the one hand or a wider Scots readership on the other. Charles Murray adopted the latter course and, perhaps in consequence, won himself a national following. Few other northeast poets have followed suit.

Modern practice is to eradicate the apostrophe as far as possible and certainly in common words such as an meaning and and amo meaning among. This is understood by some to indicate that the word in question exists in its own right and is not a mere corruption of English. Whatever the validity of that view, I am happy to respect the convention and apostrophes have been eliminated as far as possible, surviving only occasionally in Part Two, where the meaning of a word would otherwise be unclear.

Pronunciation

Vowels and Diphthongs

a, aa and aw are pronounced as in the English car.

a before bb, m, mp and nk, however is pronounced u as in cup in both English and Scots words (eg, cabbage, crabbit, stamp and bank). Before g, a may be pronounced u (eg, bag, baggie) or a as in car (eg, stag).

ai and ae are pronounced as in the English hate (eg, mait, maet).

a-e as in the English seen (eg, ane, bane, stane, more usually rendered een, been, steen).

ee and ei (sometimes also ie) as in the English feet.

i is pronounced somewhere between the English i and e.

ie is sometimes pronounced as in feet and sometimes as in fit. Several words are spelt now ie, now ei. To attempt to clarify the situation, I have classified those in Part Two according to pronunciation, so that speil, speir, sheilin, deil and neist are spelt ei, the first letter indicating the pronunciation, while fient and nieve are spelt ie, the first letter pointing once more to pronunciation. As the diphthong in chiel, brier, chief, feish, neiper, remeid and sheil appears to be spelt only one way, I have left these as they stand, though there is obviously room for further standardisation.

oi is said as y, being rendered this way in Part Two, eg, dytit, doitit.

oo as in moon.

ou may be pronounced either as in moon or as in cow. With a few words like clout, both pronunciations are possible, though generally with different meanings. For this reason, I have eliminated the ou spelling as far as possible in Part Two, replacing it either with oo or ow according to pronunciation. Where this was uncertain, I left ou untouched.

u is pronounced as in the English jug.

u-e as in mune is generally pronounced ee. Hence meen and sheen.

ui is problematic, being susceptible to different pronunciations in different areas. In the words buird and buirdly, for example, boord(ly) would appear to apply to Angus and the former South Kincardineshire, with beerdly or byoordly applying in the rest of the north-east. The ui division line, according to Chambers Scots Dictionary, is said to run from Mount Battock to Skateraw on the Kincardineshire coast.

Consonants

ch is pronounced as in the Scots loch.

g and k should be pronounced before n (eg, knowe and gnap).

ng in the middle of a word implies no g sound, so that the g in the Doric hunger is spoken like the ng in the English singer.

s or the s sound is sometimes replaced by sh in such words as vessel, officer and sew (shoo).

wh at the start of a word is, with the exception of Angus, pronounced f, the words whaar, whan and what being rendered faar, faan and fat.

Diminutives

North-east Scots is much given to the use of diminutives. Bairn can become bairnikie; babbie, babbitie; lass may be rendered lassock or lassockie. The most popular of the diminutive forms, however, is the simple ie ending which appears most commonly in one-syllable words such as loon(ie), though it can also be found in words of two syllables, eg bourach(ie) and, exceptionally, in longer words. Diminutives appear rarely in this dictionary, but, by using the ie ending, can be created from appropriate nouns.

Bibliography & Key to Code Symbols

THE CODE SYMBOLS shown here indicate the writer in whose work the word was found, the home area and dates of the writer being given where known. They may also point either to the part of the north-east where the word came from or to the period in which use of the word was current. The symbol usually indicates an unusual word or an unusual variant of a word. A commonplace word is coded, where it is one of several having the same meaning. The system offers no more than a rough guide to the provenance of the word.

Code letter

AGeorge Abel of Aberdeenshire (1856–1916): brought up on farms in the parish of Kintore; minister of Udny Free Church for 35 years; author of the verse collection Wylins fae My Wallet, published 1916.

A1James Alexander of Ythan Wells, Aberdeenshire: author of Mains and Hilly, a collection of dialogues in the Aberdeenshire dialect, originally published in the Aberdeen Weekly Free Press and brought out in book form in 1929.

A2William Alexander of Aberdeenshire (1826–94): author of Johnny Gibb of Gushetneuk, published 1871 and Life Among My Ain Folk, published 1882; ploughman, journalist and editor of the Aberdeen Free Press, in which Johnny Gibb was serialised.

BPeter Buchan of Peterhead (1917–1991): a fisherman like his father; author of a collection of poems, Mount Pleasant and a collection of north-east tales, Fisher Blue. What has been drawn on here is his contribution to Buchan Claik, a compendium of north-east words and phrases which he compiled in collaboration with David Toulmin.

B1Helen Beaton of Aberdeenshire. Mrs Beaton’s account of life in the Garioch in the 19th century is based in particular on the parish of Rayne and relies on the stories and language of her grandmother. Entitled At the Back o’ Benachie, it was published in 1915.

CJ. M. Caie of Banffshire (1879–1949). John Morrison Caie was born in Banchory-Devenick, the son of a Banffshire minister. He was brought up on a farm in the parish of Enzie. Trained both in law and agriculture, he spent much of his working life with the Board of Agriculture for Scotland. Of his two volumes of verse, it is ‘Twixt Hills and Sea which helps give the dictionary its Banffshire flavour.

C1Helen B. Cruickshank of Angus (1886–1975). Helen Burness Cruickshank was reared at Hillside between Montrose and the North Esk. The greater part of her working life with the civil service was spent in the Department of Health in Edinburgh. A devotee of Hugh MacDiarmid, her Scots vocabulary tends to be eclectic, so only the most basic terms are quoted as examples of Angus speech.

FAlexander Fenton of Aberdeenshire (1929–2012). Director of the European Ethnological Research Centre in Edinburgh, Prof Fenton, a native of the Howe of Pitglassie in Auchterless, has used a farm in that parish as the basis of a study of the words and expressions describing farm equipment and techniques in the second quarter of the 20th century. This invaluable record of north-east farm practice is contained in his book, Wirds an’ Wark ‘e Seasons Roon, published in 1987.

GFlora Garry of Aberdeenshire (1900–2000). Of farming stock, Mrs Garry was brought up at Mains of Auchmunziel, New Deer. Trained as a teacher, she taught at Dumfries and Strichen, was married to R. Campbell Garry, Regius Professor Physiology at Glasgow University and retired to Comrie. Her verse collection, Bennygoak was first published in 1974.

G1Sir Alexander Gray of Angus (1882–1968). Gray was first Jeffrey Professor of Political Economy at Aberdeen University from 1921-34, to which period much of his Scots verse belongs. The linguistic variants of Angus become apparent in his verse collection, Any Man’s Life which appeared in 1924.

JViolet Jacob of Angus (1863–1946). Mrs Jacob (née Kennedy-Erskine) was a sister of the 19th laird of Dun, the family having owned for centuries the Dun estate between Brechin and Montrose. Author of four books of verse, her Scottish Poems were published in 1944.

