frachd | rubbish, tittle tattle, idle talk. |
fatharr | a rumour. |
[deur] | “Chan eil an sin ach an deur ga iarraidh air a’ chàt.” – used about someone who would not share or give what was his own to anyone else like the saying says the cat does not leave a drop for anyone else. |
smàglach | a full fork load of hay or seaweed. “A bheil gu leor agad shuas an sin?” “Cuir a nuas smàglach neo dhà eile.” |
sgalla | cuts on the face, e.g. as a result of fighting. “Bha aodann làn sgallan.” |
gasan | a very old Gaelic word for a boyfriend. |
ròs (-achadh) | to direct someone to the right place. Also used in sense of obtaining knowledge. “Fhuair mi ròs gu robh inneal buainn aig Dòmhnall agus cheannaich mi i.” [NOTES: note added in pencil: ? rothas, rofhas.] |
pollainn | a common fellow. “Bha e math gu leor airson pollainn mar tha thusa.” |
camart | an inlet featuring a meandering, twisting river. One of these as you approach Lochmaddy from the south. Used to have settlement along its bank. |
gidseag | a snatch, snippet. “Cha robh aice dhe’n eachdraidh ach gidseag an sud ’san seo.” |
[geur] | “’S geur fiacaill a fraoch ’sa cladach feamad.” A proverb indicating the hunger which such treks would arouse. |
spladhadh | something which is decided upon in a hurry or haphazardly even e.g. “Thug iad spladhadh air a dhol a Steornabhagh a màireach, cha robh guth am bitheadh an aisaig [sic] freagarrach.” |
cnaidsaireachd | prior to the modern established trade of a joiner in these islands this is a word people used when referring to someone who was always working with wood. “Bha e a’ cnaidsaireachd air cùl an taighe.” Obviously not considered as a viable occupation, even if you were doing odd jobs for neighbours, which was also called ‘cnaidsaireachd’. |
turralaich | rumbling in stomach. Traditionally associated with horses that were getting on in years and taken as a sign of impending retirement. Nowadays more likely to be heard as a sarcastic remark. “Do chual thusa an turralaich a bha ’san stamag aig an duin’ ud.” [NOTES: word supplied by R. O’Henley, Garrynamonie, S. Uist.] |
gaosaid an fhéidh | wispy, pointed clouds pointing away from the sun. Indicative of mild weather. For a couple of days. [NOTES: word supplied by R. O’Henley, Garrynamonie, S. Uist.] |
deocnadh | to suck from a tight or difficult source, e.g. “Bha e a’ deocnadh na mathair ghura” neo “Seilein a’ deocnadh na meala.” [NOTES: word supplied by R. O’Henley, Garrynamonie, S. Uist.] |