| biortachdain | uplift (e.g. as given by a cup of tea to a person when ‘fann’). |
| sgolthach | cloudy. |
| sgloidseach | flabby and clumsy (applied to a person). |
| frithile | impatient. |
| drun | ro dhrun ris – at a particular job too long causing tiredness. |
| a’ bamhran | wandering aimlessly. |
| a’ siubhlaid | wandering. |
| briùchd | melt or milt (male roe). |
| gorgad | a scold, e.g. Thug e gorgad orm. |
| lorgag | a piece of rowan stick given to babies to chew when teething. |
| grìogagan | beads. |
| monusg | mush (always used for overdone potatoes – Tha ’m buntàta ’nam monusg). |
| dachag | a small dish or vase. |
| cuanàrd | a crowd of people. |
| a’ dlìgheach | about to vomit, what we call ‘boaking’ in Scots. |
| meaban | a bedraggled object. |
| papach | (accent on the pap) peely-wally, pale-faced. |
| gliùineach | lukewarm. |
| séill | a haze (on the sun). |
| cànalas orra | a kind of curse (don’t know what it means). |
| dìsidh | chilly (more than grìseach). |
| fidealach bheag | the game of hide and seek. |
| glòman | [?] noise made by eider ducks in company or a crowd of people. |
| coilleag | as coilleag with long ‘o’ – fat globules on a liquid. |
| ag aobraich | working to no purpose (as children’s activity). |
| griùigar | a surly look. |
| fròlaisgean | a frayed edge (as on a skirt). |
| fròluisgean | [See fròlaisgean.] |
| fìgearsan | titbits, dainties. |
| griùlas | beginning of a cry in a baby (like boilleag). |
| tràbach | soaking (as of a day – used at Melness). |
| bith-aighe | (? sounds like eye) an earthworm. (at Melness) |
| pagan | a puffin. (Melness) |
| eileag | for eireag. (Melness) |
| donas-creige | blenny. (Melness) |
| bròg-shìlig | a cod-roe. |
| ming | pronunciation of miùg (whey) at Melness. |
| soillt | fat of a herring (blonaig). (Melness) |
| Chuir e turbhan orm | he disgusted me. |
| Cha dèan e car a churan | he won’t do a stroke. |
| [eòlas cocha-féithe ] | my mother talks of eòlas cocha-féithe – a method of curing by tying a string round the patient’s wrist and murmuring a verse. |
| [‘Na Cóig’ or a’ Ghriùthran] | “She [my mother] played a game called ‘Na Cóig’ or a’ Ghriùthran with five pebbles. Various moves were undertaken while tossing them, these I recollect: Cóig, Deich, Co’deug, Fichead Roisinne mhór, Roisinne bheag, Slipean mór, Slipean beag, Cóig dhuilich, Fad na h-uilinn, Cóig na cearraig, Cóig dhall, Garra mór, garra beag, Cóig an aoidh, Cóig an aoidh ’n adhar, Griùthran, Crogais mhóra, Crogais bheaga.” |
| [Rutchumas (?) | [?] ] She [my mother] also played a game called Rutchumas (?) with 2 teams of 6, each with a tree branch which the other team tried to capture. |