| 1. Letter and word-list (‘A few words as a sample’) |
| [note] | [NOTES: there is no date on the letter but it must be one of the earliest that Mr Morrison sent to the Department.] |
| criathar | a riddle made of dried cow hide. |
| driamlaichean-liunn | na driamlaichean a chi sibh a seòladh eadar da ‘lionn’ neo ‘liunn’. Faic an càirdeas [?]. See at ebb tide. Saoilidh mi cuideachd gu robh na facail dorchan-liunn air a chleachdadh. [SLIP: (Driamlach-liunn) Fishing lines on ebb tide.] |
| chorra-ghlas | bird (corn-crake). Co-dhiù tha t-ean fhathasd r’a fhaicinn againne air a bheil a chorra-ghlas; ged nach cluinn mi an t-ainm aig ginealach an la ’n diugh. [SLIP: Corncrake.] |
| 2. Letter (17/5/1975) and word-list |
| buana, pl. buanachan | uaireiginn bha seann-daoine air a’ treòrachadh o thig [sic] gu tigh le cloinn gu bhi faodainn ‘deirig’ [?] neo greim bidhidh ’n uair nach robh e na comas dhaibh fhèin fhaodainn ’n uair nach robh duin ann a bhuineadh dhaibh gu sin a dheanamh. (2) Nuair a bha leithid seo de sheann daoine ’s nach b’ urrain dhaibh ach a dhol an eisimpleir chàich gu biodh sligh as fhosgladh dhaibh mar a bha ‘tighean air son na bochd neo tigh na bochd’. Bha ’m facal seo air a chleachdadh uaireiginn – ’s docha gu bheil e agaibh a cheana. [SLIP: Unclear, but connected with the time when old people, unable to fend for themselves and with no relatives of their own, would come to a house with children to get a bite to eat.] |
| [note] | (If you will find any difficulty in any of the words interpretation, I will try and help you to understand my solution.) |
| buailtean | a flail. |
| tathasg | skeleton like reference in one sense [?]. [SLIP: Skeleton – used when referring to living people.] |
| sgiot | skiff. Tha am facal air a dhol bàs. [SLIP: Skiff – not used any longer.] |
| crannachan | churn. |
| bealach, beàrrlach | of the scallop family. [SLIP 1: Bealach. Of the scallop family. Cf. beàrrlach.] [SLIP 2: Beàrrlach. Of the scallop family. Cf. beallach.] |
| cabhraidh | husks (juice). [SLIP: Husks (juice) – ?] |
| carabhaidh | caraway seed. |
| duillean | (baby-party). [NOTES: the full explanation is given on page 6 of the word list numbered 4. It is copied here.] (I should have explained the meaning of this word I noted on a former page.) It means a celebrity [sic] party (to celebrate) on the arrival of a newly born baby also bangaid, perhaps from the word banquet in English. [SLIP: A party to celebrate the arrival of a newly-born baby.] |
| bangaid | banquet (was used in Scalpay). [SLIP: Banquet – not used any longer.] |
| torc-sona | the sow being happy… [SLIP: ‘The sow being happy…’ – ?] |
| ball-séis | merriment. |
| raonabal | rain-bow. |
| stéilean | the part of the lock nailed to the door-post. |
| bidiridh | (the bird) storm petrel. |
| ósgan | a puny wee boy. [SLIP: a small puny boy.] |
| bog-a-nid | a tit bird, I think, but I am not able to identify it. [SLIP: A tit – may be some other species of bird – uncertain.] |
| mucagan-fáileag | the berries of the dog-rose bush. Perhaps the name is common. I do not hear it used now… |
| sgaoim | a sudden jerk as to fright. [SLIP: A sudden jerk which frightens somebody.] |
| crà-leaba | I have heard it used once some time ago. The bier on which a coffin is carried. [SLIP: The bier on which a coffin is carried – defunct.] |
| brisgean, pl. brisgein | the roots in the arable land, which can be eaten. |
| cloimh-an-dombail | the loose wool falling from the fleece of sheep on to the heather, and sticks sometimes to the heather. [NOTES: the word-list has ‘dombail’ but in one of his later word-lists, Mr Morrison corrected it to ‘domail’.] [SLIP: Loose wool which has fallen from a sheep and stuck on to tufts of heather.] |
