| muthachd | grass or corn that had absorbed too much rain water thereby rendering it of inferior quality. Would not be eaten by cows. |
| snàdhla | a woollen rope. Knots were tied in this rope and each knot was accompanied by a prayer. When the rope had been completed this was hung on an animal’s tail, which was supposed to banish the illness from which it was suffering. |
| dubhfhacal | this would be applied to a woman who was held to possess some kind of supernatural power. “Bha an dubhfhacal aice.” |
| losgann | a wooden sledge pulled by horses and used to transport stones, etc. |
| sùal | swell. |
| sgeith runnaig | a shooting star indicating bad weather. Could be seen in the late afternoon or at night. A shower of bright sparks would follow this star. |
| feadan | found inside a barn this was a stone built appendage on the inside of the wall. Square in shape. A hole was made in the barn wall which allowed air in. This then was used for winnowing seed. |
| sgàth chlach | this was a stone wall built on the outside of the barn next to the aforementioned hole [i.e. feadan (q.v.)]. This wall would be built if the wind was not blowing directly through the hole. This wall was an attempt to guide the wind more directly through the hole in the wall. |
| bràt | ears of corn piled up on the kiln to be dried. Also in the general sense of a covering, e.g. ‘bràt sneachda’. [NOTES: corrected to ‘brat’.] |
| lamhchran | that part of a flail which you held in your hand. [NOTES: corrected to ‘làmhchran’.] |
| òrd cliurair | used for chipping grinding stones in the mill. Process called ‘breacadh nan clachan bràthaidh’. [NOTES: ‘cliurair’ corrected to ‘cliùrair’.] |
| tubhailt | applied to the white cloth with which the ground flour was caught. This was beneath the grinding stones. |
| géids | the guage [sic] [gauge?] by which the grinding stones could be adjusted so that you could get finer or rougher flour. |
| sgob | a wooden scoop which could hold eight or nine pounds of flour. This was kept by the mill owner as a form of payment. [NOTES: corrected to ‘sgòb’.] |
| moulltainn | the proper term for the miller’s wages. |
| suidhe-chèird | young boys squatting beside the fire when their usual seats were taken up by visitors. |
| crìochan | boundaries of a field. |
| Traillaineach | an Australian. [NOTES: corrected to ‘Tràillaineach’.] |
| liathag | the leafy seaweed part at one end of a tangle. |
| fersaidean | the reeds used to make creels. [NOTES: corrected to ‘fearsaidean’.] |
| meallag | in a male herring. Equivalent of the ‘iuchair’ in the female. |
| sileadh | a platform or seat in the back of a boat. Had holes so that the water on your feet would drain off. |
| an tuim | the water that accumulated in the bottom of a boat. |
| preasg | a bit of tin used as a patch in the event of a leak in a boat. |
| ga amas | when hitting something into a gap with a hammer. |
| gabht iaruinn | an iron rod taken to the smithy when you wanted a cartwheel strapped. Eight or nine yards in length, three inches wide and one inch thick. [NOTES: ‘gabht’ corrected to ‘gabhd’.] |
| bàthadh an iaruinn | continuing with the above process when this iron rod [i.e. gabht/d iaruinn (q.v.)] had been heated and shaped into a circle, the cartwheel was placed inside this iron circle. Thereafter water was poured on quickly which resulted in the iron compressing and tightening round the wheel. |
| buishe | this was a small iron circle which went inside the hub – ‘cioch’. The axle went into this ‘buishe’. [NOTES: corrected to ‘buise’ and a note added above – badhse.] |
| trampsaichean | trams. |
| treabhailairean | on each side of the horse when pulling a cart. This device was responsible for balancing the weight on either side of the horse. Had three hooks on both sides. One of these connected with the breeches, another to the back strap ‘druim’ and another to [sic]. |
| tabh | used for fishing cuddies. Wooden rim with a handle with a net attached to this. [NOTES: corrected to ‘tàbh’.] |
| atharnach | where potatoes had been planted the previous year. Following year the soil would be richer and a crop such as barley would be planted. |
| tobhar geamhraidh | best for potato fertiliser. |
| tobhar earraich | if used for potatoes they would be softer, soggier. |
| tonna luathaidh | a ton of tangles after being burnt. |
| bragaire | red seaweed usually found in late winter, early spring – ‘todhar earraich’. Àthadh bragaire – burning this substance. Cocanan bragaire – small stacks. |
| àthadh bragaire | [See bragaire.] |
| cocanan bragaire | [See bragaire.] |
| talamh fuar | the black soil of the croft land as opposed to the warmer soil of the machair. |
| torran bruiche | torran de thodhar geamhraidh air a chuir suas chun a mhachaire. |
| brùig | a large amount of seaweed which has rotted. |
| malcadh | rotten. |
| na thìrichean | once the seaweed had been burnt it hardened into a mass. It was then broken by a twelve pound hammer into strips or fragments known as ‘tìrichean’. [NOTES: corrected to ‘na tiùraichean’.] |
| todhar air reothadh | having solidified after burning. |
| maodhag | the last egg laid by a hen. This opposes a previous meaning for this word. [NOTES: corrected to ‘maothag’.] |
| stiuir a’ choilich | the large feather at a cockerel’s rear. |
| [dual] | “An uair a ruigear an dual chithear a ceann.” |
| speach | an objectionable, angry woman. |
| crogsaichean | old sheep. |
| [buachailleachd] | “Deireadh is toiseach Mhic an Duine, a’ bhuachailleachd.” In your youth you looked after cattle and then again when you retired. |
| trabhas | an untidy person. |
| [seanchas] | “Cuir solus orra sheanchas.” In a debate this would be said to elaborate or enlighten some point or other. [NOTES: note added above ‘orra’ – (air do).] |
| slàn iomradh leat | when someone was leaving home, this was said as a parting gesture. |
| gobhalach | bow legged. |
| bearn air gàradh na h-iodhlan | when part of a wall in a stackyard was knocked down so that a large load of hay, corn could get in. |
| gneamh | the wellbeing of a household for example. |
| [magadh] | “Cha robh ràth riabh air taigh a’ mhagaidh.” No luck ever fell upon a house that practised mockery. |
| [sleamhuinn] | “Sleamhuinn a’ chlach a tha an ursainn an doruis an tàighe [sic] mhóir.” No matter how well you get on with your employer there is still a risk of being sacked. |
| baidain | a group of sheep together. [NOTES: corrected to ‘baidean’.] |