KWilliam Knight (1825–1866) was born and brought up in Banffshire before settling in Aberdeen. Of a brilliant turn of mind, he won a bursary to St Andrews University, devoting himself largely thereafter to shoemaking and the writing of verse. His collection, Auld Yule and Other Poems was published in 1869 after his early death.

MCharles Murray of Aberdeenshire (1864–1941). Born in Alford, Dr Murray was a civil engineer who spent most of his professional life in South Africa, where he was ultimately appointed the Union’s Secretary for Public Works. He retired to the north-east, where several books of verse were published in his lifetime, Hamewith: the Complete Poems not appearing until 1979.

M1J.C. Milne of Aberdeenshire (1897–1962). Another writer of farming stock, John Milne was born at Memsie near Fraserburgh. After a brilliant academic career at Aberdeen University, he turned to teaching, later becoming Master of Method at Aberdeen College of Education. Though much of his verse is devoted to school teaching, Milne will be no less well remembered for his humorous exposé of the trials of farming life laid bare in his first collection, the Orra Loon (1946). His collected Poems were published posthumously in 1963.

M2G. K. Murray of Banffshire (1910–1985). Born in Keith, Gordon Murray was a land agent with the Forestry Commission. His little book of prose pieces, Tales o a Gamie, published in 1978, was specially written for use in schools and colleges.

M3William P. Milne (1881–1967) was born at Longside and schooled at Peterhead and Aberdeen Grammar School. Graduating from Aberdeen University with first class honours in maths and natural philosophy, he was later appointed to the chair of Mathematics at Leeds University. On retirement, he completed and published his novel of the 1715 rebellion, Eppie Elrick, written in his native Buchan dialect. It appeared in 1955.

ODavid D. Ogston of Aberdeenshire (1945–2008). In two volumes of autobiography, White Stone Country and Dry-stone Days, David Ogston, minister at St John’s, Perth, described in Doric his upbringing on farms in Buchan and the Garioch.

RElsie S. Rae of Banffshire. Elsie Rae was the wife of the Rev. Robert Wilson. Her verse collections include Private John McPherson (1917) and Hansel Fae Hame and other Scots Poems (1927), the latter forming part of this bibliography.

SAlexander Smith of Kincardineshire (1911–1993). Alex Smith is remarkable for having, in the years before his death, written three substantial books in Doric. Two of them, Forty Years in Kincardineshire and Forty Years in Buchan and Banff, are autobiographical; the third, Fairmin the Wey It Wis records farm life over the period of a year. As well as having what appears to be total recall, Smith had a keen ear, which discerned the differences between the Doric of Kincardineshire and that of Buchan and Banff.

TDavid Toulmin of Aberdeenshire. This was the pen-name of John Reid (1913–1998) born at Rathen in Buchan, the son of a farm-worker. He himself spent his working life in farm labour but turned, in due course, to the writing of novels. He contributed the farming data to Buchan Claik, while his collaborator, Peter Buchan provided the fishing material.

Additional Bibliography

Sheena Blackhall of Aberdeen and Deeside: The Cyard’s Kist (1984)

George Bruce of Fraserburgh and Edinburgh: Perspectives (1984)

A.M. Davidson of Midmar: Tinkler’s Whussel (1981)

Joyce Everill of Torry, Aberdeen and Fife: Granny’s Button Box (1989)

Donald Gordon of Aberdeen: The Low Road Hame (1987)

William Imray of Tarland: Langstene Nou and Syne (1991)

M.S. Lumsden of Rothiemurchus and Aberdeen: Affirmations (1990)

Alastair Mackie of Aberdeen: Ingaitherins (1987)

Lilianne Grant Rich of Genlivet: White Rose of Druminnor (1969)

Alexander Scott of Aberdeen: Collected Poems (1994)

Robbie Shepherd of Dunecht: the weekly Doric column in The Press and Journal

Margaret Smith of Gardenstown and Banff: Hard Graft (unpub. dialogue)

Wm. Thom of Inverurie: Rhymes and Recollections of a Hand-Loom Weaver (1845)

Rev. James Wood of Portnockie and Aberdeen: The Wind on the Hill (1988)

The Living Doric verse anthology (1985)

The Language of the People: Scots Prose from the Victorian Revival edited by William Donaldson (1989)

Acknowledgements

FURTHER VOCABULARY was provided by the late Mrs Bella Sandison of Adendale, Strachan and Ronald W. McDonald of Longside and Aberdeen. To these, to the writers of all published work listed, to the compilers of the Scottish National Dictionary, the Concise Scots Dictionary and Chambers Scots Dictionary, the author is indebted. For kindnesses rendered, thanks are due too to the Aberdeenshire Library and Information Service, to James Slater of Portsoy and the late Bill Middleton of Ardlair, Strachan.

Abbreviations

Abdn.

Aberdeen

adj.

adjective, -ival

adv.

adverb

aux.

auxiliary

cf.

compare with

chf.

chiefly

conj.

conjunction

contempt.

contemptuous

corr.

corruption

def. art.

definite article

deriv.

derivative of, deriving from

dim.

diminutive

eg

for example

Eng.

English

excl.

exclamation

f.

female

fig.

figuratively

gen.

generally

imp.

imperative

incl.

including

indef.

indefinite article

int.

interjection

interrog.

interrogative

lit.

literary

liter.

literally

m.

male

n.

noun

naut.

nautical

neg.

negative

n. pl.

noun plural

obs.

obsolete

orig.

originally

perf.

perfect

perh.

perhaps

phr.

phrase

pl.

plural

ppl.

participle (present/past)

pred. adj.

predicative adjective

pr. n.

proper noun

prep. phr.

prepositional phrase

pro.

pronounced

pron.

pronoun

ref.

reference

rel. pron.

relative pronoun

v.

verb

var.

variant

verb. n.

verbal noun

v. pr.

verb present tense

v. pt.

verb past tense

v. tr.

verb transitive

v. intr.

verb intransitive

Part One

Doric – English

A

Apron. I. cf. Aw, I

aindef. art. a

’a’v. (in perf. tense with aux. v.) have eg, mith ’a’ been might have been

aa, a’adj. all, every; ~bodyn., pron. everybody; ~ come in one’s right mind; ~ gate everywhere; ~ his lane all on his own; ~ itherbody everyone else; ~ the airts in all directions; ~thingn. everything; ~wyeadv. everywhere; an ~ also, too

aacren. acre. cf. awcre

aafa, aafuadj., adv. awful; an ~with pl. an awful lot of eg, an ~ midgies

aagentn. agent

Aagistn. August

aal(d), Aal(d)adj. old; ~er older; ~est oldest; Aal Eelpr. n. Old Yule; Aal(d) Hornie, Aal(d) Nickpr. n. the Devil. cf. aul(d)

aamv. thrash. cf. aum

aat, ’atadj., pron., conj. that

abeeadv. alone; lat weel ~ let well alone

abeech, abeichadv. at a distance, aloof

abeenadv., prep. above. cf. abune

ablachn. dwarf; insignificant person

ablinsadv. perhaps (B1)

ablo(w)prep. below (S)

