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Beurla na cluaise

English words picked up by ear.

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[cluas]

“A’ chluas dheas gam dheas mholadh, ’sa chluas chear [sic] gam shior mholadh [sic].” According to which ear is burning you are either being praised or criticised. [NOTES: the second ‘mholadh’ corrected to ‘?chàineadh’.]

Location: South Uist, Stoneybridge
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[cluas]

Cluinnidh tu air a chluaise a’s buidhre e. You will hear it in your deafest ear.

Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[cnainnte]

Tha sìde gu math cnainnte. (tioram & fuar) (on ear-thuath as t-earrach)

Origin: [Barra]
Category: Sìde / Weather

[ear]

Thoir fo’n ear. – Pay attention, literally, take from the East. Light comes from the East.

Location: Killearn
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[gaoth]

Gaoth tuath fuachd is gaillean. Gaoth ’n iar iasg is bainne. Gaoth deas meas air chrannaibh. Gaoth n-ear teas is torradh.

Location: Na Hearadh, Gòbhaig [Harris, Gobhaig]
Category: Sìde / Weather

[gaoth]

Gaoth tuath fuachd is feannadh / Gaoth an ear meas far (thar?) chrannaibh / Gaoth an iar iasg is bainne / Gaoth deas teas is toradh.

Origin: Mull, Tobermory
Category: Sìde / Weather

[general sayings or proverbs 7]

Gaoth-a-tuath fuachd is feannadh / Gaoth-an-iar iasg is bainne / Gaoth-a-deas teas is toradh / Gaoth-an-ear tart is crannadh.

Origin: Tiree
Category: Sìde / Weather

[glaodh]

“An glaodh a tha nam chluais, mi chuala ’s nach mi a chaoineas, nach ann as mo dhaoine fhein.” – according to the informant this verse was said after an indication of impending death in the community had been experienced. This indication came in the form of a heavy, mournful musical note which rang repeatedly in a person’s ear. Thereafter the above phrase was repeated so as the impending death would fall outside his/her own family. Informant recently experienced this.

Location: South Uist, Lochcarnan
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[sanas]

Thug ordag a choise sanas do bhun a chluaise. His toe gave a whisper (i.e. struck) the root of his ear. (i.e. violent fall)

Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[ɑlɑ̃nʹ]

Quotation: [ɑlɑ̃nʹ] na cluais. Notes: (pl) ear lobes. [NOTES: slipped under ‘alain’.]

Origin: North Uist
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

ailleagan na cluais

that part where the ear joins the head.

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

an dooker

Da ainm mar a bha mi ag ràdh roimhe airson gnothaichean iasgaich. An dooker. Am plocan. [q.v.] Airson a’ cheud fhir, ’se “an diùcair” a th’aig Dwelly. Ach ’se “an dooker” a th’againne, agus chanainn gur h-ann bho Chòrsa-an-Ear a thàinig an t-ainm. Tha Dòmhnall Iain ag ràdh gur h-e “an dunker” a th’aca-san air.

Origin: Lewis, Uig
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

an t-ailein

pios [piece?] of ear to the face.

Location: Na Hearadh [Harris], Horgabost
Category: Faireachdain / Senses

an tigh faire (E)

Far an robh an fhaire air a dèanamh. “Anns an tigh-fhaire”. Bhiodh an dusd (I) a stigh dà oidhche agus daoine ri caithris an dà oidhche. An diugh, cò dhiù air taobh an ear an eilein, chan eil caithris, no faire ’ga dhèanamh. [NOTES: slipped under ‘tigh faire’. Definition: Bhiodh an dusd a stigh dà oidhche agus daoine ri caithris an dà oidhche.]

Origin: Leòdhas [Lewis], Uig an Iar
Category: Bàs is Adhlacadh / Death and Burial

a’ comharrachadh

ear-marking.

Origin: Leòdhas [Lewis], Uig an Iar
Category: Caoraich / Sheep

a’ ghaoth ann am foghair

an ear-thuath (NE).

Origin: Tiree
Category: Sìde / Weather

a’ sanais

whispering into ear.

Location: [Harris], Leverburgh, Kintulavaig
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

boban

[Bobbin.] Air taobh an ear an eilein agus sìos an Taobh Siar.

Origin: Leòdhas [Lewis], Uig an Iar
Category: Obair na Clòimhe / Wool-Working

buillig

[ˈbu̜lıɡʹ] Note: a plant growing among oats, very like the oats. Has an ear rather like oats. Wild oats? (Also in Barvas.)

