Pirate by Walter Scott - Glossary
A’, all.
Aboon, above.
Ae, one.
Aff, off.
Afore, before.
Aigre, sour.
Aik, the oak.
Ain, own.
Air, an open sea-beach.
Airn, iron.
Aits, oats.
A-low, ablaze.
Amang, among.
Ance, once.
Ane, one.
An, if.
Anent, regarding.
Anes, once.
Aneugh, eneugh, enow, enough.
Angus, Forfarshire.
Aroint, avaunt.
A’thegither, altogether.
Aught, owned; to possess or belong to.
Auld, old.
Auld-world, ancient, old-fashioned.
Aver, a cart-horse.
Awa, away.
Awmous, alms.
Awn, a beard (of grain).
Awsome, fearful.
Back-spauld, the back of the shoulder.
Bailie, a magistrate.
Bairn, a child.
Baith, both.
Baittle, denoting that sort of pasture where the grass is short, close, and rich.
Bang, a blow.
Banning, cursing.
Bauld, bold.
Bear-braird, barley-sprouting.
Bear, a kind of barley.
Bee—“to have a bee in one’s bonnet,” to be harebrained.
Bee-skep, a bee-hive.
Bell-the-cat, to contend with.
Bern, a child.
Bern, bairn, a child.
Bicker, a wooden dish.
Bide, to await, to endure, to stay.
Big, to build.
Biggin, a building.
Biggit, built.
Bilboes, irons.
Billie, brother.
Bismar, a small steelyard.
Bittle, a wooden bat for the beating of linen.
Bland, a drink made from butter-milk.
Bleeze, blaze.
Blithe, glad.
Blude, blood.
Blurt, to burst out speaking.
Bodle, a small coin equal to one sixth of a penny sterling.
Bole, a small aperture.
Bonally, a parting drink.
Bonnie-die, a toy, a trinket.
Bonnie, pretty.
Bonnie-wallies, good things, gewgaws.
Bonny-die, a toy, a trinket.
Boobie, a dunce.
Bourasque, a sudden squall.
Bowie, a wooden dish for milk.
Brae, a hill.
Braid, broad.
Braw, fine, pretty.
Braws, fine clothes.
Breekless, trouserless.
Buckie, a whilk.
Bumming, making a humming noise.
Burn-brae, the acclivity at the bottom of which a rivulet runs.
Ca’, to call.
Callant, a lad.
Canna, cannot.
Cannily, gently.
Canny, good, worthy; safe; prudent.
Canty, lively and cheerful.
Capa, a Spanish mantle.
Caper, a Dutch privateer of the seventeenth century.
Carle, a churl; also, a farm servant.
Carles, farm servants.
Carline, a witch.
Cart-avers, cart-horses.
Cateran, a Highland robber.
Cauld, cold.
Caup, a cup.
“Causeyed syver,” a cause-wayed sewer.
Certie —“my certie!” my faith!
Change-house, an inn.
Chapman, a small merchant or pedlar.
Chield, a fellow.
Claith, cloth.
“Clashes and clavers,” scandal and nonsense.
Clatter, to tattle.
Claver, to chatter.
Clavers, idle talk.
Clink, to drop.
Clog, a small short log, a billet of wood.
Coal-heugh, a coal-pit.
Coble, a small boat.
Cog, a wooden bowl.
Cogfu’, the full of a wooden bowl.
Coorse, coarse.
Coup, to exchange.
Cowp, to upset.
Crack, to boast.
Craig, the neck; also, a rock.
Creel, a basket. “In a creel,” foolish.
Croft-land, land of superior quality, which was still cropped.
Crowdie, meal and water stirred up together.
Cummer, a gossip.
Curch, a kerchief for covering the head.
Cusser, a stallion.
Daffing, larking.
Daft, crazy.
Daikering, sauntering.
Dead-thraw, the death-throes.
“Deaf nuts,” nuts whose kernels are decayed.
Deftly, handsomely.
Deil, the devil.