abodyn., pron. everybody

abootprep. about

abreistadv. abreast

abuneprep., adv. above. cf. abeen

Abynepr. n. Aboyne village

accepv. accept; ppl. acceppit

accommodatv. accommodate

accoontn., v. account; ~ableadj. accountable

achtadj. eight; cf. aicht, echt; ~eenadj. eighteen; cf. auchteen

achtn. ownership; v. own; owe. cf. aucht, yacht

ackn. action; v. act; ~irn. actor

acquaintppl. acquainted (B)

acquantppl. acquainted (G); ~ancen. acquaintance

acquintppl. acquainted (S)

actiwaladj. actual

adapv. adapt; pt. ~pit adapted

adayan. idea

addiscenceSeeaudiscence

adeen. a to-do; v. to do; muckle ~ much to do

aeadj. one, single

aefaul(d) adj. sincere (B1, O)

aenooadv. now. cf. ivnoo, eyvnoo

aetn. a feed; a gweed ~ a good feed; v. inf. and pr. eat; ~enppl. eaten; ~meatn. one who eats without working

afenadv. often. cf. aft, aften

affadv., prep. off; ~ his eggs ill at ease; ~ his stotter losing the thread of his thought; ~-castn. anything cast off; ~comen. apology; excuse; ~-gon. start; ~-hanadj. blunt, plain; without warning or preparation; adv. beforehand; tae be ~-han wiphr. to forestall; ~intprep. phr. off it; from it (S); ~latn. time off, leave of absence; ~-pittinppl., adj. procrastinating

affaadj., adv. awful. cf. aafa, yafa

affeckitadj. moved, touched; sair ~ deeply moved; weel ~ tae well disposed to

affhanphr. tae be ~ wi to forestall

affintadj. upset (S)

afflickitadj. afflicted

affoordv. afford

affrontitppl., adj. ashamed; embarrassed; black ~ deeply embarrassed

aforeadv. in front; prep., conj. before, in front of

aft, aftenadv. often. cf. afen

aganeprep. against (K). cf. agin

ageeadj. awry; in a disordered state, out of order; crooked

aggravationn. irritation

aginprep. against

agleyadv. off the straight, obliquely

a-gyaunppl. going about; going on

aheidprep., adv. ahead

ahinprep. behind; adv. late

ahintadv. behind

Aiberdeenpr. n. Aberdeen

Aiberdourpr. n. Aberdour

aiblinsadv. perhaps (K, M1). cf. ablins

aichtadj. eight (S); ~yadj. eighty. cf. eichty

aiddern. udder

aifterprep., conj. after; adv. afterwards; ~hinadv. afterwards; ~neenn. afternoon; ~ninn. afternoon (S). cf. efter

aign. egg

aikn. oak

ailv. to be unwell, to be amiss; ~ at to be dissatisfied with

ainadj. own

ainceadv. once (S). cf. eence

aipplen. apple

airadv. early (A); ~ an late all the time

airchn. arch; adj. (chgutteral) anxious (A2); timorous. cf. arch

airelsn. pl. musical tones

airishadj. chilly

airlyadv. early. cf. air

airmn. arm; ~-cheern. armchair

airmyn. army

airnn. iron; v. earn

airsen. arse; ~poochn. back pocket

airtn. direction; art

airthn. earth. cf. yird

aisen. ease. cf. aiss

aishann. generation; family connection (A2). cf. ation

aispn. asp, serpent

aissn. ash, ashes; ~-backetn. ash-can; ~-middenn. ash-heap; ~-cairtn. dustcart. cf. aise

aisyadj., adv. easy (S)

ait, aitsn. oats; ~ kyaaks oat cakes (A1); ~meal oatmeal; ~enadj. oaten

aithn. oath

aivenadv. even

aiv(e)rinn. cloudberry

aivisn. trick; fad (B1)

aixn. axe

aixlen. axle

aizleSeeeyzle

ajeeadv. to one side, off the straight; (of a door) ajar. cf. agee

Ake, Akiepr. n. Alexander

alaftadv. above, aloft

alairmn. alarm

alaneadj., adv. alone. cf. aleen

alangprep. along

alen. ale; lemonade etc; ~berryn. oatmeal boiled in ale, sweetened with sugar (A2)

aleenadj., adv. alone. cf. alane

aleyvenadj. eleven

alis(s)excl. (sudden cry of pain) alas!

alistadj. alive; come ~ recover consciousness

alloo, alloun. approval; v. allow, pt. alloot

Almichtyadj. Almighty

alow, in alowprep. below (S)

aloweadv. on fire, ablaze

aluntadv. ablaze. cf. alow

amaistadv. almost

amangprep. among. cf. amin, amo

ameesementn. amusement

amensn. pl. amends

aminprep. among (S). cf. amo

amint, ootprep. phr. out of things (S)

ammuneetionn. ammunition

amninv. am not; ~ aw am I not? (A2)

amo, amonprep. among. cf. amin

amousn. alms. cf. amus

amshachn. accident, mishap (B1)

amuntn. amount

amusSeeamous

anconj. and

anceadv. once (C, G1); ~ eeran on a special errand, specially. cf. aince, eence

Andrapr. n. deriv. of Andrew

aneadj. n. one. cf. een

anentprep. opposite; in front of; over against; concerning

Anersmaspr. n. Andrewmas

anethadv., prep. beneath (A, M, M1). cf. ablow, alow

aneu, aneuchadj. enough

angersomeadj. annoying, provoking

anidderadj., pron. another. cf. anither, anodder

anintprep. opposite. cf. anent

anitheradj., pron. another; ~ kind much improved (B)

annwaladj. annual

anodderadj., pron. another (A2). cf. anidder, anither

anseadv. else (C)

anterv. saunter; wander (M3)

anterin, antrinadj. occasional

anticn. oddity; eccentric

anyntitppl. anointed

anyooSeeaneu

anyoochSeeaneugh

apairtadv. apart

apenv. open

apothecn. lot; collection. cf. hypothec

appalen., v. appeal

appearandlyadv. apparently

appintv. appoint

appruvv. approve

aquentSeeacquant

arch (chguttural) adj. timorous; anxious (A2)

areadyadv. already

argiev. argue

argie-bargie; argle-barglen. argument (A2); v. to argue, contend

argiementn. argument

arlesn. earnest given on striking a bargain

arn-treen. alder (J)

arnutn. earth-nut; pignut

aroonadv., prep. around

arreengev. arrange

asin phr. ~ much so much

ashetn. large serving dish

asideadv. close by; present; prep. beside

asklentadv. askance

asseer (asser)v. assure (B1)

asteeradv. astir

astonishern. a big surprise (A1)

astonishment, ann. shock (A1)

atheenprep. above (B1). cf. abeen

athin(g)n. everything

Athole brosen. honey or meal mixed with whisky

athootconj., prep. without

athortadv. all over; prep. across

attlinpr., ppl. eager (M3). cf. ettlin

ationn. generation; family connection (A2). cf. aishan

atomien. skeleton

atourprep. across; beyond

attenv. attend; ppl. ~t

attrackv. attract

atweenadv., prep. between; ~ hansadv. between times (B)