| gruagan | the sea-weed species. |
| eitneach | burnt roots of heather or dried roots. I could check as at the moment I am not quite certain – doesn’t it ‘associate’ with heather or pertain to heather. [SLIP: Burnt or dried roots of heather – unsure.] |
| [baby’s bolster] | (There was another uncommon name for ‘a baby’s bolster’ used in the old wooden cradle; I cannot remember it just now. I’ll try and remember it; perhaps you have the name yourself. I have heard it years ago mentioned two or three times by a member of a past generation.) |
| biorag | reference to a ‘sharp’ unpopular female. |
| bùlasg | the handle of a pot. |
| caraibhiag | rowanberry, perhaps a form of caorainn-mhiath. Pronounced likewise on Scalpay or may have been abbreviated likewise. |
| puta-coin | a fisherman’s handmade float, not necessarily made from a dog’s skin but taking the shape of a dog. |
| bancas | played by school-boys on lazy-beds. One boy on the middle lazy-bed and a team of boys on another trying to get across to the 3rd lazy-bed without the boy on the middle one touching them. If he happened to touch one, he was dismissed. Again the former word used for the same pastime was dad-oighridh. Perhaps meaning ‘to your estate’. Thus do d’ oighreadh or oighridh – to your estate. This was the way I take it to be pronounced. The word has died colloquially. [SLIP: A game played by boys on lazy-beds. One boy would stand on the middle lazy-bed while a team of boys starting from another lazy-bed tried to cross the middle one to a third one without the boy in the middle touching them. If someone was ‘tagged’, he was out of the game. Used to be called ‘dad-oighridh’ – ‘to your estate’?] |
| bìceòin | another name for glas-eun (bird). It could have derived from bìc-eòin – my own definition or of the chirping species. Very likely. [SLIP: Another name for ‘glas-eun’ (bird).] |
| moid | the roof wooden chimney piece of a black house. [SLIP: Wooden chimney-piece of a blackhouse.] |
| cathan | of the wild duck grass-eating bird species. [SLIP: A grass-eating bird of the wild duck species!] |
| catha | brae. [NOTES: slipped under ‘cadha’.] |
| airgead-beo | quick silver. [NOTES: slipped under ‘airgiod-beò.] |
| lus-na-Frainge | mint, used to flavour tea. |
| lus-nan-laogh | it may not be referred to in a vocabulary but it was once orally, as a medical cure for skin eruption, or skin disease, boils etc. [SLIP: Old medical cure for ailments of the skin (boils, etc.).] |
| cleamhag | minnow (fish). |
| easgann-chaol | (or an easgann-dhubh), was not this a term used for the jelly-eel. [NOTES: slipped under ‘easgann’.] [SLIP: Terms used for the “jelly-eel” (uncertain).] |
| tuainnealaich | dizziness. [NOTES: the slip has ‘tuainealaich’.] |
| sgait-cladaich | (sgòd or sgoid) drift-wood. Pronounced sgait on Scalpay or was pronounced. [SLIP: Driftwood.] |
| canntail | was and still [is] occasionally [used] by some for canntainn, some referred to this as an incorrect version of cantainn [sic]. But I think not, or I wouldn’t say so myself. [SLIP: Verbal noun of ‘can’ ‘to say’ – alternative to ‘cantuinn’ but not regarded as good usage.] |
| rùileachd (rùrachd) | searching, (something similar). [SLIP: Searching. (v.n. of ‘rùraich’?)] |
| mial-fìgis | once used orally. I have heard it being used (spoken). |
| Feòraidh | another personal name. Could this be Florence – name of a girl or female, or it may have come into existence from the child’s rendering of Flòraidh? In other words invented? (All the other words I noted here are not invented words.) (On Scalpay, there is Tobair Fheòraidh.) [SLIP: Name. Child’s corruption of Flòraidh? Above is Scalpay place-name [i.e. Tobar Fheòraidh].] |
