Gàidhlig / English
Gairmean do Bheathaichean

Gairmean do Bheathaichean

Posted by Calum on 6th April, 2023
Come here! Listen! Go! There are many ways to attract someone over and that is not different for different animals, but what can be said to attract beasts, or individual animals? This blog will be different from the others but we shall have a look at calls to animals from different areas.
 
Dog:
  • Cuilidh (Glenlyon).
  • Gos (Islay).
  • Iosg – “Iosg” is said for driving cattle with the dog. The word comes from the calls “Isk, iskie, hiskie, hiss” in English.
  • Thirr, thir thad – The following is said in order to coax a dog to drive cattle. The word itself is very simlar to the word “Hirr” in Welsh.
We have “Bios, bios thad, Ios, ios thad” for attracting any animal.
For quietening a dog the follwing is said:
  • Drois (Arran).
  • Tiuth (Arran).
Sheep:
  • Cioraidh (Garrynamonie, South Uist).
  • Cire (Antigonish, Canada).
  • Ciridh (Arran).
  • Ciridh, Ciora (Crowlista, Lewis).
Cat: Chicken: Cattle:
  • Husgus (Sutherland).
  • Pruch (Glenurqhuart).
  • Prì-lo/prìd-bheag (Islay).
  • Pruidh (Perthshire, North Argyll, Mull).
  • Pruidh-dhé (Badenoch, North Argyll).
  • Pruidh-dhè bheag (Mull).
  • Pruidh-so (Islay).
  • Pruigean (Wester Ross).
  • Pruis/pruisidh (Arran).
  • Pruis-o/pruis-so (Mull).
  • Trobhad, siugan, siugan beag (Uig, Lewis).
  • Thuirlidh/thuirlidh mhìneig – This call comes from “Hurly hawkie” (Arran)
  • Tu-rui (Wester Ross).
It is interesting to find that “Tairis, teiris, teirid” is used by milkmaids to calm a cow but “Taorais” is used in Camuscross in the Isle of Skye, to stop a cow.

Horse:
  • Huistir (The Isle of Skye).
  • Huistir(e).
  • Prog (North Argyll).
  • Progaidh (Badenoch, Perth, N. Argyll) – People are of the opinion that the word is very similar to the word “Approchez” in French. Perhaps the Gaelic word came from French?
  • Pru-siuch (Wester Ross).
  • Pruis-ò (Islay).
  • Siuc.
There we have it for the first part of this blog. We will return with part two next week. If you recognise any of the calls above, or if you have any of your own, let us know on facebook, twitter and our own website!
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