| air do sgùid | on your lap. |
| calcadh | to block a bleeding wound. |
| stròn a’ leum | nosebleed. |
| druilionn | a word which you would use when something you had in control takes a new development and goes outside your comprehension. “Tha an suidheachadh sin air a dhol druilionn orm.” In South Uist the word is pronounced as ‘triulaidh’. |
| creanach (-adh) | quaking, i.e. as in the earth shaking. |
| làn bheag | low tide experienced during neap tide (contraigh). |
| [contraigh] | [neap tide.] |
| làn mhór | during spring tide (rothart). |
| [rothart] | [spring tide.] Rothart Mór na Féill Pàdruig – fell on 27th March on old calendar. |
| deathach | used to mean smoke. |
| na duirn | handles of a plough; gripped by your hand. |
| na fuaindean | extended down from the above hand grips [i.e. na duirn (q.v.)] down to the plough itself. Made of iron. One on each side known as ‘an fhuainde bheag ’s an fhuainde mhór’. |
| fersaid (-ean) | iron straps stretching between the above [i.e. na fuaindean (q.v.)]. In an average plough there would be between two and four of these. Acted as reinforcements. |
| còm a’ chruinn | body of a plough. |
| bonn | an iron board located behind the plough sock. Ensured the plough ran smoothly and even when ploughing. |
| toll a’ choltair | located directly above the coulter. Iron pin put through this connecting with the coulter itself. |
| druis a’ choltair | some ploughs did not have the aforementioned hole [i.e. toll a’ choltair (q.v.)]. Instead a small vice-like instrument was used to hold the iron pin. Made of two small iron plates through which a screw was tightened to secure the pin – druis. |
| muiseal | iron fitment with several holes. This was used to adjust the width of the furrow. Pronounced as ‘smuiseal’ in South Uist. |
| muiseal na doimhneachd | used to adjust the depth of the furrow. |
| peicill | ‘muiseal’ [q.v.] is attached to this on the plough’s body. Attached with an iron pin. |
| tràmms | trams of a cart. |
| gaoirdain | in Benbecula this word is used for trams. |
| each sgiuramach | used for an excitable horse. |
| fadhlais | the fellows [sic] [felloes?]. Wooden rim of a cartwheel. Consisted of six sections. |
| sàbh beairte | a square wooden case with a blade in the middle. Handle at the top of the saw. Pulled by two people. |
| sàbh mór | used for larger bits of wood, e.g. beams. Wider blade as opposed to above [i.e. sàbh beairte (q.v.)]. Handgrip at top and one added below for second person. |
| cearcall | iron band used for strapping cartwheels. |
| stalla | a large flat rock. Pronounced as ‘scalla’ in South Uist. |
| tàthadh | welding. |
| clach chearcall | a large, flat rock used in process of making cart wheels. Indentation made in the centre of the rock where the hub of the wheel was lodged. The iron hoop when heated would be placed round the frame. |
| dòc | a hole was made in the ground. Hub placed in the hole and the same process as above followed. Variant on above method [i.e. clach chearcall (q.v.)]. |
| a’ cearcladh | strapping a wheel. |
| eibhil | ember. |
| mithealach | unfortunately. |
| deasbaireachd | debating. |
| sgrogag (-an) | two bits of wood protruding from the end of a cart. These were used to facilitate the tipping of loads. |
| [sàil] | An t-sàil dheiridh. An t-sàil bhrollaich. Cross beams at both ends of a cart. |
| sparran | four of these were attached to both sides of the cart frame. A small frame was then secured to these – beul na cairt [? – ‘beul na cairt’ appears as the next catch-word but it seems to follow from this definition.] |
| beul na cairt | [See sparran.] |
| maide suidhe | wooden seat at front of a cart. |
| saighdbòrd | sideboards of a cart. |
| blòcaichean | located under the floor of a cart. Determined the height of the cartbox. |
| bobhta cartach | an iron pin which went through the block into the axle. |
| gibeag murain | six or eight of these bundles needed to make a horse’s collar. |
| splaighsadh | splicing. |
| tochradh | dowry. |
| grumaladh | grumbling. |
| roidean | jaunts, short visits. |
| ceap | a sod. Variant on ‘plòc’. |
| stialladh | repeatedly hammering at something. |
| air faighean | as in keeping someone’s mind fixed on a certain subject. “Bhiodh e freagarrach na cumadh i fhéin air faighean e.” |
| Mas miosa turrag chan fhear torrag | expression which means that two people are the same although one is being criticised. |
| glas | land that has not been ploughed the previous year. |
| mathachadh | this is said regarding land being ploughed after being fallow for a year. |
| treasadach | applied to land that has been ploughed on [sic] three consequitive [sic] years. |
| meanachas | particularity. |
| crann speal | the wooden handle of a scythe. |
| air a ghloidh | to cut evenly. |
| ciuillagan [sic] | wooden props across a kiln. Known as ‘ciuillean’ in South Uist. |
| ludag na speal | where the iron of a scythe joins the wood. |
| mathair shiomain | a thick rope made of heather circulated round the wall of a thatched house. Secured at the bottom of the thatch. Other ropes were attached to this which went across the back of the house. |
| arraidich | fools. |
| gath droma | ridge. |
| phrac | rubbish. “An seorsa phrac sin.” |
| fiorcain | firkin (9 gallons). |
| ioll | an ell. Measurement of cloth, about 45 inches. |
| cothachadh | gathering. |
| fear cachalaidh | a gatekeeper who ensured animals did not stray into prohibited areas. Prior to the era of crofts when cattle were either kept in the village or on the tack (machair). |
| a’ chaingeis | Whitsunday (28th May). From this date you had to keep your cattle to yourself. It was at this time of year that cattle watching began. Until Martinmas (28th November) had to tend the cattle. |
| na fidean | salt marsh. Part of croft near sea. |
| caitair | cotter. |
| cabhroic | a nuisance, e.g. referring to cotters as nuisances competing with tenants and subtenants for bits of land. “Bha iad sin nan cabhroic ’san àite.” |
| grigne | a group. |
| prannadh | a mixture. |
| a’ cuir ioma | as in putting on your shoes. |
| sùghanaich | soft, swampy patches of sand. |
| a’ chlaoidhteach | flu. |
| buntata coimheach | potatoes growing between the drills where it [sic] was planted. |
| sgillaid | refers to a person you could not trust with information. A telltale. |
| anart siollaidh | a gauze-like cloth used as a sieve. |
| tuathlas | when someone is either very dizzy or partially blind he sees things very hazily. The word means ‘hazy’. “Cha robh mi faicinn ach tuathlas.” |
| ùgh an dà bhuidheagain | egg with two yolks. If it was part of a brood the chick would have two heads. |
| feannadh air a’ ghaoith | a cold, biting wind. |
| crannadh | similar to above [i.e. feannadh air a’ ghaoith (q.v.)]. |
| giuig | hunched over. “Bha giuig air.” |
| an tarraing | a chain that tied the harrow to the swingle trees. |
| [feann] | Cha do dh’fhàg mi feann air. – when someone has totally defeated his opponent he might use this expression. |
| Cuigseach | Whig. |
| beothag | vitamins [sic]. |
| neimheag | virus. |
| coighreachd | republic. |
| uthachd | to commit suicide. |
| sgìreachas | parochialism. |
| urras siubhail | passport. |
