SCOTS GLOSSARY
(for use in deciphering lyrics from Tannahill Weavers songs)
A
a' - all
a' fowk - everybody
a' the go -- extremely popular
aboot - about
abune - above
adam's wine - water
ae - one, any
aff - off
afore - before
aft - often
ahint - behind
aiblins - perhaps
aik - oak
ain, ane - own, one
airms - arms
airts - directions
alane - along
alang - along
amang - among
an, an' - and
an' a' - also (and all)
ance - once
ane, anes - one, ones
ane (their ane) - their own
aneath - beneath
anely - only
anither - another
a'place - everywhere
arenae - are not
aroon', aroun' - around
art - are
athwart - across
auld, aulder - old, older
auld lang syne - old memories; days gone by
ava' - at all
avaunt - away
aw - all
awa' - away
awaukens - awakens
aye - yes, always
aye a jee - crazy
ayont - beyond
ayout - across
B
ba' - ball
bags - bagpipes
bairn, bairnie - little child
bairns - children
baith - both
balloch - mountain pass
banes - bones
bardy - scolding
beaux o' ilk degree - all kinds of good looking men
ben - through, or mountain
benmaist - furthest
biddin - stayed
bide - stay
bide a wee - stay a while
bien - in good condition
birkin, birks - birches
birlin' - spinning
bit - but
blaw, blawn, blaws - blow, blown, blows
bleers the e'e - brings a tear to the eye
bleeze - blaze
bletherskate - silly talker; one who talks too much
blin' - blind
blin' oors - hours of darkness
blinterin - glimmering
bloomin' - blooming
bluid, bluidy, bluidie - blood, bloody
blythely - gaily
boatie - small boat
bogie - boogie man
bonnie - beautiful/handsome
boo - bow
boortree - elder tree
bothan - cottage
brade - broad
brae - hill
braid - broad
braisant - brazen faced
brak - break
brattlin - rushing noisily
braw - fine, excellent
breeks - trousers
breist - breast
bridle - wedding
brither - brother
brocht - brought
brock - badger
brume - broom (the shrubs cytisus or genista)
brunt - burned
bunemaist - highest
burd - maid
burgenet - duvet, quilt
burn, burnie - stream
busk - to dress, make ready
buss - clump
C
ca', ca'd - call, called
ca' thro' - work on
caddie - cadet
cairt - cart
callan - boy
cam - came
cannae (canna) - cannot
canny - carefully
canny gaun - easy going
canty - contented, cheerful
capuchin - hood
carl, carlie, carls - fellow, fellows
carry - firmament
caul, cauld - cold
cauldrife - cold in manner
caw - drive
chafts (burst their chafts) - came unstuck
chaise - carriage
chanter - bagpipe chanter
Cherlie - Charles Edward Stewart (Bonnie Prince Charlie)
chevalier - Bonnie Prince Charlie
chiel - lad
clachan - village
claed - clothe
clapped oot - worn out
claymore - large sword
cleeds - clothes
cloods - clouds
clouts - clothes
coordly - cowardly
coorted, coortin' - courted, courting
couldnae - could not
couthy - affable
crackin' - gossiping
craigs - crags
cran - Scots measure of herring (37 1/2 gallons)
craw - crow, boast
crawin' - crowing
creepie - three legged stool
crookit - crooked
crouse - arrogant
cuist - cast
curst - cursed
cushat - starling
cuttle - hare
cutty stool - wooden chair in which one had to sit in full view of the congregation if one was caught sinning.