| lòn-chraois | (still common) glutton. |
| bodach-fhaoileag | scare-crow. |
| taisean | ribs. (Common) rendering. [SLIP: (Plural) Ribs.] |
| luch-fheòir | field mouse. |
| cnagan-starraig | sea-urchin. |
| Tabh | ocean (still used) very seldom – an Atlantic. Mar a theirear an diugh ’s docha is fheàrr a chòrdas riutha – cha ’eil e cho old fashioned. [SLIP: Ocean. Occasionally used for ‘Atlantic’.] |
| stìm | Nise cha ’eil mi cinnteach mu’n fhacal seo stìm. Steam? Or had it any connection with poultice – wasn’t there a stìm-fhuail or stim-fhuair – lit. I think there was… [SLIP: stìm-fhuail or stìm-fhuair. Definition: Uncertain – steam or connected with poultice?] |
| lonaid (cuman, cuach etc.) | [?] wooden spoon, of the wooden form of ‘utensils’. [NOTES: it is slipped under ‘ionaid’. Definition: “Wooden spoon. Informant’s spelling ‘yonaid’.” The spelling is unclear. It may be ‘lonaid’. See also lonaid below.] |
| plucan | the warts formed from bed clothes. [SLIP: (Plural) Bed-sores.] |
| clach-choireal | I have heard the reference to a stone coral. Is this right? [SLIP: Referring to a stone – ?] |
| elatrom | bier. Deilidh or déile. In the death line of words that is words describing [? the word order?]. [NOTES: originally slipped under ‘elatrom (sic)’ then this changed to ‘eileatrom’. Definition: Bier.] |
| sul | plankton. |
| sùileag | eyelet (common). |
| lasganaich | outburs of laugh. [SLIP: Outburst of laughter.] |
| 3. Letter (22/5/1975). ‘Tuilleadh fhaclan’ but not clear which word-list was attached to the letter. |
| 4. Word-list |
| tuiteanadh | being sent to and frò [sic] (referring to a person). Air a thuiteanadh a nùll ’s a nall. [SLIP: Of a person, being sent here and there.] [NOTES: it seems that the catch-word was corrected to ‘tutanadh’.] |
| drobhasach | personal male reference. Co ’n drobhasach tha sud? [SLIP: Fellow.] |
| craslach | old, unsightly. Could be used personally or in the neuter gender. [SLIP: Old, unsightly (noun and adjective).] |
| cùis-sgramh | a disgusting matter. |
| carbad-bheag | car. |
| lann | hero, a hard man. ’S e lann th’ann. |
| tùirn | turn. (unheard to-day; very likely from the English word.) [SLIP: Turn (though no longer used).] |
| stèir | a skelp on the buttock. [SLIP: a slap on the buttocks.] |
| spèir | fly opening of a trouser. [SLIP: fly opening on trousers.] |
| pùnntadh | kept in an enclosure. I have heard an old lady referring to her hens: Iad air a punntadh ann a shid (enclosure) ’s nach iad a mach – at seed-planting time. [NOTES: slipped under ‘pùnndadh’.] [SLIP: Kept in an enclosure.] |
| ‘pis-thu-isu’ | calling a kitten. [SLIP: Used when calling a kitten.] |
| stararaich | a one time definition of either the music or rather the droning of the pipes or to my own thinking, possibly, stàrachd (form) na pioba. [SLIP: A one-time definition of the droning of the pipes.] |
| sliochd-taighe | family. |
| brig-brag | indicator words to denote sound like the sound of drops of water falling from the roof into a tin basin. [SLIP: Denotes sound like the sound of drops of water falling from the roof into a tin basin.] |
| pliut | hand. Cum do phliutan agad fhéin. |
| ud ud | a remark when a person is not prepared to accept what is said. [NOTES: the slip has ‘ud-ud’.] |
| od od | a remark when a person is not prepared to accept what is said. [NOTES: the slip has ‘od-od’.] [SLIP: Vid. ’ud-ud’.] |
| seocadh | material like soil falling into place gradually to its original context. |
