| [glaodh] | “An glaodh a tha nam chluais, mi chuala ’s nach mi a chaoineas, nach ann as mo dhaoine fhein.” – according to the informant this verse was said after an indication of impending death in the community had been experienced. This indication came in the form of a heavy, mournful musical note which rang repeatedly in a person’s ear. Thereafter the above phrase was repeated so as the impending death would fall outside his/her own family. Informant recently experienced this. |
| [leasg] | “’S leasg le leisgeinn dhol a chadal ’s ro leasg leis eirigh ’sa mhaduinn.” |
| [corra-chòsag] | A chorra, chorra chòsag an innis thusa dhomhsa am bith latha math a màireach ann ’s bheir mi paidhir bhròg dhut.” Animal in question was a slater found under rocks. Also called ‘cailleach-òsag’ or ‘cailleach-chòsag’. |
| [cailleach-òsag] | [See corra-chòsag.] |
| [cailleach-chòsag] | [See corra-chòsag.] |
| damhan eallaidh | spider. |
| dealan dè | butterfly. |
| breacan dàr | this was a phrase used in conjunction with a successfully serviced cow. Indicated that there would be plenty of produce to follow. |
| fo spèic | under control, supervision. |
| canna | a tin mug. This word goes back to the days when tinkers were commonplace using tin mugs instead of china cups. |
| còblaid | saucepan. |
| còbal | coble, small boat. |
| àt bràghad | quinsy throat. |
| mùgach | dim. |
| dudalach | dark and cloudy overhead conditions. “Nach ann a tha feasgar dudalach.” |
| dreallag | swing. |
| bodach sàthaidh | see saw. |
| udalan | swivel on a tether. Also known as ‘fulag’. |
| [fulag] | [See udalan.] |
| cuat | boyfriend. |
| brogach | young lad. “Na brogaich againne” – our boys. |
| fàladair | a reaper, one who cuts crops. |
| breac bhaidealach | grey spotted. Applied to animals of that colour or speckled pattern on clothes. |
| car a mhille mhoiltean | a glass tumbler. |
| gobhrag | pencil compass. |
| séile | saliva. |
| téisbal | an invalid. ‘Duine téisbalach.’ |
| mi ràbhail | untidy. |
| theab nach ti dìle | as in I nearly failed to do something after putting much effort into it. |
| dunaidh | favourite expression if something went against you, e.g. “A Mhic na dunaidh.” Also in sense of a person not getting what he had been expecting, e.g. a person who had hoped for a construction contract: “Rinn iad an dunaidh air.” |
| boiseag | a handful as in a handful of flour. Also in the sense of a quick wash: “Chuir mi boiseag orm ’s chaidh mi mach.” |
| spiachdach | applied to a mean person. |
| [cuach] | “Is minig a dh’fhàg mi mar thraill gun luach, ’s tha liuthad treun fhear is laoch thug buaidh, le neart na Gaidhlig chuireadh càch ’s an ruaig. An àm dhaibh eirigh leis an fheilleadh chuaich (pleated).” – a war cry for the clans going into battle. |
| sgur urrainn | the war cry of the MacRaes of Kintail. This phrase repeated to build up the battle tempo. |
| [gort] | Geamhradh reotaineach / Earrach ceothaineach / Samhradh breac, riamhach / Is foghar geal grianach / Cha d’fhàg gort riabh an Alba. |
| [saoghal] | Is fhearr an saoghal ionnsachadh na sheachnadh. |
| [criochnachadh] | B’fhearr gun toiseachadh na sgur gun chriochnachadh. |
| laomunn | moth. |
| falbh air chialaidh | going out in the morning without having eaten something. |
| [sagart] | Trì nithean nach fhaca mi riabh, ’s mi liath an de bhi òg, sagart a’ cluichd air a’ phìob ’sa sgriobhadh le ìte geoidh. |
| sgeallan | a yellow flower growing amidst corn crops and small oats. |
| giobag | tassle [sic] [tassel?]. |
| sgùmban | top of a raised part of croft land. Not quite flat but rather like a raised plateau. |
| an àrc | a hollow near a cow’s tail by which you can judge when the cow is likely to calve. Also called ‘sloc an airich’. |
| [sloc an airich] | [See an àrc.] |
| speisealta | applied to a young man approaching full manhood. Also ‘spealta’. |
| [spealta] | [See speisealta.] |
| tathasg | an apparition of someone’s death. “Tathasg an duine mhairbh.” |
| dala taobh | same as ‘darna taobh’ – to give birth. |
| tuisleadh asbhanach | miscarriage. |
| ga chuir air aghaidh | delivering a child. |
| isneach | rifle. |
| bronnag | a large, fat woman. |
| a bhreac òtraig | chickenpox. |