Origin: Carloway, Doune
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

buiseartach

applied to an ear playing piper.

Location: South Uist, Bornish
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

buiseartach

an ear piper, one who has just picked it up on his own.

Location: South Uist, Bornish
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

bun

Quotation: a’ chluas man a’ bhun. Notes: sheep’s ear cut off.

Location: Skye, Kilmuir
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

bun na cluaiseadh

ear-lobe.

Location: Na Hearadh [Harris], Horgabost
Category: Faireachdain / Senses

bàrr moullainn

an ear mark with an L shape out in the sheep’s ear. [NOTES: note above ‘moullainn’ – ‘mobhllainn’.]

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

bàthadair

Poll monach – mar as tric poll ùr anns an deacha beathach a bhàthadh. Leanaidh na h-ainmeannan ris na puill sin ged a bhiodh an dà aodann air a dhol cho fada bho cheile is gun togadh tu caisteal eatorra. Cluinnidh tu, “Chunna mi caora leat air breith aig Bàthadair tuath (no deas, no’n ear, no’n iar) Uilleam Iain” no “aig Bàsadair an iar Dhomhnuill Bhàin.” Tha tuath, deas, etc. a’ ciallachadh an àirde a ghabh na puill anns a’ bhuain.

Location: Lewis, Port of Ness
Category: Mòine / Peat-Working

cagairean

Quotation: Bheir mi [kɑɡəɾɑṉ] as do chluais. Notes: I’ll whisper in your ear.

Location: Achlyness
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

calg

Notes: hairy prickle of barley ear.

Location: Lewis, Barvas
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cliofag

Notes: a skelp or box on the ear.

Location: Tiree, [Caolas? – one slip]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

clodhan

slit in sheep’s ear.

Location: Skye, Bernisdale
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cluais

Quotation: a’ chluais. Notes: ear.

Location: Islay, Bowmore
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cluais-a-linn

eye of the net, literally, the ear of the net, loop of the net. The ‘top rope’ as already noted, baca, with spliced loops on either end to which the other looped nets, likewise, are tied. [NOTES: slipped under ‘cluais’ with ‘cluais a’ linn’ as the quotation. Definition: The loops on the ends of the ‘top ropes’ (baca).]

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cluas

Quotation: a’ cluas man a’ bhun. Notes: sheep’s ear cut off.

Location: Skye, Kilmuir
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cluas-chiùil

Notes: more than ear for music – faculty given to person to get the word behind tune.

Origin: Skye
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cluasan torclach

Highland calves born with the distinct mark of having pierced ears. More than one hole in each ear. A genealogical feature.

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cluigean

Notes: earmark. Ear cut so that top half hangs down.

Origin: North Uist
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

clìopadh

an earmark where a line goes through almost all of the ear leaving it without feeling so that it folds over. [NOTES: corrected to ‘cliopadh’.]

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

comharradh

ears being marked. The tip cut off or a hole cut through the ear, etc. for identification in sheep.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

comharradh

ear-marking.

Origin: ([Canada], Inverness Co., Lochaber) or ([Canada], Inverness Co., Lochaber dialect) or ([Canada], Inverness Co., Lochaber dialect)
Category: Caoraich / Sheep

comharradh or smeòrach

[sic] ear-marking.

Origin: Tiree
Category: Caoraich / Sheep

conochgag

oyster shell? You can hear the echo of the sea if you put it close to your ear.

Location: Milngavie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

corran

earmark where the top of the ear is rounded.

Location: South Uist, South Lochboisdale
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cotan

cotton, cotton wool was used in cuts and bruises. The cotton wool put on the wood [sic] [wound?] and bandaged, after the wound was cleansed and Epsom salts used as a disinfectant in cold water, or lukewarm water, tepid, perhaps as likely cold water was more appropriate in the congealation [sic] of blood, to stop the bleeding. Cotton was also used in having it soaked in hot olive oil, and placed in the ear for earache. Drops of hot olive oil were injected or allowed to run off a teaspoon, inside the ear, to soften hard wax in the ear, etc. etc.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

cuach

Notes: a drinking bowl with an ear on each side.

Origin: West Lewis [the location given on the slips]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

céir-cluaiseag

ear wax.

Origin: Tiriodh [Tiree]
Category: Faireachdain / Senses

dias

[fem.] as well as meaning an ear of corn, this also meant a fleck of barley chaff. Most irritating to the skin if a ‘dias’ adhered to one’s clothing. ‘Tha dias air mo dhruim’ could be awful. ‘Tha dias ’nam amhaich’ – worse!