Dibble, to plant.
Ding, to knock.
“Dinna, downa, bide,” cannot bear.
Dinna, do not.
Dirk, a dagger.
Divot, thin turf used for roofing cottages.
Doited, stupid.
Douce, sedate, modest.
Doun, down.
Dour, sullen, hard, stubborn.
Dowie, dark, melancholy.
Dowlas, a strong linen cloth.
“Dowse the glim,” put out the light.
Drammock, raw meal and water.
Dree, to endure.
Drouth, thirst.
Duds, clothes.
Dulse, a species of sea-weed.
Dune, done.
Dung, knocked.
Dunt, to knock.
Een, eyes.
Embaye, to enclose.
Eneugh, enough.
Equals-aquals, in the way of division strictly equal.
Eviting, avoiding.
Factor, a land steward.
Fa’, fall.
“Farcie on his face!” a malediction.
Fash, fashery, trouble.
Fear’d, afraid.
Feck, the greatest part.
Ferlies, unusual events or things.
“Ferlies make fools fain,” wonders make fools eager.
Ferly, wonderful.
“Fey folk,” fated or unfortunate folk.
Fey, fated, or predestined to speedy death.
Fifish, crazy, eccentric.
Fir-clog, a small log of fir.
Flang, flung.
Flichter, to flutter or tremble.
“Flinching a whale,” slicing the blubber from the bones.
“Floatsome and jetsome,” articles floated or cast away on the sea.
“Fool carle,” a clown, a stupid fellow.
Forby, besides.
Forgie, to forgive.
Forpit, a measure = the fourth part of a peck.
Fowd, the chief judge or magistrate.
Frae, from.
Freit, a charm or superstition.
Fule, a fool.
“Funking and flinging,” the act of dancing.
Gaberlunzie, a tinker or beggar.
Gaed, went.
Gae, go.
Gait, gate, way, direction.
Galdragon, a sorceress.
Gane, gone.
Gang, go.
Ganging, going.
Gangrel, vagrant.
Gar, to oblige, to force.
Gascromh, an instrument for trenching ground, shaped like a currier’s knife with a crooked handle.
Gate, way, direction.
“Gay mony,” a good many.
Gear, property.
Ghaist, a ghost.
Gie, give.
Gills, the jaws.
Gin, if.
Gio, a deep ravine which admits the sea.
Girdle, an iron plate on which to fire cakes.
Glamour, a fascination or charm.
Glebe, land belonging to the parish minister in right of his office.
Glower, to gaze.
Gob-box, the mouth.
Gowd, gold.
Gowk, a fool.
Gowpen, the full of both hands.
Graip, a three-pronged pitch-fork.
Graith, furniture.
Grew, to shiver. The flesh is said to grew when a chilly sensation passes over the surface of the body.
Grist, a mill fee payable in kind.
Gude, God, good.
Gudeman, gudewife, the heads of the house.
Gue, a two-stringed violin.
Guide, to treat, to take care of.
Guizards, maskers or mummers.
Gyre-carline, a hag.
Haaf, deep-sea fishing.
Haaf-fish, a large kind of seal.
Hae, have.
Haena, have not.
Haft, to fix, to settle.
Hagalef, payment for liberty to cast peats.
Haill, whole.
Hald, hold.
Halier, a cavern into which the tide flows.
Hallanshaker, a vagabond, a beggar.
Halse, the throat.
Hand-quern, a hand-mill.
Hank, to fasten.
Happer, the hopper of a mill.
Harry, to plunder.
Har’st, harvest.
Hasp, a hank of yarn. “Ravelled hasp,” everything in confusion.
Haud, hauld, hold.
Havings, behaviour.
Hawkhen, hens exacted by the royal falconer on his visits to the islands.
Hellicat, lightheaded, extravagant, wicked.
Helyer, a cavern into which the tide flows.
Hialtland, the old name for Shetland.
Hinny, a term of endearment=honey.
Hirple, to halt, to limp.
