Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

Informant(s)
Name
Calum and Peggy MacDonald
Location
Lewis, Uig, Crowlista
Date
May 1972
Notes
  • [NOTES: in IPA transcriptions, the fieldworker uses [w] for [ɯ].]
sgùil[sɡu̟:l] Note: small-line basket, made of sea-bent.
glasQuot.: a’ ghlas mhór; a’ ghlas bheag. Note: two parts of a sheep’s entrails. The two are used in the making of marags. Both pipe-like. [Cf. luamhgha.]
luamhgha[ɫũɑ̃ɣə] Note: part of sheep’s entrails used in the making of marags. A part closed at the narrow end, opening out to a wide mouth. This mouth is stitched across. (This is not a’ ghlas mhór or a’ ghlas bheag. [See glas.])
slacan[sɫɑkɑṉ] Note: potato-masher.
simid[ʃĩmidʹ] Note: a stick used for wringing clothes by wrapping a piece of the article round one end of the stick and then twisting the stick.
guit[ɡu̟tʹ] Note: to their knowledge only used for holding “peardan” from the cards. Like a “criathar” but the skin stretched on the frame was not holed.
fearasdQuot.: “Bhitheadh e na b’ fhusa [u̟sə] a ghearradh.” Note: “It would be easier to cut.”
pròs[pɾɔ:əs] Quot.: “pròs tùchan”. Note: a very thick brose. A little taken with milk.
bodachanQuot.: “bodachan coirc”. Note: oatmeal mixed with sugar and a little cold water and rolled into a cylindrical shape. Taken with one if one was going to the hill or to the seashore. Very strong and sustaining. Also given to young sheep to bring them on.
deochQuot.: deoch-bhàn. Note: drink made from oatmeal mixed with cold water.
stiùireagNote: oatmeal mixed with a little water, then boiling water added.
leannQuot.: “leann a’ bheathaich”. Note: home-made beer. Made from treacle, sugar and yeast. (“Beathach” – probably the yeast, moving about.)
làghan[ɫɑ:ɣɑṉ] Note: sowens.
sgrìoban[sɡɾı:bɑṉ] Note: pole with three hooks in triangular fashion at one end, used to recover fishing lines or nets.
gairbhead[ɡɤɾɤvəd̪] Quot.: “ròp agus faisg air trì òirlich a’ ghairbhead innte”. Note: thickness.
maide-feannaigNote: the stick protruding from the end of the thatched roof of a blackhouse. Thatching rope anchored round it.
gath-dromaNote: ridge pole.
sguabQuot.: “sguab mhurain”. Note: broom made of sea-bent.
ciosan[cısɑṉ] Note: small round basin made of sea-bent.
làmhchran[ɫɑ̃:xɾɑṉ] Note: handle of flail.
strannachan[st̪ɾɑ̃n̪ɑxɑṉ] Note: circular piece of leather 2"-3" diam. Two holes, with string through each hole and then knotted. String cork-screwed and then pulled at each end. Disc revolves backwards and forwards as the two ends are pulled and then slackened.
gille-mireanNote: spinning-top.
tòtlaman[ṯɔ:ṯləmɑṉ] Note: spinning-top.
tarbhan-arach[t̪ɑɾɑvɑṉˈɑɾɑx] Note: dragonfly (for tarbh-nathrach).
reubasteallag[ˈriɑbəʃtʹɑɫɑɡ] Note: a swing.
aghaidhQuot.: aghaidh chumhach [xũ̟ɑx]. Note: false face.
lungag[ɫũ̜ŋɡɑɡ] Note: a sling, for throwing stones.
car-gleacNote: wrestling.
pìobhaidh[pı:vi] Note: game played by girls.
fèireag[fɛ:ɾɑɡ] Note: hitting of the ball in rounders.
leth-choisQuot.: “leth-chois, sinnteag is leum”. Note: hop, step and jump.
cruidh-leum[kɾɤ̃ĩlʹɤm] Note: jump, keeping both feet together all the time.
buill-leog[bu̟lʹɔɡ] Note: throwing small flat stones along the surface of water.
leoganNote: a small stone.
oileag[ɔlɑɡ] Note: a stone which fills the hand.
dòrnag[d̪ɔ:ʴṉɑɡ] Note: a stone as used in shot-putting. [NOTES: the turned r used for the symbol which is unclear in the original.]
broids[bɾɔḏʃ] Note: a broach.
glaine-bhruich[ɡɫɑ̃nʹfɾwç] Note: term C. used for frosted glass, glass that one can’t see through properly.
fiullanNote: earwig.
daolag-chòsachNote: slater.
