Crodh / Cattle

Informant(s)
Name
Murdo MacLeod
Age
60
Origin
Leodhas [Lewis], Uig
Location
Argyll, Campbeltown
Notes
  • [NOTES: the informant uses ‘beag’ or ‘bheag’ to show the gender of the noun. They have been replaced with ‘masc.’ and ‘fem.’ respectively.]
1. Different stages in the growth of cattle
laogh tairbhbull calf.
laogh boireannquey calf.
gamhainnup to 3 years of age.
agh[cow] bearing the first calf.
damhcastrated bull or bullock.
mart-làmhaidha cow fattened for slaughter.
bó bhoinnea milch cow, any age.
bó bhloghainna milking cow (actually in milk, any age).
bó laoigha cow of calving age, older than agh [q.v.].
2. Breeds of cattle
crodh-GaidhealachHighland cattle.
crodh-Galldae.g. Ayrshire, Shorthorn etc.
3. Outward appearance of cattle
bó dhonn
bó dhubh
bó riabhach
bó bhreac
bó odhar
bó stiallach
sgiamhachfat with shiny coat.
culanfat, e.g. Tha culan math oirre.
starrachlean and bony.
cruaidhlean, e.g. ’S ann cruaidh a tha i.
seanglean, no belly.
air thogailso poor and weak that the animal had to be lifted to its feet.
stùdhachshort in the tail.
gireachpoor, dry-looking coat. (Pronounced with English ‘th’ sound instead of Gaelic ‘R’.)
lomlean in flesh, short in coat.
lothachbedraggled. (Pronounced with English ‘th’ sound, i.e. ‘loth’ as in English ‘cloth’ but with the Gaelic double ‘l’ sound at the beginning of the word.)
[cramhan]‘Tha na cramhan gos tigh’nn troimh na chracann.’
4. Names for certain beasts, e.g. an animal on which the owner bestows particular attention
sùileaganIt could also mean e.g. a person who had been in very good circumstances and who, through his own foolishness, became reduced to lowly straits. Tha e ’na shùileagan a measg nan daoine.
5. Parts of the body
stròn ()[fem.]
duileasg na stròinemembrane inside the nose.
calg ()[masc.] hair.
seich ()[fem.] hide.
ochdbreast.
crumhananhoofs.
crumhanan beagafetlocks.
creamh-dromaback-bone.
smior-cailleachspinal cord.
crudha-deiridhhind quarters.
crudha-cinnfore quarters.
losaidhip.
sùil a leiship.
ùrubull (earbull)tail.
buntop end of tail.
bàrrend of tail.
ùghudder.
sineanteats.
fèitheanmuscles.
sgòrnantrachea.
ubhal a’ sgornainlarynx.
staoig an amadainspleen.
domalas (domblas) ()[masc.] gall-bladder.
poc an tairbhthe testicles.
na clachanthe testicles.
slat an tairbhthe penis.
cochullsheath from which penis emerges.
it itheachgullet.
maodal ()[fem.] big stomach.
am brailean ()[masc.] small stomach.
na caolananintestines.
na caolanan gormasmall intestines.
na caolanan glassmall intestines.
an caolan morlarge intestine.
geirabdominal fat.
na lòineachanfat round the kidneys.
streibhinna thin piece of skin, such as the diaphragm, or e.g. the fat on the stomach of a lean animal. “An robh tòrr geir oirr?” “Cha robh. Dìreach streibhinn bheag air a mhaodal.”
6. Calving
dàir“Tha an dàir air a bhoin.” The cow is abulling. “Chaidh a bho a dhàir.” “Dhàir an tarbh a bhó.” The cow was bulled (successfully).
leum dàirthe successful mount of the bull.
salachar an tairbhsemen left by the bull.
fiadhaicheanseen hanging from the genital organs of the cow, usually a sign that she needs the bull.
gleodhanseen hanging from the genital organs of the cow, usually a sign that she needs the bull.
breith a’ laoigh
am balg uisgbag of water surrounding the calf.
leabaidh a’ laoighuterus.
salacharplacenta. Salachar an tairbh – semen.
casan ladhrachthe soft white underpads on a calf’s feet, used to be roasted on the fire and eaten.
