Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

Informant(s)
Name
John MacDonald
Location
South Uist, South Lochboisdale
Date
[1987-88]
Fieldworker
A. O’Henley
Notes
  • [NOTES: some notes added (most probably by K. D. MacDonald?). See below for details.]
taobh stòcthwart support. [NOTES: ‘stòc’ corrected to ‘stoc’.]
aparana round support placed in a boat’s gunnel. Usually fitted in older boats.
fàsagplug or stopper.
maodhana joint called strake point. Two bits of wood like the diagram brought together and fixed by nails.
tàllan adze. Carpenter’s tool.
glamaradha wooden clamp which could be adjusted depending on the thickness of what you were working with.
sgearbhadhscarfing joint. Special angle joint in timber. Indentations made here [NOTES: see arrows in the illustration] so that the timber slotted together.
sgearfadh[See sgearbhadh.]
fliuch bhòrdgarboard strake.
lionadhsupport at the front of a boat attached to the keel.
crann tarraintrenail.
gàgslit at the top of a trenail. Wedge placed here so that the nail expanded like a modern day rawlplug.
banbhto rebate. A joiner’s term. E.g. a rebate in a boat’s stem or keel. This term also applied when making doors.
cuairtbreast or stern hook. A round bit of wood used to keep the gunnel tight.
ceannachragknee support underneath seats.
cnòtblocks of wood attached to the inside of the rowlocks. Kept the oar tight. Could also be attached to the oar itself.
cnaganthe actual pins on the rowlock.
luirgethe oar’s stock.
dorn raimhwhere you gripped the oar.
uisge stiureachthe furrow-like wave which follows a boat. “Dè a tha aig bàta ’s nach dean i an gnothach as aonais?” Answer: uisge stiureach or wake in English.
calcadhcaulking a boat.
strachd bheòiltopmost stroke.
calbanangalvanised nails with square heads. Used for boat construction.
lannanwashers.
iarunn barraidhclenching iron.
torraan auger. Tool for boring wood. [NOTES: corrected to ‘tora’.]
rèic a’ chruinnan obtuse angle on a mast.
sùlaireanboats built at the time of the Zulu War. Characterised by having an obtusely angled rear stem.
bròg a’ chruinnmast step.
suthaga patch.
màrlspàican iron spike tapering at one end. Used for splicing wire. Also had wooden equivalent for splicing rope.
spladhsadhsplicing.
duin iaruinncapstan or hauler.
lamaraiga naturally formed landing place.
luidhainna wooden board to which a rod would be attached. Situated near the vent at the top of an old house which had a fire in the centre of the room. The board would be adjusted according to wind direction so that the smoke would be carried away. [NOTES: note added above ‘luidhainn’ – luidhein.]
branndairan iron frame or rail round a range or fire.
ard dorusdoor lintel.
ard bhùinthreshold.
leth chasa rafter.
sparr ghaoithadha tie across the rafters.
slinndaira large stone slab used for door lintels.
tuainnaireachdmaking designs on wood.
souladhshellfish which was used as bait. Some say it without pronouncing the ‘adh’. [NOTES: corrected to ‘suladh’.]
cuigealthinks this was a primitive version of the modern spinning wheel. Not clear about this.
snothada dozen hairs taken from a horse’s tail; doubled and used as fishing gut.
sgonnana long bit of wood used to stir barley.
modhachange. Could be money or a change in the weather, fortune, etc.
brosgalpersuading.
annlanna covering.
[faolag]Faolag gheal air an uisge – white spray on the sea’s surface. Also ‘faolag dhubh’.
strachd mheadhointhe middle strake in a boat.

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