D
dae - do
daft - mad
dane - done
dang - to hit with a blunt object
dauntonly - bravely
daur - dare
daur us sinder - dare to part us
daurknin' - darkening/twilight
daurnae - dare not
daw' - dawn
deave - deafen
dee - die
deid - dead, died
de'il - devil
den - valley
didnae - did not
diein' - dying
dighty - foul
dinnae - do not
dochter - daughter
doesnae - does not
doolfu' - sad
doon - down
doonfa' - downfall/setting
dowf - dull
dowie - sad, sadly
dows - dares
dreepin' - dripping
dreich - gloomy
drone - bagpipe drone
drow - wet mist
drumlie - crowded
duddie - worn out
dumfoundered - dumfounded
E
earlies - earls
e'e, e'ed - eye, eyed
een - eyes
e'en - even
'ee lang - live long
een - eyes
e'er - ever
e'er wad I niffer - ever would I change
Eilean Mulligh - Island of Mull
emerant - green, lush
erts - arts
even - evening
evermair - evermore
ewie - young female sheep
F
fa' - fall
fain - glad, fondly
fairmers - farmers
faither - father
fan - found
fareweel - farewell
fat - what
fauld - fold
faulding - putting sheep in fold
faur - far
faus - false
faut - fault
fearfu' - fearful(ly)
fears me - frightens me
fell - cruel
fellah - fellow
fermer - farmer
fidgin' fain - extremely impatient
fin - when
fit - foot
fleckit - dappled, flecked
flee - fly
fleered - floored (stunned)
fleet - fast, quick
flegs - frights
fleits - floats
flooer, flo'er - flower
flow'rs - flowers
flunkies - servants
flyte - scolding
'fore - before
foreland - shore
forenicht - evening
forfen' - prevent
forgie - forgive
foumart - a polecat, ferret or weasel (from "foul marten")
fower - four
fowk - folk
frae - from
fruitfu' - fruitful
fu' - full
fur - for
fyled - soiled, fouled
G
gae, gaed, gaen - go, went, gone
gairden spad - garden spade
gaithered - gathered
gaitherins - remnants
gane - gone
gang - go, gone
gangrel - vagabond
gar, gars - give, gave
gart - made
gaun - going
gear - wealth, effects
ghaist - ghost
gie, gied - give, gave
gin - if
girned - wept, screwed face up
glancin' - glancing
gledly - gladly
glen - valley
Glesca, Glesga - Glasgow
glower'd - glared
gob - mouth
goon - gown
gorcock - moorcock
gorlin - fledgling
gowans - daisies
gowd, gowden - gold, golden
gowk - fool
gowl - cheer
grandsire - grandfather
grat - wept
gravat - cravat
greet, greetin' - weep, weeping
grey - cloth
groat - four old pence piece
grun - ground
gudesake - goodness sake
guid - good
guid sooth - an exclamation
gurly - roaring
gutcher - grandfather
H
ha' - hall
hacks - blow with a sharp instrument
haddin - estate
hae, ha'e - have
hairt - heart
hale - whole
hallan - cottage
hallie - hollow
hame - home
hap - wrap up
hard was my hap - bad was my luck
haud awa' - stay away
haudin' - turning away
hauf - half
haugh - (river) bank
haun - hand
heid, heids - head, heads
heilan' - highland
hern - heron
hert - heart
heugh - steep bank
haw - have
hielan', hieland - highland
hing, hingin, hingit - hang, hanging, hanged
hinmaist - very last
hinnae - have not
hoddin - cheap
hoolits - owls
hoose - house
howe - low land
hud - had
hurls - rides
hurry burry - carry on, fuss
I
ilk, ilka - each, every
intae - into
isnae - is not
ither - other
its lane - alone
J
jad - a woman past her prime
jine - join
jinkin' - dancing
jist - just
jo' - dear
jog on yer gate - be on your way
jouks - swerve
joyfu' - joyful
K
kail - soup
keek o' day - dawn
keel - a red dye
keepit - kept
kelterin' - undulating
ken, kenned - know, knew
kent - knew, known
kerds - cards
kimmers - young women
kin'ly - kindly
kintrae - country
kirk - church
kittle - restless, fickle
knotless tinkler chiel - aimless traveler
knowes - small hills, knolls
kye - cattle
L
lach, lachin' - laugh, laughing
lad, laddie - boy, young man
laed - laid, lying
laggin - crest of a hill
landbirst - breaking waves
lane (its lane) - alone
lanely - lonely
lang, langer - long, longer
lap the dyke - leap over the wall
lappets - decorative folds or flaps
lass,lassie - girl, young woman
lat - let
lave - the rest
lavrocks - larks
lay it lang - flatten it
lea - leave, or meadow
leal - loyal
lee lang nicht - whole night
leeze me on - take delight in
leigh - low
lichtnin's - lightning flashes
lie my lane - lie alone
liein' - lying
lift - sky
licht, lichtly - light, lightly
linn - waterfall
linties - songbirds
lip - cheekiness
lippen - anticipate
loanin - lane
loch - lake
lo'ed, lo'es - loved, loves
loo, loo'd - love, loved
lookit - looked
loom o' morn - first signs of day
loon - man
loot - let
loup, loupit - leap, leaped
lousome - beloved, tender
lugs -ears
M
ma - my
mailin - tenant farm
mair - more
mak - make
'mang - among
maun - may, must
maunie - may not
maunt - was able
maut - malt
mavis - lark, thrush
meer - mare
meikle - as much
men't - mended
merket - market
merry - marry
