Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

Informant(s)
Name
John MacDonald
Age
c. 60
Location
North Uist, Bayhead, Kylis
Date
02/1969
Notes
  • [NOTES: in IPA transcriptions, the fieldworker uses [w] for [ɯ].]
[bu̜əbəɫ]Notes: cow stall.
[fɔidʹəx]Notes: canal.
[fu̜:ʴṉɑʃ]Quotation: an [u̜:ʴṉɑʃ]. [NOTES: the turned r used for the symbol which is unclear in the original.]
leaba-mhórNotes: box-bed.
leumQuotation: a’ gearradh leum. Notes: taking a jump.
losgann[ɫɤsɡən̪] Notes: sledge pulled by horses. Often used for transporting stones.
luchdNotes: load, as on a cart.
maide-dromaQuotation: am maide-droma. Notes: ridge-pole.
martQuotation: mart ursann. Notes: “each ursann” [sic] in Dwelly. See Dw.
mathair-shìomain[sic] Quotation: a’ mhathair-shìomain. Notes: rope horizontally round the bottom of the thatch.
meanbhlach[mɛ̃ṉɑɫɑx] Notes: he says this is applied to a collection of small potatoes. Is it used for any collection of small objects? e.g. stones.
meidhQuotation: “Cia mheud fàd a’ mheidhe a tha thu toir as?”
miaghail/miadhail[mĩə̃ɣɑl] Quotation: [mĩə̃ɣɑl] dhan a’ laogh. Notes: loving towards the calf
rathadachQuotation: duine rathadach. Notes: a man of substance. (?)
rùbhan[ru̜:ɑṉ] Notes: first lifting of peats.
rùdaNotes: ram.
ruisgQuotation: a’ rusgadh a’ phuill.
atharrachadhQuotation: ag atharrachadh na mòine. Notes: shifting the peats on the bank in wet weather.
sìomanQuotation: cathair-shìomain. Notes: chair with wooden frame, covered on back and seat by plaited sea-bent.
iarunnQuotation: iarunn troisgeir. Notes: iron part of peat-cutter.
innearadhQuotation: a’ cur a mach na h-innearadh. Notes: dung.
iochdairQuotation: iochdair an tighe. Notes: the byre end of the blackhouse.
iochdarQuotation: iochdar a’ phuill. Notes: the lower, cut, area of a peat bank.
paidhirNotes: a big cart drawn by two horses, one in front of the other.
peile[pɤlə] Notes: spell of time.
poitQuotation: poit a’ roth. Notes: the water channel at the bottom of the mill wheel.
pollQuotation: iochdar a’ phuill. Notes: see “iochdar”.
pollQuotation: uachdar a’ phuill. Notes: see “uachdar”.
pollQuotation: aghaidh a’ phuill. Notes: the face of the peat bank.
pollQuotation: poll mònadh. Notes: peat bank.
putQuotation: clach putaidh. Notes: size of stone suitable for shot putting.
sabhach[sɑfɑx] Quotation: a’ sabhach. Notes: handle of peat-cutting iron.
sailNotes: pl. [sɑlɛəṉ]. Rafter.
sgaileag[sɡɑlɑɡ] Notes: nail of the middle finger on inside of thumb and released.
sgaoilQuotation: a’ sgaoileadh an innearadh. Notes: spreading the manure.
sgaoilteachNotes: newly cut peats spread out on the surface of the bank to dry.
sgianNotes: the blade of a peat-cutting iron.
sgrathNotes: flat turf divot put on top of “fiodh-coilleadh” on blackhouse roof.
sgroidhleag[sɡɾɤilɑɡ] Notes: an old cow ready to be killed.
sìolagNotes: small potato.
sìomanQuotation: a’ mhathair-shìomain. Notes: rope horizontally round the bottom of the thatch.
sloinneadhQuotation: a’ sloinneadh. Notes: going into someone’s genealogy.
smuigNotes: snout, e.g. of a calf.
stalla[st̪ɑɫə] Notes: a big stone that couldn’t be shifted.
stéidhe[ʃtʹe:ə] Quotation: stéidhe tigh. Notes: the foundation of a house.
strannanNotes: circular piece of cardboard in centre. Two holes with string passing through. Made to rotate by pulling string.
suainQuotation: “A’ suaineadh ròp air spar-feannaig.” Notes: winding or entwining.
sunnag[sũ̜n̪ɑɡ] Notes: a barrel seat, i.e. a seat made from a barrel.
susadh[sɤsəɣ] Quotation: a’ susadh. “Feumaidh sinn am poll a tha seo a shusadh.” Notes: cutting one side of a peatbank when opening it.
taobhanNotes: a wooden slat going horizontally over the rafters in a black house.
tarsainnQuotation: am balla tarsainn. Notes: the wall between humans and cattle in the blackhouse.
tiach[tʹıəx] Quotation: tiach air rud. Notes: fond of something. [NOTES: slipped under ‘titheach’.]
tobhtaNotes: wall.
todhar (vb.)Quotation: a’ todhar an talmhainn. Notes: putting seaweed on the ground.
todharNotes: seaweed.
togQuotation: Tha ’n am againn a dhol a thogail uime. Notes: hoeing, i.e. building up the earth on each side of the potato shaws.
togsaidNotes: hogshead.
tòradhNotes: burial.
troisgeir[t̪ɾɔıʃɡʹəð] Notes: peat-cutting iron.