atweeshprep. Seeatween

auadj. old (A1). cf. aul

Auchmacoy bummern. the Buchan bumble bee

auchtadj. eight; n., pron. anything; n. possession; v. owe; own; ~in due; ~ nor ocht nothing at all; neither one thing nor another; ~eenadj. eighteen. cf. acht

audiscencen. audience; hearing

aul(d)adj. old; ~er older; ~est oldest; ~farrant old-fashioned; Auld Nickpr. n. the Devil; Auld Kirk, thepr. n. established Church of Scotland; whisky. Seeaal(d)

aumv. thrash. cf. aam

aumrien. cupboard (A); pantry; upper half of above (B1)

auncientadj. ancient

Australyapr. n. Australia

avaadv. at all

avenadv. even

Aw, awpron. I. SeeA

awaadv. away; ~ forrin away abroad; hine ~ far away; keep her ~ change course to leeward (B). cf. tee

awaaradj. aware

awatadv. I wot, indeed, truly. cf. awyte

awcren. acre

awev. owe; awin owing

aweeadv. a little while

aweeladv. well

aweers oadv. on the point of, just about to

awfuadj. awful. cf. afa, aafa

awmousn. alms. cf. amous

Awprilen. month of April. SeePrile eeran

awpronn. apron; leather covering for use in open carriage

Aw’sepron. with v. I’ll

awytepron. with v. I wot, know; adv. assuredly

ayadv. yes

ay, ayint. hello

ayeadv. always; still

ayokeadv. at work

ayon, ayontadv., prep. beyond

ayvenadv. even

B

ba(a)n. ball

baabeen. halfpenny; in pl. money. cf. bawbee

Baabiepr. n. deriv. of Barbara

baaln. ball, dance

baathev. bathe

babbityn. baby

babbity bowstern. (bab-atthe-bowster) an old country dance to end a ball etc

bacca breen. the spittle of a tobacco-chewer

bachlecf. bauchle

bachltadj. (of shoes) out of shape

backn. wooden vessel for carrying peat; outermost board of a sawn tree; ~ oprep. just after (of time); at the ~ o beyondphr. far off the beaten track; ~-beenn. back-bone; ~binn. back band in harness; ~-birnn. back burden; ~-cheynn. chain over saddle supporting cart shafts; ~-doorn. tail board of cart; the ~e(y)nn. autumn, winter; ~grunn. background; ~gaenadj. declining, not prospering; ~ien. back-green, back-garden; tether peg; ~inn. address on a letter; ~linsadv. backwards; ~setn. setback; v. disgust (B1); ~spierv. question a speaker; ~sn. refuse of sawmill

backartadj. backward

backetn. bucket; three-sided wooden box with hand-holes, used for carrying peats, sliced turnips or potatoes and predating sculls; wooden scuttle for carrying ashes; rubbish bin

badv. pt. bade

badderv. bother. cf. bather; ~ationn. botheration; nuisance

badev. pt. lived. cf. bed

baetv. beat; ppl., adj. beaten, defeated

baffiesn. pl. slippers

baggereln. worthless woman

bag-raipn. rope around eaves of stack

baignetn. bayonet

baikien. short iron stake to hold tether for cattle and goats. Seebackie

bailie, baillie, bylien. cattleman, alderman; water bailiff (M); little ~ under-cattleman

bairdn. beard

bairnn. baby, child; ~heidn. childhood; ~ikien. little child; v. make pregnant

baitn. horse fodder

baithadj., pron. both

bajan(ella)n. first year student at Aberdeen University

baketn. bucket. cf. backet

bale-firen. bonfire. cf. bondy

Balfuff, at the baak ophr. far away

ballantn. ballad

ballien. ball (of)

banv. to scold; curse, swear

bandien. minnow, stickleback

bandstern. one who binds sheaves. cf. banster

banen. bone; near the ~ tight-fisted. cf. been

bangv. hasten (M)

bangstrien. violence to person or property

banieadj. boney

bannetn. bonnet

bannockn. round, flat cake (usually of oatmeal) baked on a girdle, oatcake (S)

banstern. one who binds the sheaves. cf. bandster

banterv. tr. scold; tease

bantinn. a bantam

bapn. floury breakfast roll; v. walk in a plodding; flatfooted way

bapteesev. baptise; ~mentn. baptism

barn. a joke, funny story; bar of wood used to lock door; v. lock door with such a bar; ~ ootv. lock out; shut out

barbetn. arrow; bow an ~ bow and arrow

barbit-weern. barbed wire

barfitadj. barefooted; ~ broth soup made without meat

barkn. the skin; preservative for fishing nets; v. to skin; ~itppl., adj. skinned; encrusted with dirt, dirty

bark-an-bowffn. scolding

barleys-onSeeparley

barmn. yeast, ferment; v. ferment; cause to ferment

barran. barrow

barrien. a baby’s flannel coat (B1)

barritchfuadj. harsh (G)

bashn. heavy blow

bassn. doormat

batchien. bachelor

batherv. bother (S). cf. badder

Baubiepr. n. deriv. from Barbara. cf. Baabie

bauch(-hertit)adj. shy, bashful; timid

bauchl|en. old shoe;v. shamble; trouble (B1); defeat (B1); ~bann. shoelace (B1). ~t (of shoes) out of shape. cf. bachle

baudn. hare. cf. bawd

baudrins, bawdronspr. n., ref. to a cat; puss. cf. bauldrins

baukn. uncultivated strip of land between fields; cross-beam between rafters

baukien. bat (mammal)

bauladj. bold (A2); strong (B1)

bauldadj. bald; bold (J); ~ie-heiditadj. bald-headed. cf. beld

bauldrinspr. n., ref. to a cat; puss. cf. baudrins

bawbeen. halfpenny; in pl. money

bawdn. hare (M). cf. maukin

baxtern. baker

beamfill, beamfullv. to fill up spaces in the walls of a house after beams are placed; to fill up completely; ~tppl., adj. indulged, spoiled

bearn. four- or six-rowed barley

beardien. the good-natured rubbing of a man’s beard on a child’s face

beas’n. pl. animals in general, cattle in particular (C)

beastlen. pl. farm animals. cf. beas’

beatv. lash a hook to a fishing line

beatern. heart

beckv. curtsey; do obeisance

bedn. bed; ~-claesn. pl. bed clothes; ~daln. a bedridden person; ~dien. (small) bed; ~dinn. old custom of putting bride and groom to bed; ~ditppl. in bed, put to bed; ~-lidsn. doors of box-bed; v. spread straw for animals for the night

bed(d)v. pt. lived. cf. bade

beddiesn. hopscotch

bedeenadv. forthwith (often used to provide a rhyme)

bedraiglev. to bedraggle

beedSeebeet

beefn. beef; the term used on board fishing boats for all butcher meat (B)

beekv. warm before the fire

beelv. fester eg, a ~t thoom

beelinn. whitlow. Seefutlie

beenn. bone. cf. bane

beerdn. board. cf. buird

beerialn. interment, funeral bee-ruskien. simple form of beehive, covered in ropes of twisted straw (T)