micht - might
mickle a do - much to do
'midst - amidst
miekle - a lot
mind on - remember
minded - remembered
mindin' - memory
mirk - dark, mirky
mishanter - misfortune
mither - mother
mockrife - scorning
monie an ane - many of them
monies, mony - many
morn - morning
muckle great - huge
N
na - not
nae - no, not
nae langer - no longer
naebody - nobody
naethin' - nothing
nane - none
nane ava' - nothing
naw - no
'neath - under
neebours - neighbors
ne'er - never
neuk - corner
nicht(s) - night(s)
niest - next
niffer - change
no' - not
nocht - nothing
noo - now
O
o' - of
oan - on
o'er, ooer - over
onie, ony - any
'oor - hour, our
oot - out
ootby - outlying, distant
op'd - opened
o't - of it
ower, owre - over, too
owsen - oxen
P
paidled
pairts - parts
paitrick - partridge
pawky - cunning, sly
peck - a measure of weight
perted, pertin' - parted, parting
philabeg - kilt
pillar - pillar used for the same purpose as the cutty stool
pint stowp - a measure of drink
plaid, plaidie, plaiden - tartan cloak/scarf/kilt
plait - pleased
plenished fairly - well stocked
plooboy - ploughboy
plooman - ploughman
poackets - pockets
pooch - pocket
pow - head
prest - pressed
pu' - pull
puir - poor
pyock - satchel
Q
quo - said
R
rade - rode
rae - roe deer
rarely - wonderfully
rattlin' - rattling
rede - red
richt - right
ricklin' - filtering
rigs o' rye - haystacks
rin - run
rin the gless - used up the allotted time
roarin' fu' - extremely drunk
roon, roond - round
rowan fu' - pregnant
rowe - snuggle
S
sab - sob
sae - so
saft - soft
sair, sairly - sore, sorely
sang - song
sark - shirt
saughs - willows
saut - salt
saxpence - sixpence
scaur - steep, eroded hill
scour - wander
scour the durk - drive out the big clumsy person
screich - break
sel' - self
shackled - shapeless
shaw - grove, shear, coppice
shearin' - cutting hay
sheilin - cottage
sherp - sharp
shiel - hut, shelter
shooin' - being shod
shoon - shoes
shouther - shoulder
show'rs - showers
sic' - such
sic' unco whacks - such blows as these
sicht - sight
sillar, siller - silver
simmer - summer
simmers - one summers
sinder - to part company from
sinsyne - since then
skerry - rocky island or reef
skiffs - blows
slees - slinks
sma' - small
smeik - smoke
smiddy - blacksmith
smoor - diminish
smoors - smothers
snaw, snawdrift - snow, snowdrift
snaw bree - melting snow
snell - biting, bitter
socht - sought
sodger - soldier
soughs - sighs
spak, spake - spoke
speen - spoon
speired - asked
spier, spiered - ask, asked
stane - stone
stans - stands
stapt, stapit - filled to bursting
staun - stand
staurn - star, stars
steek - stitch, or harden
steired - stirred, or propelled
steirs - stirs
stent - stretch
stentless - countless
stey - steep
stound - sudden pang of the heart
stour - breeze
stour (bide the stour) - bear the struggle
stown - stolen
strakes - strokes
strang - strong
straught - straight
streetched - stretched out
swippert - abruptly
syne - then, or since
T
tae - to
taen, ta'en - taken
tak, taks - take, takes
taps - tops
tellt - told
tends his vows - proposes marriage
tent - tend
thegither - together
thocht - thought
thole - suffer
thou - you
thraw - setback
thrawn - obstinate(ly)
thro' - through
tick o' time - second
timmer - timber
tinin - losing
tint - lost
tirls - plays, to sound out (as in the plucking of a string)
tis - it is
to drink the breest you've brewed - to be responsible for the
consequences of your own actions
tocher - dowry
toon - town
tourocks - smoke from chimneys
tousled - tangled
traivels - travels
trews - tartan trousers
trig - neat, smart, attractive
troch - trough
tron - town market place
tryste - cattle fair
trysted - promised
trysting - meeting
twa - two
twa'd - it would
'twas - it was
'tween - between
twin - plait
tyke - mischief
U
unco - unusually
unco whacks (sic' unco whacks) - such blows as these
unrowes - unrolls
W
wa' - wall
'wa' - away
wad - would, or wed
wae - sorry, woe
wae's me - woe is me
wan - one
war - were
warlock - wizard, male witch
warp, warpin - weave, weaving
warst - worst
waukin' - awake
waukrife - sleepless
waur - worse
wee - small
weel - well
weel stocket mailin, himsel for the laird - well stocked farm landlord
weel faured - well favoured
weird - fate
werenae - were not
we'se - we'll
westlin - westward, western
wha(s) - who (whose)
whar, whaur - where
whippert - hastily
wi' - with
wid - would
widnae - would not
wie - with
willnae, wiltnae, winnae - will not
wimplin' way - winding road
win' - wind
windae - window
wis - was
wit - what
withoot - without
wullie waught - a hearty draught
wynd - wind
Y
ye - you
ye'll - you will
yer - your
yerds - yards (shipyards)
yestreen - yesterday
yett - gate
yin - one
yon - yonder, that
your lane - alone
youse - you plural
yowes - ewes