| greim pliurais | pleurisy. |
| greim dubh | appendicitis. |
| cuigeal | distaff. “Chan e tlàm a tha air a cuigeal.” – applied to someone who was seeking more than you had initially thought. |
| anns a bhitheantas | in the main, in general. |
| boula (u – w sound) | a bowl. |
| colbh | a column as in a newspaper column. |
| dealas | zest, eagerness. |
| [seanfhacal] | “An seanfhacal gu fada fior, cha bhreugaichear an seanfhacal.” |
| learg | black throated diver. |
| cealla | to destroy. |
| furrain | to relate, get on with people. |
| ceithir ràmhach | a particular type of boat. |
| turcais | pincers. |
| ceum coise | footpath. |
| ceisteir | missionary. |
| eolas aimsir | weather forecasting. |
| doidheadach | disappointed. “Bha mi air mo dhoidheadachadh.” [NOTES: should there be two entries – doidheadach (adj.) and doidheadachadh (verb)?] |
| claban cinn | sou’wester. |
| gealabhan | a fire in the barn used for hardening seed. |
| slacan | a bit of wood used for washing blankets whereby the blankets were washed in a stream and then placed on rocks to be hit by this ‘slacan’. |
| siosacòt | a waistcoat. |
| cailbh | a partition. |
| clàr | a wooden ashet from which potatoes were served. |
| sgian chùbaireachd | used for cleaning the salt out of the crevices in barrels. |
| snàthdalan | needle case. Top half lifted off, wood can be designed. |
| froc | widely used to mean a jersey. |
| peitain | a vest. |
| min laogh | brown meal mixed with hot water and some salt added. Stirred and left to thicken overnight. |
| loin | healthy, fluffy coat of hair on cattle as a result of being fed by the above meal [i.e. min laogh (q.v.)]. |
| iar ogha peithir iosgaid | according to informant this is the most extreme relative. Forty second cousin. |
| ’s fhaisge glùin na uilean | newly married women would say this to their sister in law. Not sure as regards its significance. |
| giogaireachd | peeping. I would say this as ‘ciogaireachd’. |
| Gugaireachd | April Fools’ Day. Also called ‘Latha na Feachaireachd’. |
| [Latha na Feachaireachd] | [See Gugaireachd.] |
| leibid | a speck. This arises in the proverb: “Milidh aon leibid a chuinneag.” There seems to be a variant on this, i.e. “Milidh aon chleibideag a chuinneag.” |
| [cleibideag] | [See leibid.] |
| liodraig | to give someone a good going over. |
| liodhrachadh | festering. |
| o mhochran | doing something all day starting in the early morning. “Tha mi air a bhith ceangal arbhair o mhochran.” |
| fàd a choimheadaidh | this refers to the thinnest peat that was cut at the end of each row. Quickest to dry and was used by the grass keeper in his shieling. |
| pàm | knave in playing cards. |
| peilicean | particular type of cattle. Short backed and stout. |
| plamach | applied to a chubby person. Also ‘plumach’. Milk can be said to be ‘plamach’ if left overnight in warm conditions. |
| [plumach] | [See plamach.] |
| ra-dhorcha | part of a month when the moon is not visible. |
| riobag shonais | refers to the hair growing on a woman’s chin. Alternately it may be called ‘riobag chonais’ – hair of temperament. |
| [riobag chonais] | [See riobag shonais.] |
| seang mo choise | instep. |
| gunna sgailc | popgun. |
| gunna steallan | syringe or alternately a water pistol. |
| sgiobag | a children’s game – tig. |
| sgòt | sense, e.g. “Chan eil sgòt aige.” |
| Sgrìob Chlann Uis | the Milky Way. |
| a’ stalag | to snap your fingers. |
| stìup | the train of a dress. |
| fo thearmad | in an asylum. |
| tein’ aighir | bonfire. Probably from the French ‘feu-de-joie’. |
| tumalaid | a large, bulky woman. |
| cairbhist | work undertaken for the benefit of the landlord. |
| ciorachan | a man who does a woman’s work. |
| farchan | a mallet used for taking the husk off corn. |
| gille cas fhliuch | a servant who carried his master across water. |
| stòl pòsda | wedding stool. |
| ruaig | a short journey or a quick walk. |
| striongte fosgailte | wide open. |
| tombacca toinnte | twisted tobacco. |
| uaineachadh | to be humbled. |
| gàradh crìche | boundary line made of a grass dyke. |
| strabheigaireachd | is this from the English – ‘stravaging’. In Gaelic means to wander to and fro. |
