Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

Informant(s)
Name
George Campbell Hay
Origin
[Kintyre, Tarbert]
Location
Edinburgh
Date
1976 and 1983 [see below for details]
Word-list dated 01/05/1976: Airson an fhaclair
murabhlach (m.)muirbhuachaill, great northern diver. (Tarbert)
fuireachan (sg.)àite còmhnaidh, taigh, togail, bothan. Am fuireachan àite sin shìos.
dudrachain (pl.)aodach sracte, luidean. Sc. dudds, duddies.
sràbhail (f.)beagan sgadain sgapte. A strawing. Sràbhail bheag sgadain ris a’ chladach.
àrdàrd amach, fada amach anns a’ mhuir.
ròramachextravagant. (Ìle) Tha e ròramach (ròromach) le cuid dhaoine eile. < ro + rùm?
dalmarrapeasanta, peasanach. (Tarbert)
dàicheilbig and imposing. Tha i dàicheil gu leòir air son a’ ghunna: she’s big and imposing enough to shoulder a rifle.
gleustrim. Dé’n gleus a th’ort = Dé’n trim a th’ort?
bachall (m.)a slipper. > Sc. bauchle? Sean bhachall bàta.
gràbhata fisherman’s neck scarf. Gràbhat beag lìn.
reòtachherring scales on the sides and deck of a boat (giving an impression of reodhadh). Fhuair iad sgadan – tha reòtach oirre.
clacharan tràighstonechats assembling on the rocks on the shore in the autumn are called this.
greimeala grapnel.
barra-rothabarra-cuibhle. (Tarbert)
flan gaoitheadhar beag gaoithe – a waft.
Letter and word-list dated 06/05/1976: Air son an fhaclair
[note]“Tha mi’n dòchas gu’m bi am beagan beag fhacal a tha mi ’cur gu’d ionnsaigh a chum feuma. Tha corra fhacal agam o Chinntàile. ’S e Tàileach d’am b’ainm Crìsdein MacRath a bu phrìomh charaid dhomh nuair a bha mi ’san oilthigh.”
[note](Mur eil ainm ceàrnaidh no dùthcha ’ga thoirt seachad is ann o’n Tairbeart Loch Fìne a thà na facail seo.)
bodach ruadha roch [sic] cod.
crùbaga large crab.
breallach (m.)a clam.
gasdad, càil. Cha d’fhuair mi gas.
sgadan-gréineherring split and laid out to dry on a rock in the sun. Roc An Sgadain-Ghréin’: an underwater rock. The markings on it resemble split herring.
cuirshoot (a met [sic] [net?]). An do chuir sibh, ’fheara? Iomair mu thuath agus cuir mu dheas (proverb): Row north and shoot south.
curTha cur an tsneachda [sic] trom. (Islay)
car-a’-mhuilteinpunning slang for a tumbler to drink out of.
claba-dubha kind of shellfish.
clabadh-dubh[See claba-dubh.]
gibeirneacha squid. (‘Ink fish’ in the dialect of the East Coast.) If I remember, this word occurs in MacPhaidein.
amhsana gannet, solan goose, solan.
càrsan[kɛ:rsɑN] the hoarse sound of rising sea and wind. Tha càrsan beag ann anochd.
cruit (f.)a hump back.
cruiteachhumpbacked.
budagoca snipe.
mògan (pl. mòganan)slang for hand – ‘mitt’. Bheil do mhòganan fuar? Are your mitts cold?
sgoldrach (m.)a Medusa, kind of jellyfish. < O.N. skjöldur, skjöld; a shield?
spàgslang for a foot. Tha mi ’dol a shìneadh mo spàgan: I’m going for a walk.
croich or croichean (pl.)poles on the shore for drying nets. Cuiridh sinn an lìon air a’ chroich. (They have all disappeared.) ‘Crochans’ in English.
creagdhubh[sic] an angler fish.
ceannaira net rope (ring net).
clàrachthe planking at the stern.
ràtach (< ràdhtach?)bigmouthed, boastful, a blow. Ràiteach occurs in Dwelly, I think.
coltas‘appearance’ in English. Signs of herring. Cha n-eil coltas ann idir. This word occurs in MacPhaidein (A’ ruith nan coltas feadh nan cuantan).
losgadhphosphorescence. (Burning, the burning in Tarbert English.) This reveals the presence of herring at night, hence ‘Gheobh sinn iad ’san losgadh.’
tomanan extension of the meaning ‘clump’. A small clump of herring. Tha toman dhiubh fodhainn.
leusof a blind or shortsighted man – Cha n-fhaic e leus.
deòof a deaf man – Cha chluinn e deò.
moineach (f.)a hare.
BhaltarWalter. Uaimh Bhaltair, Rudha Bhaltair, Pàra Bhaltair.
cairidh (f.)a fish weir. There are the remains of one in a level bay north of Tarbert.
glàma gorge of food. Ghabhainn glàm dhiubh sin.
glaiseana white-throated diver.
athailcalm. Ma bhìos e fèathail mochthrath.
pongailpunctilious, exact, careful of one’s appearance.
giullangille.
cnùdana gurnet. A man’s nickname.
mochthrath (m.)Mochrath [sic] maith dhuit = madainn mhaith dhuit. Thà mi dol a chur mo cheann far am faigh mi e mochthrath.
raspars(with the accent on the second syllable) (ro + ? ?) overbearing behaviour. (Kintail)
stàirnviolent, overbearing behaviour. (Kintail)
glàmaga tivking [sic] [ticking?] off. (Kintail)
sùileachanan eye-opener. (Kintail – in Dwelly)
liosa garden. (Kintail) Nuair a bha mi ag obair anns an lios ud thall.
sùil-chruthach(< -chriothach?) a quagmire. Sùil-chrith in Islay, I was told a long time ago.
bù, bùia buoy. Equally a sea-mark or a buoy on a net.
Letter dated 04/10/1983 (slips)
smùrachNotes: ‘smirr, drizzle, small rain’. Tarbert Argyll and Islay usage. ‘Baile na Smùrach’ used as fisherman’s slang for Ardrossan (‘dross’).
uairQuotation: uair mhath. Notes: ‘good weather’. Tarbert and Islay usage.

© DASG
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