| deocadh | sucking (perhaps both words [i.e. deocadh and seocadh] are someway related in a sense to one another). |
| deocan | teat. |
| teiceid | ticket. |
| obh obh | denotes a mourning implication. |
| fear-falbhain | wanderer. |
| blas-dubh | A person have referred to a large species of lythe (liùth) as having this taste. I cannot say was it of his own invention or was it a description term of his day. I have heard another woman referring to the same fish: blas a bhùirn dhuibh. |
| blas-a-bhùirn | [See blas-dubh.] [NOTES: all three items (blas dubh, blas-a-bhùirn, blas-a-bhùirn-dhuibh) on one slip under ‘blas’.] [SLIP: Referring to the taste of a large species of lythe.] |
| gobag | a boat of a pointed stern. [SLIP: a boat with a pointed stern.] |
| gulu | (similar) boat [i.e. similar to gobag (q.v.)]. It doesn’t take so long a rake. On the beach the former (gobag) has a shorter keel and beam and a longer rake from the keep to the overall length. [SLIP: A boat with a pointed stern but with a longer keel and beam than the ‘gobag’ qv.] |
| bucach | boat with a half-moon characteristic beam, thus: [see illustration]. They are not built now. |
| pèir | pair (càraid). [SLIP: Pair, couple (càraid).] |
| màs-leathainn | square-stern. |
| lion-cruinn | ring-net. [NOTES: the slip has ‘lìon-cruinn’.] |
| còrd | cord. |
| braigh | the buoy-rope for great-lines or small lines. |
| greibheal | gravel. |
| mol | shingle. |
| scramh | reference to an eye-sore; a sentiment of an eye-sore of a boat etc. [NOTES: the original ‘scramh’ has been changed to ‘sgramh’ possibly by the person preparing slips.] |
| teine biorach | will-o-the-wisp. |
| caran-creige | ‘shoe-maker fish’. [NOTES: the slip has ‘caran-créige’.] |
| muc-creige | wrasse (I think). [NOTES: the slip has ‘muc-créige’ and the definition: ‘wrasse’.] |
| creag-iasgaich | fishing stance. |
| giomach-tuathail | lobster (the armoured lobster. You will [sic] [find? see?] him inside a whelk (faochag) perhaps, you could say giomach-faochaig. [NOTES: the word is mentioned in Word-list 5. Copied here.] I have mentioned the ‘armoured crab’ being inside the whelk, it’s the hermit crab, isn’t it? And recognised in Scalpay as giomach tuathail as I noted previously. [SLIP 1: Hermit crab.] [SLIP 2: Lobster.] |
| leac-nighe | washing stone. Horizontal slab on which the washer woman spread or put the clothes when washing beside a burn or loch (platform manner). [SLIP: Stones used as slabs for washing clothes by the burnside.] |
| pìos | attractive female (also). |
| feusag-beòil | moustache. |
| boga-sùgain | the state of material at a point being ‘over-softened’, soil etc. [SLIP: When a material is on the point of being over-softened.] |
| fiasag-dhùinte | close crop of beard. |
| mial-chraogais | used on Scalpay, but not now. I am not prepared at the moment to say what it means. Of the louse species? Perhaps. You may have a clue yourself. I have heard it ‘as a boy’. I may have noted its meaning years back. I think it’s one of the compound words of which I haven’t discovered a meaning or its meaning rather. [SLIP: Not used any longer. Uncertain at to precise meaning but some kind of louse.] |
| brat | coated-tongue. Brat air do theangaidh. [SLIP: Coat on the tongue.] |
| donnag | fish, small ling. |
| sgriob | foot-path or a winding foot-path on the face of a steep hill. (There are other meanings common to the word: sgriob le tàbh – ‘a drag or lift off [of?] a spoon-net’. [SLIP: Winding footpath on the face of a steep hill.] |
| bratag-fhraoich | ‘heather caterpillar’. |
| smuigeid-na-cuthaig | literally, the spit of the cuckoo bird, seen on the heather. |