beeryv. bury, ppl. beeriet; ~ Napoleon bury contents of dry lavatory

beesomn. a broom; untidy woman (A1); disparaging term used of a woman. ~-tichtadj. swept-clean (B1); cf. besom

beetn. boot. cf. buit; v. bet; replace lost hooks on a fishing line; ~ikinsn. pl. hobnailed boots. cf. beat

beet taev. pr., pt. must, had to; (contraction of be tae be); that ~ ~ be gran that must have been grand. cf. beed

beezern. something of huge size

befav. befall

begarriev. besmear; bespatter

begeckn. disappointment; trick, shock, v. shock

begoodv. pt. began

begouthv. pt. began (Abdn., rare)

begowkv. trick, fool

begruttenadj. tear-stained

begunkn. disappointment; misfortune

behan, (aa)adv. (all) over, past

behaudenadj. beholden

behee|fn. behoof; ~vev. behove

beheeldv. pt. beheld

beil, beilinn. boil, sore

bek (B1) Seebeek

belaabourv. belabour

belangv. belong; belong to a place; he ~s Aiberdeen

beldadj. bald. cf. bauld

Beldiepr. n. deriv. of Isabella

belikeadv. perhaps, likely

bellas, bellawsn. bellows

belly-bann. harness, belly-band

belly-flauchtadv. headlong; flat on one’s face

belly-riven. indigestion

belly-thrawn. colic, stomach-ache

beltn. narrow plantation

beltien. water-hen (G1)

belyveadv. by-and-by, before long

benadv., prep. inside, through; ~wardadv. inward; forward; ~withadv. through the house; inwards; ~maist, ~mostadj. innermost; ~-the-hoose, ~-i-hooseadv. in the parlour of a two-roomed cottage; far ~ wi intimate with; esp. with God; n. hill, mountain

benav. imp. neg. don’t be

bencapeadj. first rate

ben-i-hooseSeeben-the-hoose Bennachiepr. n. well-known hill near Insch, Aberdeenshire

benninn. bend (T)

bensiln. heavy blow; severe rebuke

bentn. coarse grass growing near sea; hillock covered in such grass; sand dune

ben-the-hoosen. inner room of a but-an-ben cottage

bentyadj. covered with bent grass

bereSeebear

besomn. broom; term of reproach for woman. cf. beesom

besom-shaftn. broom-handle

bessn. bass; v. sing bass

bestialn. cattle (A2)

bethraln. beadle

beukn. book; v. register for proclamation of banns of marriage; tae be ~it to be so registered; ~in-nicht night of registration. cf. buik.

bevien. large fire (B1)

bewotifieadj. beautiful (B1)

bewutchv. bewitch; ppl., adj. bewutcht

beyn. bay

bibblie-nibbitadj. snotty-nosed

bickn. bitch (in true sense)

bickern. scrimmage; wooden brose basin; v. move quickly and noisily, scurry; ripple; laugh heartily; in a ~ in a trice

bidv. ask, invite; tell; ~denppl. asked, invited, told, stayed; ~den gang asked to go; ~dinn. invitation

biddenSeebid, bide

bid|ev. live, stay; wait, remain; tolerate; ppl. ~den (in passive) put up; ~e yeexcl. wait

bidie-inn. a live-in lover

biel, bieldn. shelter; ~dyadj. sheltered

bienadj. comfortable; well-to-do; ~lessadj. comfortless

big, biggv. build; ~gitpt., ppl. built; ~gern. builder; ~ginn. building, house; ~git ootppl. having abundance of (B)

bigsieadj. conceited

biken. nest of wild bees

bikkSeebick

bil|ev. boil; ~t egg boiled egg. cf. bylt

bilern. kettle

bilinn. a boiling (eg, of rhubarb)

billetn. lot; situation (A)

billie, billyn. fellow; comrade

billien. notice posted in seaports with news of herring fleet catches (B)

binn. humour, mood; v. to bind (rhymes with tin)

bin’v. to bind. cf. bin

binchn. bench

bindern. tall story; an outstanding thing of its kind (B)

bingn. crowd; heap; bin for corn, turnips etc

binkn. bench (M3); hob (B)

binnav. neg. imp. (of be) don’t be

binnern. a quick movement; sounding blow, speed; v. move rapidly and noisily; buzz; whirr (K)

binninn. binding for cattle

bird-alaneadj. quite alone (B)

birdies’ eeniesn. pl. sago pudding (T)

birkn. birch tree; a youth

birkenn. birch tree (C)

birkien. lively, smart fellow

birln. twirl; brisk dance, v. twirl

birnn. burden; large collection

birrn. force, energy, passion; whirr. cf. virr

birsen. bristle; bristle on cobbler’s thread; beard; bruise; pressure, esp. of crowd

birse, birssn. fit of bad temper; get yir ~ up to get angry; set up yir ~ make you angry

birsev. press, squeeze, push; bruise, pressurise; ~ ben a bit move along a bit; ~ tee push to; ~ by push past. cf. birze

birs|el, birstlev. toast, roast; ~let, ~linppl. scorched, scorching

birsinppl., adj. out of breath

birstn. over-exertion causing injury; v. burst, split

birzev. squeeze, press; pressurise. cf. birse

bishopv. beat down earth or stones; n. device for doing this

bitconj. but; n. crisis; at the ~ in a crisis; oot o the ~ out of difficulty

bittockn. small bit

bizzv. buzz; hiss; cry ~phr. make a fuss

bizzarn. jade (J) probably from bizzard buzzard

bizzinn. buzzing

blaa v. blow; boast; ~-affn. exchange of views

blackin phr. tae gae tae the ~ gate to take the road to ruin; ~ yarnphr. empty herring nets (B); in ~ upo fite in black and white;

blackguairdv. to blackguard, abuse

blackien. blackbird. cf. blaikie

bladv. spoil. cf. blaud

bladderskiten. foolish, noisy talker

bladen. cabbage or kail leaf; piece of cooked flesh (M3)

blaeadj. blue; bluish; black and blue (B1); ~berryn. bilberry; ~wortn. blue corn-flower

blaffertn. blast of wind (C). cf. bluffert

blaik(en)v. blacken

blaikien. blackbird. cf. blackie

blainn. bare patch in field where grain has not sprung; ~yadj. covered with bare patches

blaken. black polish

blashn. splash, dash

blateadj. bashful

blattern. sharp shower (C); v. dash noisily

blaudv. spoil. cf. blad

blauveSeeblyaav

blawv. blow; brag; n. braggart

blawartn. harebell

bleartppl. bleary-eyed

bleatadj. dull, stupid. cf. blate

blebv. sip; tipple (A)

bleckadj. black; n. joc. blackguard, scoundrel (M2). (cf. blake); ~env. blacken. (cf. blaik);v. puzzle; defeat; beat; prove too much for

bleckinn. blacking

bleddern. bladder; v. talk idly

bleedn. blood. cf. bluid; ~y couter nosebleed; ~-jeelinadj. blood-chilling; bloodcurdling (G); ~-reidadj. blood-red

bleemn. bloom

bleeryadj. bleary

bleetern. blethering person, gasbag; an item of blether

bleezen., v. blaze

bleezinadj. very drunk

blentppl. blended

blethern. a talk, chat; v. chat; talk nonsense

blewartn. bluebell (B1)

blibberv. sip a small amount of liquid (T)

blichtn. blight

blickersn. pl. nonsense

blinadj. blind; ~-bridlen. bridle with blinkers; ~ lumpn. boil; ~ sieveadj., n. sieve with solid base; ~ titadj., n. blind teat

blinkn. beam, ray; v. wink; flicker

blinterv. blink

blissv. bless; ~inn. blessing

blithe(some)adj. cheerful, merry. cf. blythe

blivertn. bilberry. cf. blaeberry

blobbie-likeadj. humid

blocherv. cough with phlegm in the throat

bloitern. blast of wind.cf. blouter

blonn. blonde; girlfriend

bloodv. bleed (S)

bloutern. blast of wind. cf. bloiter

blueadj. downcast (A1)

