| 1. Ag ullachadh na talmhainn airson mòine a bhuain |
| a’ riachadh | the line marking the width of the turfing. (Point, Lewis) |
| a’ priogadh | the line marking the width of the turfing. (Carloway) |
| riasg | peat soil. (Lewis) |
| moine a’ reisg | this was used in S. Harris to signify the fibrous as opposed to the black and hard type. |
| a’ rusgadh | turfing. (Lewis) |
| a’ feannadh | turfing. (Berneray, Harris) |
| a leagail na ruisg | throwing the cut [sic] down from the top of the bank. |
| ag càradh na rusg | [sic] arranging the cut turf with the grass side up am broinn a’ phuill. |
| a’ glanadh a’ phuill | levelling the top after the turfing. |
| leigeil an uisge a poll | draining a peat-bank. |
| 2. A’ buain na mònach; na h-innealan a chleachdar; ainmean nam fàdan, etc. |
| a’ buain na mònach | cutting the peats. (Lewis) |
| a’ buain na mònadh | cutting the peats. (Harris) |
| sgioba buain mhònach | the working team consisting roughly of nine. This was considered capable of cutting fuel for one year for one household: ceithir iarainn agus duine rùsgadh. |
| iarunn | a peat iron; also this is also [sic] the term used for the unit in a team, viz. a pair – one cutting and one throwing out. This word is used in both these senses in Berneray, Harris, but only in the latter sense in Lewis. |
| taraisgeir | peat iron. (Lewis) |
| a’ buain ’s a cuir a’ mach | [sic] cutting and spreading. [(Lewis)] |
| a’ gearradh ’s a cuir a mach | [sic] cutting and spreading. [(Lewis)] |
| sgaoilteach | spreading area. |
| druim a’ phuill | the top level of the peat bank. |
| broinn a’ phuill | the lower level of the peat bank. |
| aghaidh a’ phuill | the upright area from which the peats were cut. |
| aodann a’ phuill | the upright area from which the peats were cut. |
| cas an iaruinn | the handle of the peat iron. |
| sgion an iaruinn | the blade of the peat iron. |
| smeachan an iaruinn | the foot rest on the [peat] iron. |
| iarunn aig an robh coiseachd (no ceum) math | a satisfactory [peat] iron with a long knife. |
| a’ fosgladh poll | opening a new bank. |
| a’ toirt puill as ùr | opening a new bank. |
| carcair | the width of the bank to be cut. |
| Thug mi rusg mor | that would mean a wide area turfed – 10 to 12 peats. |
| poll aon phoid | one layer depth after turfing – not common. |
| poll da fhad | two layer depth or three. This was the common depth. Rarely four to six layers. |
| barr fhad | top layer. |
| caoran | the lower, bottom layer usually coming [?] of the stone [?] – black and broken. |
| corr fhad | the first peat cut off each layer – the outside peat. |
| ceap ceann | an unturfed peat, cut with the spade. |
| grobhag | poll air fàs beag ’s air tighinn gu deireadh. (Lewis) |
| grabhag | poll air fàs beag ’s air tighinn gu deireadh. (Harris) |
| gearr tan’ i, ruig fad i, cum a’ mach i | these were the three main points to good peat-cutting. Ruig fad i means cut as deep a slice as iron permits. Cum a’ mach i refers to good spreading. |
| spoth an fhoid | a backward tilt to the iron after the downward cut: to enable the peat to come off clearly. |
| 3. A’ tiormachadh na mònach |
| rùghadh | ’g a cuir air a casan. The first lifting of the peats – into small heaps – three or four peats up-ended and one laid across the top – am fàd mulaich. |
| rùmhadh | [See rùghadh] |
| togail | ’g a cuir air a casan. The first lifting of the peats – into small heaps – three or four peats up-ended and one laid across the top – am fàd mulaich. |
| rùghan | the first little heap. |
| rùmhan () | [masc.] [See rùghan] Rùmhan beag. Rùmhain bheaga. |
| coilleag () | [fem.] the first little heap. (Scalpay) |
| ath-rughadh | Is e so an dara sùil a bheirear air a mhòine. Nithear rùmhain na’s motha leis na fòid a’s tiorma ’nam broin agus an fheadhain nach ’eil cho tioram air an taobh a muigh agus air am mullach . Le sìde thioram nithear ath-rumhain mhòra, ach ma tha an aimsir bog cha deanar ach ath-rumhain bheaga. |
| ath-rumhadh | [See ath-rughadh] |
| ath-rughan no ath-rumhan () | [masc.] |
| 4. A’ cruachadh na mònach |
| torr () | [masc.] a heap. |
| tiurra () | [fem.] a heap. |
| an glaothan () | [masc.] the heap now takes shape – an elongated oval – the length and width of the intended stack. Where the peats are of mixed quality, all the black and brittle and broken stuff are heaped into this core of the stack. |
| an steidheadh () | [masc.] a ring of ‘moine shlàn’ is now set all around the ‘glaothan’ and a ‘ceum coise’ away from it. From this outer ring, referred to as ‘an steidheadh’, the stacker helps himself to good building slabs for the stacking. |
| a’ steidheadh | stacking or ‘building’. |
| ag griomhadh | stacking or ‘building’. |
| a toirt a steach a’ steidhidh | giving the stack a slight slope inwards all the way round to prevent its falling. |
| a’ duineadh na cruaich | levelling off the top of the stack. |
| cuilean () | [masc.] a small addition to the main stack – like a ‘lean-to’ or ‘porch’ at the end or side. |