| sgonn | thick log of wood (sgonn maide). |
| cutag | a gutter’s knife. |
| cutairean | gutters, herring girls. |
| glongail | muttering speech. |
| mial-bhangaid | going into a house and coming out – a person meeting a school-boy and knowing such would refer to the boy of having the mial-bhangaid as a teasing gesture I think. [SLIP: A teasing expression used of a schoolboy who goes in and out of a house when a party is going on.] |
| cleimh | ‘creeps’. Cha mhor nach tug e a chleimh orm. (This is my own definition of the word… ?) |
| 5. Word-list |
| searradair | towel. |
| sòghradh | careless, care. [?] Cha robh sòghradh aice [sic] de a dheanadh e neo ’chanadh e. He didn’t have a consideration as to what he would do or say. [SLIP: Care. Quotation: Cha robh sòghradh aige dé a dhèanadh e neo chanadh e.] |
| aineiserra | not muzzling. Bha e agallach [sic] fhéin aineiserra air a theagaidh. Unruly. Still heard from our older generation. [NOTES: the slip has ‘aineisearra’.] [SLIP: Unruly (still used). Quotation: Bha e eagallach fhéin aineisearra air a theangaidh.] |
| bubaid | button or plug. It may have originated from ‘button’ in English. Seldom heard today if at all. The word could be used in connection with the electric switch to-day, it was or to a likewise ‘wart’ say it was used – also materially [?]. [SLIP: Button; used also of ‘electric switch’. Seldom used nowadays.] |
| [lion] | lion gu bhi cruinneachadh ’na phoca – bag net. Perhaps the cod-end of a trawl could be considered poc(a)-a-linn. Yes! this is the way it’s termed, isn’t it? [SLIP: Catch-word - Poca-linn. Definition: ‘Cod-end of a trawl.] |
| boc | blister. |
| sligean | shells. |
| creachann | scallop (known also as clam). [SLIP: Scallop.] |
| giomaich chuain | I haven’t heard a Gaelic name for prawns but giomaich chuain. A prawn is not a hermit crab. Perhaps they have a Gaelic name for a prawn in Lewis, perhaps years back they had a name for them in Gaelic on Scalpay but I’m afraid not to-day. [SLIP: Prawns.] |
| bogha-làir | ‘ground rock’ on the sea-bed which doesn’t show at ebb time, a rock getting its name through rising ‘bow’ shape slightly from the bottom of the sea. [SLIP: Rock on the sea-bed which doesn’t show at ebb-tide.] |
| 6. Word-list |
| leac-bhuinn | bha maide-buinn ann cuideachd. |
| don-ionnsuidh | ill-approach. There is the word or compound word don-foighneachd ort c’uim a ceilinn of the beul-sios ort sentiments. [?] |
| snidhe-dubh | blobs of soot falling from the rafters of the black-house. [NOTES: the slip has ‘snighe-dubh’.] |
| clàr-fuine | kneading board. [NOTES: the slip has ‘clàr-fuineadh’.] |
| [marag] | marag-fhala, marag-dheocaidh, marag-fhlùir – “of the Puddin’ race” or of the Haggis family. [NOTES: all three phrases slipped under one catch-word – ‘marag’. Definition: All similar to haggis.] |
| currac-béin | worn by fishermen made from seal-skin etc. etc. [SLIP: A hat made of sealskin and worn by fishermen.] |
| plocan | for mashing potatoes. |
| talamh-toll | perforated soil. |
| giobal | term equivalent to gille. |
| fabhag | the octopus species of fish. Ink-fish – it squirts an inkish liquid as a (so to speak) smoke-screen. [SLIP: A species of octopus (squirts an inky substance out).] |
| Boat-parts |
| sòla | a platform in the stern and forehead part of a boat. |
| siola | plug. [SLIP: Plug (on boat).] |
| tùc | plug. [SLIP: Plug (in a boat).] |
| [note] | (ramh o [or ?] crann etc. – common) |
| reubainn | the groove in the plank next to the keel, where the edge of the neighbouring planks fits. etc. etc. |
| Fish |
| toll an t-sìl | on the belly of the fish. |
