Gàidhlig / English
Cat-grìosaich

Cat-grìosaich

Posted by Shona on 13th November 2014

This week’s word of the week is ‘cat-grìosaich’ – very apt for cold winter days!

This word is used for a cat, or person, who very much likes to warm themselves by the fire. ‘Cat-grìosaich’ literally means ‘fireside cat’, deriving from grìosach ‘embers’.

An example of ‘cat-grìosaich’ can be found in Alexander Nicolson’s Collection of Gaelic Proverbs and Familiar Phrases (1881) as follows:

“Tha teas an teine ’n a luirgnean.
The heat of the fire is in his legs.
Said of a ‘cat griosaich,’ one too fond of the fireside.”

‘Cat-grìosaich’ is also referred to in Alexander Forbes’ Gaelic Names of Beasts as follows:

“...some are so lazy and fond of the fireside as never to leave it or hunt, such cats in the North or Highlands are called “Cat-griosaich” or fireside cat, its equivalent in the South is called “Axen-cat.” The first term is often applied to lazy men who are too fond of the fireside.”

This word was collected in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, from an informant originally from Loch Ewe, Gairloch.

Are you familiar with any other usages of the word cat-grìosaich? If so, why not let us know on @DASG_Glaschu / facebook.com/DasgGlaschu

Your comment has been submitted for moderation
There are no comments for this post