Crodh / Cattle
- Informant(s)
- Name
- John MacLean ( Iain Mac Illeathain )
- Age
- 48
- Origin
- Barra
- Location
- Dunoon
- Notes
- [NOTES: very often, the informant provides terms without definitions, especially when the questionnaire itself gives a list of English words and expressions under the given section’s heading. In most cases, the informant lists his terms in the same order as they appear in the questionnaire so whenever possible the definitions provided by the questionnaire have been copied and put next to the Gaelic terms provided by the informant.]
| 1. Different stages in the growth of cattle | |
| laogh | |
| laogh boise | a sucker. |
| gamhain | bliadhnach. |
| damh | dò-bhliadhnach. |
| agh | |
| bó, mart | |
| tarbh | |
| Nach b’e ’n di-bhailteach an gamhainn | a scraggy stirk. |
| 2. Breeds of cattle | |
| beathach Gaidhealach | |
| Gall | |
| 3. Outward appearance of cattle | |
| bo sheasg | dry [cow]. |
| bo dhonn | brown cow. |
| bo dhubh | black [cow]. |
| bo chrom | [cow with a] crooked horn. |
| bo riabhach | brindled [cow]. |
| tarbh mogach | shaggy bull. |
| maoilein | hornless cow. |
| Tha i cho reamhar ri ròn. | |
| Tha i cho caol ri clobha. | |
| Nach ann aisde tha faileas. | |
| Nach ann aisde tha ’n glence. | |
| Tha i gus a bhi air an togail. | She is near the point of death. |
| Chan ’eil innte ach na cramhan. | She is nothing but bone. |
| [Te Ruadh Mhic Mhuirich] | Mac Mhuirich in Uist asked his red haired daughter to demand of him her dowry and Te Ruadh Mhic Mhuirich requested: “Seicein, Meicein m’ aghan meadhrach / Bo dhubh, bo dhonn, bo chrom riabhach / Sliochd na h-aona bà maoile ruadha / Nach do dh’fhàg a bhuaile riamh na h-aonar / Agus an tarbh mogach, donn.” – the lot. |
| 4. Names for certain beasts, e.g. an animal on which the owner bestows particular attention | |
| [moladh] | Did not want to praise their own cattle too much in case they might suffer loss of them: Air eagal ’s gu mìll moladh i. |
| [dosgainn] | If a beast died, a person on hearing it said: “Dosgainn na bliadhna gu robh leatha (leis).” (May the years loss be gone with it.) |
| [buachailleachd] | “Buachailleachd Chalum Chill’ oirre.” (May St Columba keep watch over her.) |
| 5. Parts of the body | |
| ceann | [head.] |
| amhaich | [neck.] |
| adhraic | [horn.] |
| beul | [mouth.] |
| coinnlein | [nostril.] |
| cluimhteach | [hair?] |
| slinnein | [shoulder.] |
| uchd | [breast.] |
| lurgainn | [foreleg?] |
| cnaimh an droma | [backbone.] |
| cruachan | [hip?] |
| màs | [rump?] |
| féithean | [muscles.] |
| urball | [tail.] |
| casan toisich | [forelegs.] |
| casan deiridh | [hindlegs.] |
| leth-deiridh | |
| sgamhan | [lungs.] |
| grùdhan | [liver.] |
| dubhagan | [kidneys.] |
| mionach | [intestines.] |
| dumalas | |
| geir | [fat.] |
| piob a sgamhain | |
| 6. Calving | |
| [Expressions used when a cow is taken to the bull:] | |
| A dol chon a tairbh | |
| Chaidh i dhàir | |
| Ghabh i an tarbh | |
| [Terms associated with calving itself:] | |
| Tha i a ligeil foidhpe | She is showing signs of calf-bearing. |
| Leab’ a laoigh | |
| Ghlan i | |
| Rug a bho | The cow calfed. |
| Thilg i a laogh | miscarriage. |
| 7. Milking | |
| a’ bleoghan | [milking.] |
| a dol fo’n bhoin | [milking.] |
| An do bhleoghain thu bho? | |
| An do rinn thu ’n eadradh? | |
| Cha do dh’fhag mi sging aice | |
| a’ deoghal | [suckling.] |
| bainne nòis | [milk yielded the first two or three days after calving.] |
| moch is anamoch | |
| bainne na maidne, bainne na h-oidhche | |
| 8. Feeding | |
| biathadh | |
| torr | a lot. |
| deannan | a goodly amount. |
| làn a beoil | a mouthful. |
| làn mo bhoise | handful. |
| sguab | |
| sguab no dhà | |
| dorlach mhath | a goodly amount of scraps. |
| teamain chirein | short type of seaweed boiled and given to cattle. |
| gan toirt gu deoch | bringing them to drink. |
| toirt deoch dhaibh | bringing drink to them. |
| a buachailleachd | |
| air teadhair | tethered. |
| mar reidh | free to roam. |
| mar sgaoil | free to roam. |
| gan cur do’n bheinn | driving them to the hill. |
| gan stiureadh do’n bheinn | driving them to the hill. |
| am buachaille | |
| 9. Apparatus | |
| ceangal | [neck rope?] |
| teadhair | [tether.] |
| ciopain | [tether stake.] |
| udalan | [collars?] |
| buarach | [fetter for milking.] |
| cròcan | spiked instrument [attached to a calf’s mouth to prevent its sucking its mother]. |
| 10. Diseases | |
| doire | ringworm. |
| feusalan | warble fly. |
| mialan | ticks. |
| an gàileach ribeach | large warts on gums. Cut in two and bled to cure. |
| am broillein | swelling on neck or in stomach. |
| an spùt | diarrhoea. |
| an tioramachd | [disease affecting the udder and milk production.] |
| fiaras a bhainne | [disease affecting the udder and milk production.] |
| tar na coise | leg sprain. |
| an ruadh | udder infection. |
| 11. Miscellaneous | |
| Ledi, Tìneag | using cow’s name [to call it]. |
| shoocan no shoocan beag | calf call. |
| moigein | pet name |
| dròbh | [herd or any collection of cattle.] |
| an spreidh | [herd or any collection of cattle.] |
| na beathaichean | [herd or any collection of cattle.] |
| an aifeinn | [about a cow] usually on back with tether caught about the animal. |
| am bogadh | [cow] in a bog. |
| buachar | cow dung. |
| sitig | any dung hill. |
| guthdair | gutter in byre. |
| inneir | manure. |
| balg buachair | toadstool. |
| càise an Rodain | toadstool, more common than ‘balg buachair’. |
| seicein | calf in poor condition though sometimes used as an endearing term. |
© DASG