| a’ tughadh | thatching – this was done when the household peats were not all gathered into one stack but were left each lot on its own bank. The peats were arranged in a beehive heap which was covered all over with newly cut turf. |
| ceap tughaidh | the turf used in the above [i.e. a’ tughadh]. |
| cruach () | [fem.] stack. |
| larach cruaiche | site for a stack. Also an area of hard-pressed dross where a stack had once been. |
| smur | peat-dross. |
| 5. A’ toirt na mònach dhachaigh; an cliabh, etc. |
| cliabh () | [masc.] creel. |
| bath-chliabh | this was a smaller creel – a mock or toy creel. It was a disparagement to have one’s creel referred to as a bath-chliabh – implying that one could not carry a full load. |
| iris () | [fem.] the creel strap – a two or three inch width of plaited twine with a worked loop at each end. A ‘de-luxe’ one would be of ‘gaoisde’ (horsehair) for the last word in comfort across the chest! Straps of leather or of sacking (iris poca) were inferior makeshifts. |
| staingean | the cane ‘uprights’ of the creel – the ribs. |
| briagan | a row of holes or openwork right round the creel and four or five inches down from the top. By these one could get a grip of the loaded creel when lifting it. |
| bial a’ chleibh | the top [of the creel]. |
| màs a’ chleibh | the bottom [of the creel]. When this was worn out the creel would be taken to the maker gus màs ùr a chur ann. |
| dronnag () | [fem.] a cushion or pad for the back when carrying a loaded creel – normally a folded skirt or ‘cota’. |
| cota dronnaig () | [masc.] an old skirt or ‘cota’ no longer wearable as such and relegated to a creel pad. |
| ceanghal cleibh | a new creel before use was tightened or bound over with strong twine laced back and fore on the outside along the line of ribs. |
| staran | the track between bank and tiùrra – the more direct the better. |
| drochaid air poll | if there was a high bank in the way, steps of turfing would be built up the face to avoid a detour. |
| drochaid air feith | stepping stones of turfing set across a boggy patch to avoid detour. |
| ultach monach | an armful of peats. |
| bara monach | a barrowload of peats. |
| cliabh monach | a creelful of peats. |
| cairt mhonach | a cartload of peats. |
| sgiathan air cairt | sometimes to make a cart more commodious an extra board would be fixed to each side. |
| teasraigeadh monadh | a loan or gift of peats to ‘tide one over’. (Berneray) |
| luchd monadh | boatload usually. (Berneray) |
| saic monadh | horseload of two loaded creels astride a horse’s back. (Berneray) |
| sorachan | a creel stand built up of turf or flat peats. With the loaded creel rested here it was easy to get it on to one’s back. A later version made of wood had the advantage of being portable. This was nicknamed (in Point, Lewis) ‘Seonaidh’. |
| tiurraidean | a small insignificant heap of peats – or of anything. |
| 6. Seòrsachan mònach |
| moine dhubh | heavy black type [of peat]. Sometimes also moine bhalbh dhubh. |
| moine phronn | brittle type of peat – usually black. |
| caorain | small broken peats. |
| moine shlàn | this is the more manageable and stronger type of peat. |
| moine fhallain | (Berneray, Harris) [See moine shlàn]. |
| moine fhraoich | this has an ad-mixture of roots – mostly heather roots – usually the top layer from the bank. |
| moine bhàn | this is lighter in weight and in colour. |
| moine chòsach | light spongy stuff considered inferior – except for kindling. |
| ath-mhoine | (re-made) these were peats that had become wet and soggy – usually in the ‘floor’ of the stack – and had been set aside in little ‘rumhain’ to dry out again – also considered inferior. |
| moine-cloiche | this is the lowest layer of peat – lifted of the ‘stone’ – always coal-black and often ‘pronn’. (Berneray, Harris) |
| moine-steidhidh | well shaped and firm slabs suitable [for] stack ‘building’. |
| moine amh | peats that had not dried well and had a softish or ‘raw’ core. |
| moine phlòiceach | big spongy slabs that had absorbed water. |
| moine tasgaidh | peats suitable for banking the fire overnight – mòine amh or mòine phlòiceach were preferred for this. |
| 7. Faclan eile |
| dòrlach | handful of oatmeal, grain etc. |
| làn dùrna | handful of oatmeal, grain etc. |
| criuthgan | a pinch – of salt or sugar etc. |
| craiteachan | a sprinkling – of salt etc. |
| smàglach | as much as could be lifted between the two hands – of potatoes, or herring, or grain etc. |
| tràth | of potatoes, or fish, as much as would be cooked for one meal. |
| déilic | a very small helping or portion of any food. |
| sgùird | as much as one could carry in front of one, viz. in one’s apron. |
| drumag | this was a bigger load than above [i.e. sgùird] – the apron was filled and worn behind with the two bottom corners pinned or knotted at the neck. Had to be stronger and bigger than these of the present day (the aprons). |
| cròg | a handful – of eggs usually. |
| achlais | a load to go under the arm e.g. ‘achlais leabhraichean’. |
| ciumbul | a bundle. |