Bluemogganerpr. n. native of Peterhead

Blue Toon, the (nickname) Peterhead

bluffertn. blast of wind

bluichtieadj. bluish

blunkn. dull, lifeless person; ~ieadj. dull and lifeless

blyaavv. blow, pant; boast

blytheadj. glad, cheerful. cf. blithe

boakieSeebokie

bobv. curtsey

bobbie, bobbyn. policeman

bobbinjohnn. tin cylinder perforated at one end for sowing turnip seed by hand where it has failed in the drills

bochertadj. stuck, held up (M3)

bochtv. bought

bockv. vomit; byre-bockit oozing from a byre (K)

bockien. hobgoblin

Boddam Coopr. n. fog horn at Boddam Head (B)

boddomn. bottom

boden. bid at a sale; v. foretell

bodien. person

bodinadj. full of foreboding

bodlen. small coin (K, J)

bodsien. short, dapper person

body bulkquasi-adv. physically

body-claesn. pl. clothes (M3)

bogv. stick in the mire or bog; confuse, dumbfound; ~git bamboozled

bogglen. ghost (K)

bogien. two-wheeled open wagon

bogie-rowen. bogie-roll tobacco

bogjavelt (B1), bogshaiveltadj. knocked out of shape, distorted

boglen. ghost (K); game of ‘ghosties’

boilern. kettle. cf. biler

bokev. belch; ppl. bokit (K)

bokien. bogie, scarecrow; fisher term for small boy (B)

bolen. opening in wall for air or light; winnock ~ (K)

bondyn. bonfire (O)

bonein phr. in richt ~ in fine fettle (M2)

bone davie (davy)n. horse-drawn manure distributor, spreading fertiliser including bone-meal (S, T)

bonnetn. a man’s cap; ~-lairdn. yeoman farmer; proprietor of the land he farms

bonnie, bonnyadj. lovely, pretty; handsome; attractive

bonspeil, bonspieln. contest, especially curling

boov. bow; ~t, ~’tppl., adj. bent; boot twa faal bent over

boodien. ghost (B1); scarecrow (M1); v. haunt (K). cf. tattie-boodie

booet, booitn. hand-lantern (without glass)

bool, bowln. a marble; curved handle of a kettle, pot

boolsn. pl. marbles; bowls

boonsn. pl. bounds; oot o kent ~ in unknown territory; off the beaten track

boorach(ie)n. group, crowd; v. huddle. cf. bour(r)ach

boordn. board. cf. brod

boortreeSeebourtree

boo’tSeeboo

bordn. ruffle, frill

boren. crevice, chink, hole

borrav. borrow; ~t licht indirect light

bosien. bosom; embrace

boskern. something of prodigious size

boskyadj. wild, unfrequented

bossadj. hollow

bossien. large wooden bowl used for oatmeal in baking (B1)

bothyn. cottage where farm servants were lodged and cooked their own food

bottlern. bluebottle

bouchv. bark; cough

boukn. size, build

boukitadj. large, bulky; sma-~ of small build; muckle-~ pregnant (B1); nairra-~ of lean build

bounn. boundary

bourach(ie)Seeboorach

bourtree, boortreen. elder tree

boutn. swathe cut by scythesman, corn or hay cut by a scythe and lying in rows

bown. 1. boll, old Scottish dry measure of not more than six bushels; 2. the part of the harness bent under the neck of an ox to fasten the yoke; the wooden yoke itself; ower the ~s in a disorderly way (A2); gae throu the ~s misbehave (A2) and/or be severely disciplined

bow-cheern. armchair

bowdenv. to fill; ~t replete (after eating); (of legs) bow

bowen. fishing float

bowel-crappitppl., adj. (hair) cut with a bowl

bowffn., v. bark (of dog)

bow-hochedadj. bow-legged

bowien. barrel; ~ cheer rocking-chair made from a barrel

bowln. pipe

bowsSeebow

bowselln. iron cattle-binding (F)

bowstern. bolster

bowsterousadj. boistrous

boxphr. i the same ~ in the same boat, or position

brackenn. fern. cf. breckan

braddien. meat pie, savoury turnover. cf. bridie

braen. hill, slope, steep road

braesetadj. situated on a slope

braggyadj. boastful

braidadj. broad

braigv. brag

braingev. lunge. cf. breenge

brairdn. first sprouting of young grain. cf. breer

braithn. breath (G). cf. breith

braivityn. show, splendour; finery

brakv. break; go bankrupt

brakfastn. breakfast

brak-furv. plough shallow furrows (F)

bramblen. blackberry

brammleSeebramble

brandern. gridiron; drain-cover

branertadj. baked on a brander

branksn. halter of wood or metal

brattlev. rattle; crash; thunder

brawadj. fine, handsome, excellent; in pl. fine clothes

brawliesadv. well, finely. cf. brulies

brawlyadv. well, splendidly

braxyn. internal inflammation in sheep; sheep that has died a natural death (M)

breakn. hollow in a hill

brechamn. collar for a draught horse

breckann. fern. cf. bracken

breen. liquid, juice; liquor; See alsosna-bree; v. to drain boiled solids eg, tae ~ the tatties; throwe the ~ (of potatoes) overboiled

breedSeebreid

breedern. brother. cf. bridder

breek|sn. trousers; ~itadj. wearing trousers. cf. briks

breemn. broom; a thatch of broom; ~-bussn. broom bush

breengev. rush forward impetuously; batter, bang

breern. briar; first sprouting of a crop (A1).cf. braird; v. sprout. Seebrier

breestn. breast. cf. breist

breetn. brute (not always unsympathetic)

breethn. breadth

breidn. bread; oatcakes (taken as dessert in bowl of milk) (F, T); ~-spaddie oatcake lift; breadth

breistn. breast. cf. breest

breithn. breath (J)

brenchn. branch. cf. brinch

brentppl. burned (G1). cf. brunt

bressn. brass

brevityn. fine show or display

brewster-wifen. woman who brewed or sold malt liquors

brich|tadj. bright; ~env. brighten

briddern. brother. Seebreeder, brither, broder

bridegreemn. bridegroom

bridien. beef or mutton pie (S)

briern. eyelash; by the ~s o the een by the skin of his teeth (T)

brign. bridge

briksSeebreeks

brinchn. branch. cf. brench

brinnv. burn

britchinn. breeching, the piece of harness that passes round the hind-part of a horse in shafts, to let it push back-wards; intae the ~ into reverse

brithern. brother; ~heidn. brotherhood

brizzv. squeeze; crush

broadcastn. broadcast sowing machine (F)

brobv. to prick; ~bitpt., ppl. pricked

brochn. burgh; halo round sun or moon (round moon, predicting storm); Pictish tower;