| eàrr-it’ | the tail fin. |
| gàileach | gills. |
| sporan-stàrraig | the spawning pouch from which the early stages of the dog-fish maturing process is attributed thus: [see illustration]. [SLIP: The spawning pouch (dog-fish).] |
| stamh | of the langadal. |
| cuileannan | perhaps the word could be attributed to the young of the king-fish – biorach. [SLIP: Young of the ‘biorach’ (uncertain).] |
| Medical terms in Gaelic |
| sac | asthma. |
| sgrath-sùla | cataract. |
| greim-mór | appendicitis. |
| greim-mionnaich | appendicitis. [NOTES: both slipped under ‘gréim’ (with a tentative mor added by second hand) with ‘gréim mór’ and ‘greim-mionnaich’ as the quotation. Definition: Both – appendicitis.] |
| sgeir-feithe | complaints of the limbs, sinews. |
| màm | boil on the skin of the festering nature. [SLIP: A festering boil on the skin.] |
| golamail | relative to the eye complaint. |
| bu tu a lann sùla | There was the term used: bu tu a lann sùla. I am not quite certain if this meant (eye-attraction) at the moment. |
| cnead | Cha ’eil cnead form of… explaining no complaints. [SLIP: Form of explaining one has no health complaints.] |
| Knitting implements |
| fearsaid | distaff (for winding in thread). |
| bioran | knitting needles. [NOTES: slipped under ‘bior’ with ‘pl. bioran’.] |
| iteachan | bobbin. |
| beirne | reel. [SLIP: Reel (knitting).] |
| tachrais | winding movement. |
| sàbhradh | oil from wool. |
| ceairsle | the thread being wound into a ball. |
| ceaille | [See ceairsle.] |
| crois-iarna | for winding the thread into hanks. |
| [Miscellaneous] |
| lunn-lann | in a lazy motion posture. [SLIP: In a lazy posture.] |
| tàbh | spoon-net. |
| bìor-chruaidh | pinching nails; pincher point set against the end of the nail and then the pincher struck with a hammer. [SLIP: For pinching nails.] |
| snathad-lion | needle for mending fishing nets. |
| amhras | the bottom part of the nets to which the sinkers are tied. |
| géimheal | the ropes perpendicular on both ends of the fishing net. [SLIP: The ropes on both ends of the fishing net.] |
| toman | a miniature lazy-bed. |
| àrca | cork (common). |
| damhans | the strings going through the hole in the cork on a drift-net and [?] fishing net. |
| faochag-gheal | periwinkle (I think). |
| bainne-deasgain | rennet (common). [NOTES: the slip has ‘bainne-deasgainn’. Definition: ‘Rennet’.] |
| ola-chroinn-ola | olive oil (common). |
| piùnnd | mint. |
| 7. Word-list. (‘Vocabulary. Not in alphabetical order at present.’) |
| tramasgal | rubbish. |
| maistreadh | churning. [NOTES: the slip has ‘maistrich’ with verbal noun ‘a’ maistreadh’. Definition: ‘to churn’.] |
| udalan | swivel. |
| eadradh | milking time. |
| deannan | a fair share. |
| fuaidreag | the artificial minnow or rubber eel, for fishing. [SLIP: Artificial minnow or rubber eel as bait for fishing.] |
| snota | sneed (snota linn-bheaga). |
| bearraid | tool. |
| iodhar | fester. |
| pap-cheannach | matted hair. |
| siol | fry (siol a sgadain). |
| iomanaidh | worry. |
| fiucan | clip fastening on clothes. |
| earball-sàil | default. |
| obair-bhearraideireachd | design on wood, engraving. [SLIP: Design engraved on wood.] |
| tocsaid | hogshead. |
| ceol-sìth | fairy music. [NOTES: the slip has ‘ceòl-sìth’.] |
| cas-bheag | one of [a dog’s – crossed out] forelegs being tied inches from the ground with a string round its neck. [SLIP: Where one of the forelegs of a dog is tied inches from the ground with a piece of string around the dog’s neck.] |
| piollag | piece of cloth. Piollag aodaich. |
| stràchd | a stroke from the teacher’s strap. |
