siolla | a quarter bottle. I think this is an elaboration on the original meaning of ‘siolla’ – a gill. |
leth bhodach | half a bottle. |
bodach mór | full bottle. |
glamaradh | word for castrating animals. |
ladhar mór | for the large claw of a lobster. |
siosar | the claw used by the lobster for cutting its food, etc. |
streanganan móra | prior to fishing nets, trawlers, etc. people fished in sailing boats using long fishing lines to catch flounders, cod, ling and so on. |
lugachan | used for bait. Worms found in sand and used on ‘linn chaoile’. |
lion chaol | used for fishing in shallow areas – ‘an òtrach’. Such areas were good fishing grounds. |
bannadh | binding something together. |
cur | used for a drop of the nets. “Rinn sinn a dhà neo trì chùran a raoir.” |
aparan | a wooden partition extending from the stern of the boat to the back seat – ‘tobhta bhig’. Strengthened the rear of the boat. Steering equipment would be connected to this. In Eriskay a bottle of holy water would be attached to this bit of wood as it was thought this kept supernatural forces at bay and generally kept the crew and boat safe. |
saighseadh | hoisting up the sail. |
sgòd | a rope at the lower end of the sail. Tied round one of the seats and loosened accordingly when the wind rose. |
aibhseach | prominent. |
an taca | compared to. |
plocan | mallet. |
giomalaid neo broga | a sharp, thin bit of metal attached to a wooden handle and used to make initial indentations in wood prior to the fixing of nails, screws, etc. |
spèicean | cut nails. |
clach lianraidh | a grinding stone used to sharpen tools. |
eithe | file. |
sgian sgliat | slater’s axe. One end used for cutting the slate, tile; the other for breaking it. |
sneicean | flat stones used to fill gaps when building stone walls. |