truinnse[t̪ɾĩ:ʃə] Notes: lock put on the mill canal to stop the water when the mill was at a standstill.
uachdarQuotation: uachdar a’ phuill. Notes: the uncut upper surface of a peat bank.
uimeQuotation: Tha ’n am againn a dhol a thogail uime. Notes: hoeing, i.e. building up the earth on each side of the potato shaws.
ursannQuotation: mart ursann. Notes: “each ursann” in Dw. q.v.
ursannQuotation: each ursann. Notes: also “mart ursann”. Beast taken from a widow by the landlord on her husband’s death. (See Dw.)
acairNotes: stone weight at the end of the “sioman” going over the top of the roof. Placed just above the top of the wall.
aghaidhQuotation: aghaidh a’ phuill. Notes: the “face” of the peat bank.
atharnach[ɑhərn̪ɑx] Quotation: an atharnach. Notes: the ground where potatoes had been planted.
BaghalachQuotation: Gille Baghalach [bɤəɫɑx] or Baghlach [bɤ:ɫɑx]. Notes: a Benbecula lad.
Baghlach[See Baghalach.]
ballaQuotation: am balla tarsainn. Notes: the partition or wall in the blackhouse dividing humans and cattle.
barailteNotes: barrel.
bàrr-fhadQuotation: am bàrr-fhad. Notes: the first top layer of peat.
bàthachQuotation: claise na bàthcha. Notes: byre drain.
bearraidNotes: a piece, or portion of anything.
beingNotes: bench.
blàrQuotation: blàr mònadh. Notes: peat bank area.
bliadhnaQuotation: caora dhà-bhliadhna [kw:ɾəɣɑ:vlıɤn̪ə]. Notes: a gimmer.
breacQuotation: a’ breacadh na cloicheadh. Notes: the grinding stones of the mill were chipped to make them rough.
broighdean (?)[bɾɔidʹɛ̃nʹ] Notes: rope for tying cow in a stall.
broineag[bɾɔ̃nʹɑɡ] Notes: a small ill-fed horse.
bun-bacNotes: the lower part of the roof, just above the wall.
buntàtaQuotation: buntàta gréineadh. Notes: potatoes left exposed to the weather.
buthaman[bu̜əmɑ̃ṉ] Quotation: am bu(th)aman. Notes: a type of potato. He explains that “Bowman” was the name of the captain of a ship that was wrecked and from which these potatoes were procured.
cairt paidhirNotes: big cart drawn by two horses, one in front of the other.
caoraQuotation: caora dhà-bhliadhna. Notes: a gimmer.
caoranQuotation: an caoran. Notes: the third peat.
cathairQuotation: cathair-shìomain. Notes: chair with wooden frame covered on back and seat by plaited sea-bent.
ceapQuotation: ceap feanntaich. Notes: turf divot (peat).
cinneadhNotes: surname.
clachQuotation: clach putaidh. Notes: shot-putt size of stone.
clachQuotation: clach stéidh [kɫɑxʃtʹe:]. Notes: bottom or foundation stone.
clòsaidNotes: a small bedroom in a blackhouse.
cnuasaichNotes: probe, make a deep examination of something.
cosgaisNotes: whisky, cheese and biscuits served at funerals.
crò-leab[kɾɔ:lɛb] Notes: funeral bier.
dealgNotes: 6" long pointed wooden pin, put into “sgrathan” under the thatch to anchor them.
dreasairNotes: dresser.
druimQuotation: am maide-droma. Notes: ridge pole.
eachQuotation: each ursann. Notes: also “mart-ursann”. Beast taken from a widow by the landlord on her husband’s death. (See Dw.)
eadaralong (?)[ɛd̪əɾɑɫũ̜:ŋɡ] Notes: floating, but with very little of the object above water, as a boat almost full of water.
eileadruim[eləd̪ɾəm] Notes: according to J. McD. it is the boards on which a corpse is put before being put in a coffin. (Barvas – bier.)
faiceallachQuotation: Tha e faiceallach ’na chaitheamh beatha. Notes: prudent on account of religious convictions.
feadanQuotation: am feadan. Notes: hole in the byre wall to let out the water from the drain.
feamanaichQuotation: a’ feamanadh. Notes: put seaweed on the ground.
feannQuotation: a’ feannadh na mònadh.
feanntachQuotation: ceap feanntaich. Notes: turf divot (peat).
feanntachQuotation: an fheanntach; ceap feanntaich. Notes: turf layer (peat).
fiodh-coilleadhNotes: branches laid on top of the “taobhain” on black house roof. They pointed upwards in the same direction as the “ceanglaichean” and were tied with “sioman”.
furmNotes: stool.
garbhadNotes: size.
gearradhQuotation: a’ gearradh leum. Notes: taking a jump.
gilleQuotation: gille [kɾɑɡɑ̃nʹ] (should first ɑ be long?). Notes: spinning top.
gilleQuotation: gille [mĩlɑ̃ṉ]. Notes: spinning top. (Gille mirean?)
glaganQuotation: glagan a’ mhuilinn. Notes: an arm inside the mill which was hit by a wheel, making a sound which indicated that everything was going smoothly.
glanQuotation: a’ glanadh a’ phuill. Notes: smoothing the surface of the peat to make it ready for cutting. (After turfing.)
glutranadhQuotation: an glutranadh. Notes: the packing between the double walls of a blackhouse.
gobhlad[ɡoɫɑd̪] Notes: the first peat cut, the outside, weathered peat.

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