| aineach | a debt. Short for ‘ainfhiach’ I presume. |
| [beul] | Thàrr an Aoine na bial e ’s cha dual da sgur. This proverb used of a clyping sort of fellow who could not keep a secret to himself. |
| luspardan | applied to a castrated animal. Also applied to humans in a derogatory sense implying uselessness and effeminacy. “Chan eil unnad ach luspardan gun fheum.” |
| Rann neo Aireamh na h-Aoineadh | this refers to a rhyme exclusive to the Southern Isles. Were you to know this rhyme and see people bathing on a Friday, then one of that company would be drowned if this rhyme was recited. There is also a curse attached to this: “Aireamh na h-Aoine ort.” |
| annlag mhara | a small sea swallow. |
| aingeal | a fire in a kiln. |
| balbh shruth | same as ‘uisge stiuir’, the little eddy which follows the rudder of a boat. |
| cruim | the overhang of a rock. |
| anntaight | unsuitable. |
| leaba laoigh | this refers to an old belief whereby people buried the matrix at a stream. This was thought to result in female calves being born. |
| corra bhùthag | to tiptoe. |
| Dleasanas Caisge | Easter confession and Communion for Catholics. |
| nad dheannruith | at full speed. |
| currachd easbuig | bishop’s cap. |
| bior cruaidh | a small steel punch used for punching and clenching nail heads. |
| geadag | a flower bed. |
| cràglus | a buttercup. |
| ceò bàn an t-soluis ùir | mist and full moon coinciding. Taken as an indication of bad weather to follow. |
| bladh | elegance. |
| sobhadh | to drive off, repel. |
| saobhadh | [See sobhadh.] |
| cràigein | a frog. |
| tairnean reang | nails used in the ribs of boats. |
| caithinnich | to spend money on something. Expenditure. |
| lodragan | a small pool of water, e.g. in an otherwise dry peat bog. |
| caraiseach | used of something that is exposed to the elements, e.g. a house built on a hill. |
| càrn nam mollachd | a small stone cairn built by Hogmanay boys at any house where no provisions or gift had been given to them. |
| fuarag na Samhna | a delicacy made of meal and churned cream (fuarag, fuarag uachdair). This one in question was different in that a ring was hidden within. Whoever found the ring was said to have luck. |
| càrsan | a choking disease affecting poultry. Also applied for wheezing in humans. Sometimes this word is heard as ‘càsan’ without the ‘r’. |
| ceanraigeach | stubborn, unreasonable. |
| [manadh] | Seinn ’sa chluais manadh bàis neo baistidh. This phrase ties in with the same kind of information given by Mrs C. MacLellan, Lochcarnan, South Uist. |
| cioraidh | a call to summon sheep or lambs. |
| fuaradh froise | strong gusts of wind prior to heavy shower of rain. Usually experienced from mid January to mid February. |
| cithein | the sobbing of a child. |
| leang | the curve (of a circle). |
| cliadan | a burdock. |
| clobhadh | to confuse, confound. |
| basdalach | adhering to strict rules and regulations. |
| conan mara | a sea urchin. [Cf. cròcan feannaig.] |
| cròcan feannaig | a sea urchin. [Cf. conan mara.] |
| an conaghail | where two sea currents meet. |
| 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. |
| mulachag Bealltuinn | a portion of cheese made on the first day of May and kept in the house till the same debt [sic] [date?] next year. Old people believed this would prevent the dairy produce (toradh) being bewitched. |
| teòir | a tax that was paid by fishermen for the use of piers and fishing stations. |
| blaigh fiosaiche | someone predicting or guessing what is to happen. If it comes true you are said to be a ‘blaigh fiosaiche’. |
| calpa | the wooden handle in a peat iron. |
| gràinnseachadh | making oats into grain. |
| eibhseach (-an) | a rope which joins the crupper to the saddle. |
| stang | a narrow, shallow ditch opened at the end of a field to drain of [sic] excess water. |
| similidh | to leave someone without a word to say for himself, to quiesce [sic]. “Tha iad gu math similidh an diugh.” |
| sgreubhadh | refers to the drying of wood to the extent that it cracks. |
| maide plocaidh | used for mashing potatoes. |
| sgaid | to destroy, spoil. “Nach tu rinn a sgaid an diugh.” Also in sense of doing a great deal of work. “Nach tu rinn a sgaid obrach an diugh.” |
| leth sgran | a bit of scone sliced into two. When sliced each bit known as ‘leth sgran’. |
| bribid (-ean) | to give money tips. |
| spàirn | sharp shots of pain. |