Broch, thepr. n. nickname for Fraserburgh; ~erpr. n. nickname for native of Fraserburgh

brochann. oatmeal boiled thicker than gruel, with butter and honey

brochtv. pt. brought; ~upnessn. (joc.) upbringing. cf. upfessin

brockn. grass and straw shaken out of corn after threshing (M3)

brodn. board; collecting box in church; n., v. prick; prod

brodern. brother (A2). cf. breeder, bridder, brither

brodmelln. brood (B1, A2)

brokev. pt. became bankrupt

brokenppl., adj. bankrupt

broncaidisn. bronchitis

broon. brow; ~ o liking for, inclination to

Broon. Employment Office

broobinn. harness brow band

brookn. soot on pots; v. pt. broke. cf. bruik

brookien. blacksmith (A); adj. sooty, grimy; aal ~ “Old Maid” in the card game of that name “Ye’re aal ~” (A1)

brookitadj. (of cattle, sheep) speckled

broom, sing thephr. cry out in distress during punishment (A1)

broonadj. brown

brosen. oatmeal or peasemeal mixed with boiling water, milk etc; a meal; ~-caupn. wooden bowl for oatmeal dish

brosyadj. stout, well-fed

browadj. handsome (M, R). cf. braw

browdent upoadj. enamoured of; fond of

browstn. a brew

bruckleadj. brittle, crumbly (C1)

brucklieadj. (of the weather) changeable

bruikv. pt. broke. cf. brook

bruise-boxn. corn-chest (F)

bruised cornn. pounded oats

brukv. pt. broke (R). cf. brak, bruik

brulies (B1) Seebrawlies

brulzien. brawl

bruntv. ppl. burned. cf. brent

bubblev. blubber, snivel

bubblyn. paraffin torch used at sea

bubbly-bairnn. cry-baby

bubbly(jock)n. turkey-cock

Buchanpr. n. Buchan’s Domestic Medicine

Buchanern. native of Buchanhaven, now part of Peterhead

Buchanie, thepr. n. The Buchan Observer

buchtn. a sheep-, cattle-fold

Buckerpr. n. native of Buckie

buckern. annoyance; nuisance (A); v. botch, bungle (B1)

buckien. refractory, mischievous person; periwinkle; spiral shell of winkle; as fou’s a ~ drunk

bucklev. dress (for a journey) (R)

buckle wiv. marry

bucklinsn. pl. parphernalia of marriage (A2)

buddickn. small useless fish found in harbours (B)

buffn. nonsense; ~ an nonsense stuff and nonsense

buffet steeln. square stool (B1)

buikn. bulk; book; v. book, register; record names of betrothed couple in church register before marriage. cf. beuk, byeuck

buikin-nichtn. the night on which the names of persons about to be married are given to the church Session Clerk to have the banns proclaimed. cf. beuk

buirdn. board; table. cf. boord, brod

buirdin-squeeln. boarding-school

buirdlyadj. burly; fine-looking

buistn. box, chest

buitn. boot. cf. beet

bul(l)n. bull; bill; v. serve a cow

bullamentsn. pl. outer garments usually ragged or untidy (B1)

bullyragv. scold, hector, treat in a bullying manner

bumv. hum, drone

bumbazev. confound; bewilder

bumbeen. bumble-bee

bumlockn. prominent stone; sturdy fellow (M3)

bummern. bumble-bee; anything outstandingly large

bun, buntv. pt., ppl. bound; ~-bed, ~-in bed, ~-breest wooden bed shut in with folding/sliding doors, box-bed

bunchern. machine attached to mill for making straw bunches

bungn. ill-humour; huff (A); rage; in a ~ in a temper; on the ~ in the huff

bunkart, bunkertn. obstacle; big heap of any material

bunnlen. bundle

burev. pt. bore

burlawn. district court of neighbours; ~man member of such a court

burnn. stream

burn the witchien. burning effigy on boat deck to break bad luck (B)

buroon. bureau

burrn. the uvular r; v.

pronounce the letter r in the throat

burssenppl. bursting

burssen-ilen. discarded lubricating oil used to soothe the skin of pigs (B) and prevent rust on farm machinery (T)

bushle, busslen. bushel measure

buskv. dress; adorn

bussn. bush

butprep. across; v. must, had to. Seebeed, beet

but-an-benn. two-roomed cottage; from end to end

but-bedn. the bed in the semi-parlour end of the cottage

but-the-hoosen. kitchen

buttn. tail of a sheaf

butterfleen. butterfly (R). cf. buttery

butteryn. butterfly (M1)

buttery (-rowie)n. flat morning roll

buttock mailn. a spanking

buznessn. business

buzzlen., v. (of grain, indicating ripeness) rustle

b’wyeinterj. by the way

by, by wi’tadv. over, past; ~ the warst past the worst; prep. besides, apart from

byaakinn., ppl. baking

bydandold pr. ppl. abiding, steadfast. (Motto of the Gordon family and the Gordon Highlanders)

bye, byesprep. besides; except

byesadv., conj., prep. compared with

byeuckn. book. cf. beuk, buik

bygaein, bygaun, bygyaun, i the ~phr. as you go by; incidentally

byganeadj. (of time) past; for a whilie ~ for some time past; n. the past (also byganes)

bykev. form a bees’ byke

byl|en., v. boil; ~t tae spyooterie overboiled (M3). cf. bile

bylieSee bailie

bylinn. a boiling

byockv. vomit (B1).

byordnaradj. extraordinary

byousadj. extraordinary; adv. exceedingly

byowt|yn. beauty; ~ifuadj. beautiful

byren. cowshed

bywyen. byway

C

ca, caav. call; drive; knock; ~ awa persevere; ~ (him) for aathing defame; on the ~ on the move; ~ canny take care; ~ doon demolish, knock down; ~ owerv. tr. knock over, overturn; v. intr. fall over; ~ the kwintra go round the countryside; ~ the crack chat; ~ the door tee shut the door; ~ad deen worn out; ~-thrown. (of shops) fleeting visit. cf. caw

caaladj., n. cold; ~ roch shooers cold blustery showers. Seecaul

caavv. give birth to a calf

cackv. defecate. cf. kich

cackie-stammackitadj. having imperfect digestion; squeamish (T)

caddisn. cotton-wool; flock; padding; (cotton- or wool-) fluff; any kind of fluff

cadgen. shake, jog; v. carry loads; peddle wares; shake roughly, knock about; sponge