MurchadhQuot.: Murchadh-na-Móinteach. Note: daddy-long-legs.
greimeadairNote: horse-fly.
teilean[tʹelɑṉ] Note: bee. Sometimes “teilean-mil”.
seangan[ʃɛ̃ɣɑ̃ṉ] Note: ant.
gaiseadhNote: blight in potatoes.
sùileagNote: a small potato.
bàrr-gucNote: blossom.
pronnadhQuot.: a’ pronnadh a bhuntàta. Note: breaking up the earth.
priocadh[pɾwkəɣ] Quot.: a’ priocadh a’ bhuntàta. Note: weeding potatoes with a hoe.
plodan[pɫɔd̪ɑ̃ṉ] Note: in a ploughed field, piece of unturned turf with grass showing.
sealbhagNote: sorrel.
slocQuot.: sloc bhuntàta. Note: potato pit.
badadhQuot.: a’ badadh a’ choirc. Note: tying corn.
buntàtaQuot.: buntàta sleadhaig. Note: potatoes planted in holes made by a dibble, after the earth has been manured, turned and the clods broken up. (Put also under sleadhag.)
buntàtaQuot.: buntàta luathaireach. Note: early potatoes.
atharnachQuot.: atharnach bhuntàta. Note: ground in which potatoes were planted the previous year.
rotachQuot.: rotach na Caingis [k[ɑ̃ĩ]ɡɑʃ]. Note: spell of bad weather.
Quot.: Là na Gocaireachd. Note: April Fools’ Day.
liathruisgean[lʹıɤɾu̟ʃɡʹəṉ] Quot.: na liathruisgean. Note: according to Calum, spell in autumn when food was very scarce, before the corn and barley had ripened properly.
sìg[ʃı:ɡʹ] Quot.: sìg fheòir. Note: haystack.
coc[kɔk] Quot.: coc fheòir. Note: haycock.
tòrr[t̪ɔ:r] Quot.: tòrr coirc. Note: corn “hut”.
feusag[fiɑsɑɡ] Note: “beard” of oats or barley.
ìrQuot.: Thug mi dha “ride” ìr-a’ bhacain-uasail [i:ðəvɑkɑ̃nʹu̟ɤʃəl]. Note: sitting astraddle one’s neck.
eileatrom[elət̪ɾəm] Note: a painful cut just behind the ball of the foot due to going about barefoot. Said to be caused by moorland water on tender skin.
driùcan[d̪ɾu̟:kɑṉ] Note: cut under the toes – like hacks.
deiceallach[dʹɛcəɫɑx] Note: backward, shy.
geàrnaidhQuot.: a’ chlann a’ geàrnaidh. Note: playing noisily.
caille-bianan[kɑlʹəbĩɤ̃ṉɑṉ] Note: phosphorescence.
cailleachan-cagailt[kɑlʹɑxəṉkɑɡılʹtʹ] Note: luminosity seen in embers covered with ashes when a poker is stroked through them.
rionnagQuot.: rionnag an earbaill. Note: shooting star.
fosgladhNote: far-off lightning.
spreadhNote: explode, burst out in different directions.
gionach[ɡʹw̃ṉɑx] Quot.: “Tha e gionach gu a bhiadh.” “Cha chuimhnich a fear gionach air a chù gu’m bi a bhrùgh làn.” Note: gluttonous.
duainidh[d̪ũ̟ɑ̃nʹi] Quot.: “Tha e cho beag ’s cho duainidh.” Note: pale, anaemic-looking.