7. Milking
[strideag]’Bleoghan gu na strideig mu dheireadh – [milking to the last drop].
ùnnsmilk yielded after calving.
miodaira wooden vessel for feeding calves.
ceadaa wooden pail, very sturdy, with iron hoops and an iron handle which had a wooden roller in the centre. This roller was the ‘grip’. These wooden pails were not made locally – they were bought in the shops.
muga seapainquart jug (as supplied by the tinkers).
muga cheairdquart jug (as supplied by the tinkers).
peile beag[pail that] held about two or three quarts.
peile caola narrow, tall pail holding double that of the the peile beag [q.v.].
peile mórheld, perhaps, more than double the peile caol [q.v.].
peile-strùbachbigger than the peile mòr [q.v.]. It had a spout on it. (All these pails were bought from the tinkers (except the ‘ceada’ [q.v.]). They were usually supplied complete with tin lid shaped like a flat cone.)
an cliabh fodairsome cows (as a result of bad habit) did not yield their milk without being given a small quantity of succulent grass, turnip leaves etc. This was carried to them in a creel. Dried backbones of fish, such as cod, also served the same purpose. This saved carrying ‘fodder’ when the cows were at the shielings miles away from the villages.
buaracha piece of rope for tying the two hind legs together. It was sometimes made of plaited string with a loop and toggle i.e. dul agus crag.
8. Feeding
sopag fheòira handful of hay.
muilnean feòiran armful of hay.
ultachan feòira double armful [of hay].
bad coirca sheaf of oats.
bad eòrnaa sheaf of barley.
adagstook.
comhlachstraw.
stràileachstraws left behind e.g. when a field was not raked properly.
ag innisTha an crodh ag innis as a bhuaile.
a’ cur a mach a’ chruidh
a’ cur a steach a’ chruidh
buachaille
banabhuachaill
buachailleachd
a’ glanadh a’ bhailedriving all the cattle to the common grazing.
a’ glanadh a’ chùildriving all the cattle from the common grazing, usually sending them to the moor.
stocan càilgiven to the cows to make them yield their milk: ‘gus a leagadh iad am boinne.’ [See also ceithle chàil]
ceithle chàilgiven to the cows to make them yield their milk: ‘gus a leagadh iad am boinne.’ [See also stocan càil]
a’ cleith a bhoinnethe term used for [cows] with-holding their milk.
9. Apparatus
stiallTha a’ mart air a stéill. I think this was the post to which the cow was tied.
smiathag or perhaps smiagagain, I think this was the piece of rope which was tied round the [cow’s] neck.
feisdrope, made of heather at one time, for tying a cow while grazing. The end was fixed to a stick driven into the ground.
am bacanthe stob to which the feisd [q.v.] was tied.
deadhanna rope tying the forelegs of horses so that they would not stray. (Pronounced: de-ay-ann, ‘de’ as in ‘deoch’.)
10. Diseases
a’ chleimhitchiness.
séidswelling.
mialanlice.
gartainticks.
fiarsannananwarble-fly – grub in the hide.
an tòcaffecting the whole animal but located in the eye. “Thug e an tòc dhi.” He performed this particular operation to the eye of the cow. (Peculiar to West Uig, Lewis – not believed in by Vets.)
an teas bralainsome sort of indigestion. (?)
a’ spùtdiarrhoea.
11. Miscellaneous
“trobhad, siugan, siugan, siugan beag”call to a cow.
“trobhad, piatan, piatan, piatan beag”call to a calf.
‘Bha i ’na pliana ann a shid.’she was lying completely helpless.
buachair na bacow dung.

© DASG
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