| lìbhrig | gave up. Librig [sic] e’n deò. He gave up the ghost. [NOTES: the slip has ‘lìbhrig’ as the catch-word, with the quotation: ‘Lìbhrig e’n deò’ and explanation: ‘He gave up the ghost’.] |
| shiolaidh | quietly. Shiolaidh e air falbh. He quietly passed. Also sieving. [NOTES: the slip has ‘sìolaidh’ as the catch-word, with the quotation: ‘Shìolaidh e air falbh’ and explanation: ‘He passed away quietly. Also “to sieve”.’] |
| taoman | bailer (in boat). |
| piob-thaosgaidh | pump. |
| sniomh | a track in a cliff-face, of a grassy nature. |
| suth-liomhainn | in the modern era lemonade (one example). |
| spliùchan | pouch. |
| cuilg | prickle. |
| ag | without a hitch, doubt. |
| iuchair | row [sic] [roe]. Meallag is iuchair. [SLIP: Roe (fish).] |
| bàn-iasg | the salmon species. |
| glas-iasg | the salmon species. |
| iasg-geal | white fish. |
| leabag | a small lair thus leabag an eithir. |
| tigh-leughaidh | reading house (in connection with Bible reading). [SLIP: Reading-house (as in Biblical usage).] |
| meadhon-eaglais | nave. [SLIP: Nave of a church.] |
| ionad-altair | chancel. |
| leus-mara | beacon. |
| cràic | cràic fuilt – a thick crop of hair. |
| crois | obstruction, encumberance. |
| lunn | air a lunn fàgail – at the point of leaving. [NOTES: the slip has ‘air a’ lunn fàgail’. Definition: ‘On the point of leaving’.] |
| dìreach | exactly. |
| ceòl-critheanach | quavering music. |
| mapaid | mob. [mop?] Mapaid thearradh – tar mob [mop?]. [NOTES: the slip gives ‘mob’ but ‘mop’ seems to make more sense.] |
| lonaid | churn handle (part). [SLIP: Part of the handle of a churn.] |
| sgot | sense. Cha ’eil sgot agad. You have no sense. [NOTES: the slip has ‘Chan eil’.] |
| min-flùir | flour. |
| tobhar-sàil | sea-ware (feamainn). [NOTES: the slip has ‘todhar-sàil’. Definition: Seaware.] |
| tobhar-gallda | ’guana [sic] [guano] manure’. [NOTES: the slip has ‘todhar-gallda’. Definition: Manure made of seabirds’ droppings.] |
| polastaireachd | careless oddly [sic] manoeuvre. [SLIP: Careless, odd manoeuvre.] |
| diogladh | tickling. |
| achdunn | ointment. |
| ola-ròin | seal-oil. |
| smoc | smoke. |
| min-phreasrach | brose-meal. |
| ceàrnag-ghloine | pane of glass. |
| loineach | eager. |
| loin | eagerness. |
| plaite | blanket. |
| dearag | a cradle blanket. |
| maothan | where both ends of a plank in a boat are nailed (also young twig). [SLIP: a) young twig. b) the place where both ends of a plank in a boat are nailed together.] |
| miaraid | weakling. |
| sgulgaireachd | an uninterested movement from a person, easy osy form of movement. [SLIP: A relaxed, ‘uninterested’ movement.] |
| cuairt | a coupling piece of wood fastening the gunwale of a boat. |
| leac | leac-cadail – wink of sleep. Also leac cloiche – stone slab etc. [SLIP 1: Leac-cadail. A wink of sleep.] [SLIP 2: Leac. a) leac-cloiche – stone slab. b) leac-nigheadh – washing ‘platform’ of stone.] [NOTES: Slip 2 might have a different word-list as its source.] |
| rèim | phlegm. Reim-cuibhle – frame of the wheel. |
| guineach | extremely eager. |
| guin | sharp hatred or malice. Tha guin aige dha tha eagallach. |
| spéirt | strength. |
| sgeòb | a pointed cut piece of cloth. [SLIP: A piece of cloth cut into a point.] |
| sgiap | take apart. |
| eiseir | oysters. |
| miortal | metal (perhaps from the anglicised version). |
| duis | entrails of a sheep. |
| ganntar | scarcity. [NOTES: the slip has ‘ganntair’.] |
| mhathasach | (from good). Kindly also. [NOTES: the slip has ‘mhathasach (lenition included)’. Definition: ‘Kindly’.] |
| ghradhtinn | to be said. |
| neo-bhonnail | not swaggering. |
| neo-bhorrail | not swaggering. |