éididhQuot.: “Nach eagallach cho éididh ’s a tha ’n t-aodach a th’air.” Note: poor in quantity and quality.
déisdeanach[dʹe:ʃdʹɑṉɑx] Quot.: “Tha e cho déisdeanach.” Note: small, puny.
déisdean[dʹe:ʃdʹəṉ] Quot.: “déisdean de bhalach”. Note: a puny boy.
sliobach[ʃlʹibɑx] Quot.: (1) iasg sliobach. (2) buntàta sliobach. Note: (1) very soft, watery fish. (2) watery potatoes.
uisgealach[u̟ʃɡʹɑɫɑx] Quot.: buntàta uisgealach. Note: potatoes with water under the skin.
iung[ȷɤ̃ɣ] Quot.: “a’ cur iung ann an aodach”. Note: inserting a piece of material (usually triangular shaped) in a garment to widen it.
meigearlan[mɛ̃ɡʹəɫɑṉ] Note: a small cheeky boy.
tollach[t̪ɔɫɑx] Quot.: “Tha e tollach air cho beag ’s a fhuair e.” Note: said of a person who is covetous. Say two people were given a portion each of something and one got more than the other. If the person who got less was jealous of what the other got he would be “tollach”.
diuthaid[ˈdu̟idʹ] Quot.: “Bi diuthaid!” Note: “Be quiet!” as said to a child. Diuthaid – quiet, submissive.
lùb[ɫu̜:b] Quot.: “a’ cur lùb air caora”. Note: the piece of hemp rope used to tie a sheep’s legs when being sheared.
bior[bwɾ] Note: knitting needle. (If using two, termed “an te dheas” and “an te cheàrr”.)
minidh[mĩṉi] Note: a  shoemaker’s awl. “Minidh dearcaidh”: the finer-pointed awl for stitching two parts of the uppers together. “Minidh buinn”: an awl with the tip bent used for soling. Sometimes called “minidh crom”.
sgeilb[sɡʹɤlɤb] Note: chisel.
streangan[st̪ɾɛ̃ɣɑṉ] Note: cord used in stitching leather.
ròsaidNote: resin for putting on cord used in stitching leather.
leth-bhonnNote: half-sole for putting on shoes or boots.
beumQuot.: beum-mullaich. Note: an inverted sheaf put on the apex of a barley stack to keep the stack dry. Also put on “huts” of barley.
beumQuot.: beum eòrna. Note: barley sheaf. “Bad” not used.
curruchdag[kuruxkɑɡ] Quot.: curruchdag eòrna. Note: a “hut” of barley.
cruimhean[kɾũ̟ĩɑṉ] Quot.: “Feuch an dean thu cruimhean.” Note: bringing the tips of the fingers and the thumb together. Very difficult to do if the hands are cold.
eadar-a-shian[ɛd̪əɾɑhĩɤ̃ṉ] Quot.: “là eadar-a-shian”. Note: a good day in a spell of bad weather.
fuilQuot.: fuil-phronnaidh. Note: blood collecting under the skin when bruised but not cut.
fuilmean[fu̟lu̟mɑṉ] Note: a small blob of blood under the skin.
riofanaich[rwfɑṉiç] Note: ragnails.
flion[flw̃ṉ] Quot.: “flion shneachd”. Note: sleet.
slinnteachNote: very wet sleet tending to a mixture of sleet and rain.
bleideag[bledʹɑɡ] Note: snowflake.
bruthainneachQuot.: là bruthainneach. Note: an oppressive day, warm and close.
tòit[t̪ɔ:tʹ] Quot.: “tòit uisge”. Note: misty rain.
siacladh[ʃıɑkɫəɣ] Quot.: “Tha e a’ deanamh siacladh an dràsda.” Note: a semi-dry interval in a period of rain.
baltagQuot.: “baltag uisge”. Note: a heavy plump of rain.
marcach-sianNote: spindrift.
cluigean[kɫu̜ɡʹɑṉ] Note: a lump of matted hair.
réis[re:ʃ] Quot.: “Tha na piseagan air tòiseachadh a’ réis.” Note: playing about, capering.

© DASG
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