cadgern. carrier; itinerant dealer, hawker; sponger; ~’s dizzen thirteen

cadginn. a jolt

caffn. chaff; ~-bed, ~-seck mattress filled with chaff. cf. cauff

caipn. cap

cairdn. tinker. cf. cyaard, kyaard; v. card (wool); abuse, scold

cairgan. cargo (M3). cf. cargie

cairnn. loose heap of stones; v. form a cairn or heap

cairrietadj. light-headed (M3)

cairryv. carry; ~-onn. carry-on

cairtn. cart; v. carry; ~ern.carter; ~inppl. playing cards; ~sn. pl. playing-cards

caithickn. monkfish

calfie’s mooien. small cowrie shell (B). cf. Johnny Groatie, kysie

callantn. stripling, lad

calleradj. fresh, cool, refreshing

camv. pt. came; ~ in aboot approached

camsteerieadj. perverse, quarrelsome

cann. ability, skill; drinking vessel

cankertadj. ill-humoured, fretful; (of weather) stormy, threatening; gusty

canlen. candle

Canlemasn. Candlemas

cannav. neg. cannot

cannasn. canvas, esp. that used in winnowing grain; winnow o yir ain ~ fend for yourself

cannyadj. prudent, cautious; gentle; frugal; safe; moderate in price; politic

cantle (up)v. intr. brighten (up), recover health or spirits; ~ doon settle down

cantripn. mischievous trick

cantyadj. cheery, good-humoured

capawcityn. ability

capawshusadj. capacious

caperv. dance

caperniciousadj. short-tempered, fretful

capernoityadj. peevish; whimsical

capitaladj. excellent

cappernyamadj. very fussy, temperamental (B)

capshon, captionn. lucky acquisition, windfall, prize

captire, inphr. in suspense (B1)

car(r)n. calves. cf. caur; v. care

carant, carrantn. revel, escapade; uproar

carblev. cavil, carp (M3)

carcatchSeecarkidge

carefuadj. careful

carenav. neg. do not care; ~ doit do not care in the least

cargien. cargo. cf. cairga

carkn. care, anxiety; nae ~ nor care not a care in the world

carkidgen. carcase

carln. churl; man; old man carl-doddien. stalk of rib-grass

carlersn. heavy seaweed. cf. tangles

carlien. a little old man

carlin(e)n. old woman; witch

carnn. cairn (also in placenames)

carpetsn. pl. slippers

carrn. pl. calves (M3)

carriedppl., adj. light-headed; delirious

carritch(es)n. catechism; in pl. the Shorter Catechism (M)

cartiln. cartload (B1)

carvel-biggitadj. (boat) built with planks edge to edge. cf. clinker-biggit

carvy, carvey, carvien. caraway

case beconj. in case

cassenppl. cast; (of snow) shovelled, cleared;

cassieSeecausey

castv. cut with a spade (eg, peat); dig; to throw off (eg, coat); ~ upv. turn up; ~-ootn. a quarrel; fall-out

casen, cassenppl. cast; (of colour) faded; haes ~ upv. pt. perf. has turned up

castelln. castle

castockn. stalk of kail or cabbage

catch|edv. pt. caught; ~ern. truant officer (S); townkeeper at weekends (F); ~ her (phr. used by fishermen) fall asleep; he’s ~ed her

catecheesev. catechise, instruct by question and answer by use of the Church Catechism

catechisn. catechism (A)

cat’s dichtn. quick wipe or wash

cattie’s tailien. plaything made from scraps of knitting wool on makeshift loom, using a cotton reel and pins (B)

cattle-liftinn. raising of cattle to their feet in Spring after they’d become weakened by poor winter feeding

cattlien. cattleman (S)

cauf(ie)n. calf

caukv. to chalk; challenge for repayment of a debt; calk, fix guard on horse’s hoof to prevent slipping

caul(d)adj., n. cold; ~ kail het heated up broth; anything offered for a second time; ~ roch shooers cold blustery showers; ~ steer sour milk or cold water and meal stirred together. cf. caal

cauldrifeadj. cold, chilly

caulkern. iron rim fixed on shoe to minimise wear

caumn. mould for ball, spoon etc

caunlen. candle. cf. canle

caupn. wooden bowl; ~ern. maker of ~s, wood-turner

caurn. calves. cf. car(r)

causeconj. because

causeyn. causeway, paved area; the granite sett or cobblestone it is paved with. cf. cassie

cautionern. surety for another

cavels, cavilsSeekavils

cavien. lower half of an aumrie or meat-press (K)

cawv. to drive. cf. ca

cawpableadj. capable

ceestv. pt. cast. cf. coost, keest

ceetyn. city

ceeviladj. civil

’cep, ’cepin:prep., conj. except

cert, certiein phr. my ~, my ~ie! my word on it!

cessn. tax, rate

chaamerSeechaumer

chackn. chalk; chequered linen or calico; v. clack; click

chackien. farm worker’s bag (T)

chackie-mulln. death-watch beetle

chackitadj. of a checked pattern; chequered

chadn. compacted gravel; ~dyadj. gravelly

Chaepr. n. deriv. of Charles

chaepadj. cheap

chaetryn. cheating

chaffv. chafe

chaftsn. chops; cheeks

chaip-johnadj., n. cheapjack

chairgen., v. charge

chairityn. charity

Chairliepr. n. deriv. of Charles

chaitv. cheat; v. pt. cheated; ~-e-wuddien. one who deserves to be hanged. cf. chate

chaldern. dry measure, of grain (16 bolls)

chancyadj. lucky, fortunate; safe

chandler-chaftitadj. lantern-jawed; gaunt, haggard

changefuadj. changeable

change-hoosen. alehouse, inn

changsn. pl. (of rheumatism) twinges

channel-steensn. pl. curling stones

chantern. the part of the bagpipes on which the tune is played

chantie, chantyn. chamber-pot

chapn. knock; v. hammer; knock; pound; mash; chop; (of clocks) strike; the knock ~pit the clock struck; ~pinn., ppl. knocking; ~pit knocked; ~pit neeps mashed turnip; ~pern. utensil for mashing potatoes, turnip etc

chapeadj. cheap. cf. chaep

chaps meexcl. (when a person chooses a particular thing) bags I, give me...

chargen. oath

chatv. tap in (a hobnail)

chaten., v. cheat; or it ~s me if I’m not mistaken. cf. chait

chatterv. shatter

chaumern. chamber; best room; sleeping-place for farm workers in Banff and Buchan. In the Mearns, the bothy was more common. Unlike the bothy, no food was eaten in the chaumer (A, M1); v. to live in a chaumer; ~t upppl. shut up in a room

chawv. chew

cheekn. doorpost; gatepost

cheekie-for-chowieadv. cheek by jowl; side by side

cheenaadj., n. china

cheengen., v. change. cf. chynge; ~lessadj. changeless

cheepern. young or half-fledged bird

cheern. chair; ~mann. chairman

cheery-pyken. tasty morsel, treat

cheestn. (human) chest

chessel, chessetn. cheese vat or press

chief (wi)adj. intimate, friendly

chiel(d)n. child; man, fellow; wi ~ with child

chikn. cheek

chileSeechyle

chill(ie)n. child. cf. chiel