Origin: Eileanaich [natives of Lewis]
Category: Taigh Gàidhealach / House and Furnishings

diasd

[dʹıɤsd̪] Notes: ear of corn.

Location: Sutherland, Kinlochbervie, Blairmore
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

eanstrach

[ɛ̃ṉst̪ɾɔx] Quotation: Eanstrach bho’n àirde ’n ear. Notes: East Coast built boat (Anstruther?). Had a perpendicular stem, stern almost perpendicular.

Location: Ross-shire, Aultbea
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

ear a dheas, an

advb ‘seatheasterly’: stoirm mhòr an ~ ann

Location: Canada, Cape Breton, Broadcove
Category: Field Notebooks of Seosamh Watson June-August 1983

elibhag

ear-lobe.

Category: Faireachdain / Senses

failbhoin

Quotation: “Cha do dh’fhailbhoin mi” – I didn’t hear. Notes: Jessie MacLeod reports common in (North) Ness. Cf. failbhean/failmhean apparently used for the lobe of the ear. Not in Dw.

Location: Lewis
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

feannadh

Quotation: Gaoth tuath, fuachd is feannadh; gaoth deas, teas is toradh; gaoth ’n iar, iasg is bainne; gaoth ’n ear, meas air chrannaibh.

Location: Islay, Port Wemyss
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

fiath

Quotation: Fiath, is gaoth ’n ear. Notes: two opposites.

Origin: Islay, Port Charlotte
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gaoth

Quotation: Gaoth tuath, fuachd is feannadh; gaoth deas, teas is toradh; gaoth ’n iar, iasg is bainne; gaoth ’n ear, meas air chrannaibh.

Location: Islay, Port Wemyss
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gaoth

Quotation: Fiath, is gaoth ’n ear. Notes: two opposites.

Origin: Islay, Port Charlotte
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gath-dubh

Quotation: an gath-dubh. Notes: ear of oats infested with “smut” – (?).

Origin: North Uist
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gathan gannaisg

a kind of rough grass with a wheat-like ear. Personally I have not seen this in Uist. Must be present in Skye since Halloween boys gathered bunches of this and threw it at each other saying “Mo shaighead air do shaighead sa”. This was thought to prevent fairies from doing harm during the year.

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

geata-cluaise

ear-gate. I have heard this termed [sic] used not very long ago.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

glaim

certain sound in ear (omen of calamity, old belief) (N.E.).

Origin: [Strathglass]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

glaodh ’s a’ chluais

Death ring in the ear, a sure portent of hearing news of a death, soon. [NOTES: slipped under ‘glaodh’.]

Origin: Skye
Category: Bàs is Adhlacadh / Death and Burial

glug

liquid motion in an egg when shaken and listened and placed near the ear.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

greighar

scabs [?] on ear.

Location: Harris, Horgabost
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

greim cluaise

ear-ache.

Location: Na Hearadh [Harris], Horgabost
Category: Faireachdain / Senses

géugan

Quotation: “An géugan iosal taisgeil.” Notes: a slit below in the left ear (ear-marks of sheep).

Origin: West Lewis [the location given on the slips]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

leth-chluas

Notes: earmark. One ear cut off.

Origin: North Uist
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

lìon-beag (E)

Dubhan anns a h-uile h-aitheamh. Ach lìn a bhiodh a’ tighinn bho an choast an ear bhiodh dà dhubhan orra anns a h-uile h-aitheamh. Cha chreid mi gu robh seo càil na b’ fheàrr gu iasg a ghlacadh [no] gu iasgach a dhèanamh. (Seo mar a chanas sinn an cumantas: “an lìon-bhig” agus chan è “an lìn-bhig”.)

Origin: Leòdhas [Lewis], Uig an Iar
Category: Acfhuinn Iasgaich / Fishing Tackle

marbhadh a’ bhodaich

a game for boys. The player stretched face downwards on the floor and put his two clenched fists, one beyond and touching the other at his own head, thus measuring his own length plus the breadth of two fists. This was marked – one mark at his toes and the other at the second fist. A wooden peg was set up at the ‘fist’ mark and the player took up position at the other mark (where his toes had been). He was given two short pointed pegs – one in each hand – shaped like the ‘dealgan’ used for twisting yarn [see illustration below] and balancing his body forwards on these lifting one at a time, he had to stretch his full length and knock the ‘bodach’ down, without overbalancing and collapsing on the floor. The crucial point came when he was about fully stretched. He was asked “Càite bheil thu dol?” He replied, “Tha mi dol a mharbhadh a bhodaich.” “De fhads’ a tha thu dol a ruighinn?” and balancing on one peg the poor player had to lift the other one and point to one ear, and putting that one down and balancing on it, he had to do the same with the other peg. While he was doing this he replied, “Tha gu na cluais ud, agus gu na cluais ud.” Not many could finish the game!

