Coltas an Duine / Personal Appearance

Informant(s)
Name
Ishbel and Mrs R. MacDonald
Origin
[South Uist]
Location
Glasgow
Date
[1987-88]
Fieldworker
A. O’Henley
Notes
  • [NOTES: some notes in second hand, most probably added by K. D. MacDonald. See below for details.]
Shapes and general appearance
bachaillclumsy, untidy, unkempt man – ’Se sàr bhachall [sic] a th’ann.
clabaisteirlarge, clumsy person (male) rather than brawler as used by Dwelly.
blatailleina very outsize unattractive [sic]. [NOTES: the following explanation and the next three words written in second hand.] Thàinig e ’s blatàillein de thè còmh’ ris. Also used to describe a crowd of people (prob. batallion), e.g. Thàinig blatàillein a steach.
pleabain(used of a man) a skinny, miserable, useless looking character with no obvious personality.
crabhàidseachSeann chràbhaidseach – an old decrepit person (female). (Donald MacIntyre in Sporan Dhòmhnaill uses “cranàidseichean”.)
sgraoid(used of a woman) e.g. seann sgraoid. Untidy older woman who takes no care of her appearance. Used also as a derogatory term describing an unpopular person, probably female.
pliobainsecond in command, someone with no authority. [NOTES: note added above ‘n’ in ‘pliobain’ – (r).]
trusdairrascal.
gille ceann beinngesomeone providing moral support at a ‘reiteach’.
pliadhachsplay footed.
sianndaichedistant person.
diudshy. “Duine diud.” [NOTES: corrected to ‘diùid’.]
sgimileirslicked person.
busairteachchancer, amateur.
clùmhadhnestling.
sgàiteachwitty, same as ‘eirmseach’. [NOTES: corrected to ‘sgaiteach’.]
bumalairbig headed. Also used to describe size. [NOTES: note added above ‘b’ in ‘bumalair’ – (p).]
oinseachused of foolish woman. [NOTES: corrected to ‘òinseach’.]
Deformities, blemishes, scars
riofainaichragnails.
ioncairpuss.
ball dobhrainmole.
ruiteachred in the face.
lachdainnsallow skinned.
fòghneachanwarts. [NOTES: note added above in second hand – foinneachan.]
sleamhnainstye.
slinneanachbroad shouldered.
gàganhacks, especially with people who work with kelp.
pronnadhbruise.
cadal deiligneachpins and needles.
forccramp.
deideadhtoothache. [NOTES: corrected to ‘dèideadh’.]
lòinrheumatism.
druim-lòinrheumatism.
greim-lòinrheumatism.
breaca sianainfreckles.
spliucantobacco pouch. [NOTES: corrected to ‘spliùcan’.]
leabhar pocawallet.
claiseanwrinkles.
‘bathais gun naire’saying.
pleat“Nach ann air a bha pleat.” – used for a showy person.
Beauty and ugliness
sgeampstylish person (male), dandy. Sàr sgeamp – bang in fashion.
smàiseilgood looker.
snàsailgood looker. [NOTES: corrected to ‘snasail’.]
gad phonaigeadh fheindolling up.
mi-thuarailsickly.
culla sgrathugly. [NOTES: note added above ‘culla’ – culaidh; ‘sgrath’ corrected to ‘sgràth'.]
culla sgreimhugly. [NOTES: note added below ‘mh’ in ‘sgreimh’ – (f); note added above ‘culla’ – culaidh.]
Strength, fitness and the opposite
treunstrong.
calm(a)strong.
supailtesupple.
miotaweakling.
lapachpoorly.
liost na bochdparish relief.
bachdachlame.
Ways of walking, sitting, lying
air bhigearnaon tenterhooks.
fàdhachstriving. Bha mi fàdhach ri crioch a chuir air … [NOTES: corrected to ‘fadhach’.]
cugallachunsteady.
cabachblether. Tha e cabach. Cabain (male), cabag (female).
bleadraichblethering.
cabainneachblether.
greannachgrumpy.
glaoicfool.
Amadan aig Mac ’Ic Aileinphrase for a jester.
piobrachadhto encourage, to pepper things up, to incite.
ardanachhaughty person. [NOTES: corrected to ‘àrdanach’.]
corrachrugged.
bleigeardmischievous.
tamhasgmischievous. Also used for a particular ghost type in Barra.
luasganachharum-scarum.
anns a’ cham a chòthailused for someone coming into a conversation, company.
corra-bidetiptoes.
tinneas-laighenightmare.
sgleogacheffeminate.
pleastarsomeone you can’t get rid of. Also ‘tearr’. ’Se tearr de dhuine a th’ann.
[tearr][See pleastar.]
luideachclumsy.
luidsilly woman. “Fhuair mi luid / Fhuair mi cuid / Dh’fhan a’ luid / ’S dh’fhalbh mo chuid.”
[mionaig]“Slainte na mionaig nach tig / ’S tric is mionaig a thàinig / Ach nach truagh nach e mionaig nach tig / A bha an àite a’ mhionaig a thàinig.” A toast with a pun on the word ‘mionaig’ meaning ‘often’ and also being used of a woman who is preferred to the wife of the person making the toast. So ‘mionaig’ means someone who he preferred to his own spouse.
Pulling faces, frowns, other expressions
greannfrown.
cur chreinneanmaking faces.
air fhiaradhlooking at something with a squint.
fo’n t-sùillooking at something with a squint.
smèideadhwaving.
Clean and untidy
spàideilvery neat.
giobachuntidy.
peallaguntidy female.
peallanuntidy male.
giobaindescriptive word applied to individual in friendly manner. “Sheall an giobain a tha a’ nall thugainn.”
mailldelay.
blineassilly grin. “Blineas air.” [NOTES: corrected to ‘blìneas’.]

© DASG
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