| blàthsor | could it be blàthmhor or perhaps this is an ‘old’ rendering. [SLIP: Suggests it is an old rendering of ‘blàthmhor’.] |
| libhirt | heritage. |
| mollaich | it could be molach (hairy). Mollaich air na speuran. [SLIP: Could be same as ‘molach’ qv.] |
| niamhair | nimh form or nimheil. Gath na natraichean nimhe – sting. [SLIP 1: Niamhair. Same as ‘nimheil’ qv. – poisonous.] [SLIP 2: Nimh. Gath nan nathraichean nimhe. Form of ‘nimheil’, poisonous.] |
| pladaraich | noise from salmon jumping. |
| clisgeartaich | trembling. A hound indicates likewise at the hunt through bodily emotion. [SLIP: The emotionally caused trembling a hound makes at the hunt.] |
| plabarsaich | bird wing movement. |
| slàinteachan | many toast drunk. [NOTES: Slipped under ‘slàinte’ with ‘pl. slàinteachan’. Definition: ‘Toasts (of drink)’.] |
| steòrnadh | tell. |
| sranndraich | noise of bullets. |
| iris | ‘the rope of a creel’ over the shoulders (strap). [SLIP: The shoulder strap of a creel.] |
| carail | another form of carach. [SLIP: Cunning.] |
| bhinneag | roof. |
| briosgainn | sudden jump. tiotainn (tiota) [?] [SLIP: Sudden jump.] |
| clàistinn | listening (ag éisteachd form). |
| sacan | a strip cutting from a sack. (I am not quite sure of this one at the moment.) [SLIP: Uncertain – but probably a strip cut from a sack.] |
| latharach | spot (làrach form). [SLIP: Spot, place.] |
| treabhaire | householder. Beannachadh treabhaire dhuibh. Here in the tenement form where treabhaire in some cases could be indicated and the individual usage of it. |
| meamhair | thinking. |
| plumbis | plumes. [NOTES: the slip has ‘plumbais’] |
| siri | cherry. |
| silidh | jam. |
| tùbh | side (taobh). [SLIP: Side – variant of ‘taobh’.] |
| piorraid | a disapproval name given to a female. [SLIP: A pejorative name given to a female.] |
| sgealadh | a stare (in the eye). [SLIP: A stare of the eye.] |
| rachd | disappointment. |
| sgath | utter destruction, without [sic]. |
| còta-ruadh | army great coat. |
| fiùas, fiùthas | not even. [NOTES: Only one form on the slip – ‘fiùthas’.] |
| rabhad | untidy person. |
| piceas, pichdeas | chicken pox. [NOTES: Only one form on the slip – ‘piceas’.] |
| pléit | cheeky, plate. [SLIP: Cheeky.] |
| dlùthmhor | extremely close. |
| àrbhuidh | this form appears to be a [?] occurrence of it [?] a word = equivalent of òr-bhuidh. [SLIP: Form of ‘òr-bhuidh’.] |
| tobhadh | being pulled by a rope (as a boat pulling another one on the sea of course). [SLIP: To tow.] |
| shodan | tuft of hair or few feathers sticking apart (toban). [NOTES: Slipped under ‘toban’.] |
| liùgail | sneaking (liùgadh) movement. |
| sainnseal | slash to mark, blow. [SLIP: A blow, slash.] |
| flodach | lukewarm. |
| flodraich | the licking of water by a loch-side, when the loch is ruffled or windy. If I remember well I think I heard it used thus: flodraich ri na stallachan. [SLIP: The noise of wavelets lapping against the lochside.] |
| easgannach | abounding in eels, creepy-fashion, creepy, wriggling. [SLIP: Abounding in eels; creepy, wriggling.] |
| burradh | pruning, a ram pruning the ground with its horns. Colloquially heard. A’ burradh na h-ùrach le ’h-aodhaircean. I take this word from a distant reminiscence. [SLIP: Of a ram, rutting the ground.] |
| sràbh | straw. Sràbhag – diminutive. [SLIP 1: Sràbh. Straw.] [SLIP 2: Sràbhag. Diminutive of ‘sràbh’ qv.] |
| diant | done. |
| duathail | gloomy. |
| bréin | putrid. [NOTES: the slip has ‘bréin (sic)’.] |
| gheòbhradh | an invented word similar ghiùbrabh i, ghraidh mo chridhe, for the fonn invention of o ró and so on. [SLIP: Similar to the ‘hóro’ of the songs.] |