Origin: Leòdhas [Lewis], Uig
Category: Cur-seachadan: Dèideagan, Geamaichean is Farpaisean / Recreation: Toys, Games, Contests

meallan uachdrach

L shape in a sheep’s ear.

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

meurlan

[mjɤ:ɫɑṉ] Quotation: meurlan iarach, meurlan uarach or àrd. Notes: right-angled piece cut off at the tip of a sheep’s ear.

Location: Lewis, Barvas
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

muallan

lowing of cattle. [See nuallan.] An attentive hear [sic] [ear?] could also find this pronunciation with some.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

port-an-aillean

[pɔʴsṯəṉˈɑlʹɑṉ] Note: also used (as well as gìbean (pl.) [q.v.]) for hollow under the ear. Could hurt a person badly by pressing fingers and thumb into both. [NOTES: the turned r used for the symbol which is unclear in the original.]

Origin: [Lewis], Arnol
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

putharan

[pu̟həɾɑṉ] Notes: ear of barley which has become black and which falls away as powder when disturbed.

Location: Stornoway, Melbost
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

putharan

[pu̟həɾɑ̃ṉ] Quotation: Tha siol a’ phutharan ann. Notes: applied to a person of dark or swarthy complexion. (Putharan – blackened ear of barley.)

Location: Stornoway, Melbost
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

rubadh

[ru̜bəɣ] Note: earmark. A single cut down the tip of the ear. “Dà rubadh”, in Crowlista, unlike the West Side, is applied to two parallel cuts down the tip of the ear. (Trí rubaidh in Barvas.)

Origin: Crowlista
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

ràs-gaoithe

strong breeze of wind. The description more inclined to the east wind, as in this instance: Bha ràs de ghaoith-an-ear ann le turadh. Turadh na mòine – a peat drying remark. The east wind is a very effective agent in drying peats on Harris.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

slisinn

Notes: slices cut off above or under the ear of sheep.

Location: Lewis, Barvas
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

smeòrach

[smjɔ̃:rəx] tip of the ear.

Location: North Argyll
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

snàlc ceitin

[?] mark in the ear, pierced with the needle. (?)

Location: [Lewis], Arnol
Category: Caoraich / Sheep

snàthad-lìn

Note: earmark confined, according to P.C., to one crofter in Marvig. The ear is folded lengthwise and a cut like a “gearradh-lùdaig” [q.v.] made, leaving a tongue in the middle of the ear.

Location: [Lewis], S. Lochs, Gravir
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

sùlag

[su̜:ɫɑɡ] Notes: fork (earmark). V cut out of the tip of the ear.

Origin: North Uist
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

taisgeal

Quotation: “Am bàrr deas ... ’s an géugan iosal taisgeil.” Notes: ear-marks of sheep. Deas – the right ear. Taisgeal – the left ear.

Origin: West Lewis [the location given on the slips]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

toisgeal

[t̪ɔʃɡʹɑɫ] Quotation: a’ chluas toisgeal. Notes: left ear – used in sheep’s earmarks.

Origin: North Uist
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

torchluasach

[t̪ɔɾxɫu̜ɤsɑx] Notes: a nick in the ear of a beast. (from birth acc. to MMK)

Location: Skye, Portree
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

“one in sight”

Nuair a bhiodh iad a’ tarruing an lìn-bhig agus a nochdadh a’ cheud bheathach – leòbag, no adag, no cnòdan, no eile – chanadh iad “one in sight”. Mar a bhiodh a’ chùis a’ dol air adhart chanadh iad “one in sight, six aboard”. Cleachdadh na h-Airde an ear (Ceann Phàdruig ’s a Bhruaich etc.) tha mi ’n dùil. Ach am bodach-sa (b’aithne dhomh e gu math), bhiodh e ag ràdh nuair a bha easan [sic] òg gu’n canadh na bodaich ri leithid “one in sight”, “min am balg”. Sin agad tè mhath.

Origin: [Lewis, Uig an Iar]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous