Sìde / Weather

Informant(s)
Name
Donald MacDonald
Age
62
Origin
Harris, Horgabost
Name
Donald MacLeod
Age
89
Origin
Harris, Kyles Stockinish
Location
Harris
Notes
  • [NOTES: two colours of ink used most probably to distinguish the two informants: blue – Donald MacLeod and black – Donald MacDonald. Some corrections but the hand appears to be the same throughout.]
1. General terms
1.1. Good weather
[Donald MacLeod]
a t-àthagh, tha an t-àthagh an diugh orra[NOTES: an t-àthagh corrected from an t-adhagh.]
[Donald MacDonald]
“chan e fead a bhruinne a muigh”[?]
“latha eadar an da shian”a “pet” of a day.
“frath o’n tuath iar on deas i”
1.2. Bad weather
[Donald MacLeod]
aid luideachgaoth an iar-dheas.
rosgalachblustery.
[Donald MacDonald]
chaneil an t-àthagh an diugh orra[sic]
“tha i bagarrach”threatening to rain.
bailceanheavy showers, tha i bailceadh.
mìl an iuchairJuly showers.
1.3. Temperature
[Donald MacLeod]
fionnarcool.
(oa)[NOTES: it is not entirely clear if this variant spelling belongs to ‘fionnar’ above or ‘brochairneach’ below.]
brochairneachside fhliuch bhlath; bruthairneach (Scarasta). [NOTES: ‘bruthairneach (Scarasta)’ appears to be a later addition but the hand is the same.]
[Donald MacDonald]
tha latha greannach
latha rosgalacha windy day.
1.4. Dryness, wetness
[Donald MacLeod]
taisdamp.
[Donald MacDonald]
ciurachdrizzle.
sgolo-ach (sgoloch)overcast.
[note][NOTES: from this point on only black ink used.]
2. The sky and the weather
2.1. A clear sky by day
2.2. A clear night sky
oidhche-rionnagach
2.3. A red sky
ceann deargred sky in morning.
2.4. An overcast sky
sgol-o-ach
roinneach an uisgemackerel sky.
2.5. Unusual appearances of the moon or the sun
casan fo na ghreinbad omen, sign of wind.
cuilean fo na arghrein[?] bad omen, sign of wind.
gealach fhireannmoon more [?] upright.
gealach bhoireannmoon “on its back”.
2.6. The northern lights
fir-chlis
2.7. Stars
tha na rionnagan air an sughadhstars not seen clearly.
sgeth-rionnaigshooting star.
crannplough star.
a ghrioglachanseven sisters; word means a small no. of things gathered together.
3. Clouds
3.1. Light cloud
3.2. Cirrus cloud
roinneach an uisge
3.3. Thick cloud
3.4. Rainbow
raon-a-bo
bogha-froise
uisge le grian cha do mhair e fada riamh
4. Wind
4.1. Dead calm
fiath nan eun
na sglog fiath[?]
4.2. Light breeze
fionnar
4.3. Fresh breeze
4.4. Gusts
inpagan[?]
4.5. Wind of variable direction
iomadh-ghaothwhirlwind.
4.6. Strong wind
stoirmeil
gaoth laidir
4.7. Gale
gaileann
4.8. Hurricane
an-fhuair(but also ‘turmoil’)
4.9. Rising wind
tha i a’ beothachadh
4.10. Dying wind
tha lasachadh a tighinn orra
tha i a’ lasachadh
4.11. Winds associated with particular seasons of the year
east wind in spring
gaoth a deas – teas is toradh
gaoth an iar – iasg is bainne
gaoth tuath – fuachd is feannadh
5. Tides
5.1. Flowing
a lionadh
5.2. Ebbing
a traoghadh
5.3. High tide
muir làn
5.4. Low tide
muir traigh
5.5. Spring tide
reothart
mullach reothart
5.6. Neap tide
canntradh
5.7. Turn of the tide
tionndadh a làin
6. Weather and the sea
6.1. A calm sea
muir na fiath
6.2. A light swell
suathaile
6.3. A heavy swell
suathaile mor
6.4. A choppy sea
muir clapoil
6.5. A stormy sea
muir stoirmeil
6.6. Large waves
garbh thonn
6.7. Breakers
6.8. Surf
cobhar nan tonnfroth.
6.9. Spindrift
marcachd-sìne
fàthcalm between successive waves.
7. Rain
7.1. Drizzle
ciurach
smugraich uisge
7.2. Light shower
sgàth-fhras
7.3. Heavy shower
bailcean[?]
7.4. Prolonged rain
sìr-uisge
7.5. Driving rain
dìle-bhàthte
7.6. Getting soaked
druithte
dhrùidh i orm
bha mi na mo shitig
na do lòn bog fliuch
8. Mist
8.1. Light mist
ceò-aotrom
8.2. Heavy mist
ceò-dhùmhail
8.3. Sea mist
ceò-mara
ceò-teas
8.4. Other terms associated with mist
“tha adharcan mòra air cròdh na ceathaidh”things seem bigger when seen through mist.
9. Thunder and lightning
9.1. Thunder
torrainn
tairneanaich
9.2. Lightning
dealanaich
teine athair
10. Snow and hail
10.1. Snowflakes
bleideagansnowflakes.
lonneagan[?] snowflakes (Berneray).
10.2. Sleet
flin
tha i sliobachwhen it is sleeting, sneachda glas.
10.3. Types of snow
sneachda mìn
10.4. Driving snow
cabhadh
10.5. Heavy fall
cithean sneachdabuild up of snow i.e. in ditches etc.
10.6. Snowdrifts
cabhadh-làir
caiteachanlight snow.
10.7. A few flakes floating in the wind
spiandagan
10.8. Snowman and rolled ball of snow
bodach sneachda
muc shneachda
cnap sneachda
10.9. Hailstones
clachan-meallainn
11. Frost
11.1. Hoarfrost
liath-rothadh
11.2. Hard frost
rothadh-teann
11.3. Ice
deigh
11.4. Thaw
eitiabh[sic]
garbh eiteabh nam beannquick thawing of hills, flooding.
12. Signs foretelling weather
12.1. Foretelling good weather
athar dearg as an ard an iar air an oidhcheif you see hills near you – bad weather and vice versa.
12.2. Foretelling bad weather
13. General sayings or proverbs connected with the weather
pethairemeteorite.
cha i a tolladh[sic] clearing up.
tha i frìdeal fuarvery cold.
gealach athairneach foghair[?] bad weather.
circle around moon[?] bad weather.
gealach ghreannachbad weather.

© DASG
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