Hirsel, to move or slide down.
Housewife-skep, housewifery.
Hout! tut!
Howf, a haunt, a haven.
Hurley-house, a term applied to a large house that is so much in disrepair as to be nearly in a ruinous state.
Ilk, ilka, each, every.
Ilk, of the same name.
Ill-fa’red, ill-favoured.
“In a creel,” foolish.
“Infang and outfang thief,” the right of trying thieves.
Infield, land continually cropped.
In-town, land adjacent to the farmhouse.
Isna, is not.
Jagger, a pedlar.
Jarto, my dear.
Jaud, a jade.
Jokul, yes, sir.
Jougs, the pillory.
Joul, Yule.
Kail-pot, a large pot for boiling broth.
Kailyard, a cabbage garden.
Kain —“to pay the kain,” to suffer severely.
Kempies, Norse champions.
“Ken’d folks,” “ken’d freend,” well-known people, a well-known friend.
Kend, well-known.
Ken, to know.
Kenna, know not.
Kiempe, a Norse champion.
Kist, a chest.
Kittle, difficult, ticklish.
Kittywake, a kind of sea-gull.
“Knapped Latin,” spoke Latin.
Knave, a miller’s boy.
Knaveship, a small due of meal paid to the miller.
Kraken, a fabulous sea-monster.
Kyloes, small black cattle.
Lad-bairn, a male child.
Lair, learning.
Lampits, limpets.
Landlouper, a vagabond.
Lang, long.
Langspiel, an obsolete musical instrument.
Lave, the rest.
Lawright-man, an officer whose chief duty was the regulation of weights and measures.
Lawting, a court of law.
Leddy, a lady.
Limmer, a woman of loose character.
Lispund, the fifteenth part of a barrel, a weight used in Orkney and Shetland.
List, to wish, to choose.
Loan, a lane, an enclosed road.
Lock, a handful.
Loo’ed, loved.
Loom, a vessel.
Loon, a lad, a fellow.
Lowe, a flame.
Lug, the ear.
Lum, a chimney.
Main, to moan.
“Mair by token,” moreover, especially.
Mair, more.
Maist, most.
Malapert, impertinent.
Mallard, the wild-duck.
Markal, the head of the plough.
Marooned, abandoned on a desert island.
Masking-fat, a mashing vat.
Maun, must.
Mearns, Kincardineshire.
Meed, reward.
Meltith, food, a meal.
Mense, manners.
Menseful, modest, discreet.
“Merk of land,” originally equal to 1600 square fathoms.
Merk, an ancient Scottish silver coin = 13⅓d.
“Miching malicho,” lurking mischief.
Mickle, much, big.
Mill-eye, the eye or opening in the hupes or cases of a mill at which the meal is let out.
Mind, to remember.
Mony, many.
“Morn, the,” to-morrow.
“Mould board,” the wooden board of the plough which turns over the ground.
Muckle, much, big.
Multures, dues paid for grinding corn.
“My certie!” my faith!
Nacket, a portable refreshment or luncheon.
Na, nae, no, not.
Naig, a nag.
Nane, none.
Napery, household linen.
Natheless, nevertheless.
Neist, next.
Nievefu’, a handful.
Nixie, a water-fairy.
Noup, a headland precipitous to the sea and sloping inland.
Nowt, black cattle.
Ony, any.
Or, before.
Orra, odd.
O’t, of it.
Out-taken, except.
Out-town, land at a distance from the farmhouse.
Ower, over.
Owerlay, a cravat.
Owsen, oxen.
Parritch, porridge.
Partan, a crab.
Pawky, wily, slyly.
Peat-moss, the place whence peats are dug.
Peery, sharp-looking, disposed to examine narrowly.
Peltrie, trash.
Pit, put.
Pixie, a fairy.
“Plantie cruive,” a kail-yard.
Pleugh, a plough.
Pouch, a pocket.
Puir, poor.
Pund Scots = 1s. 8d. sterling.
Pye-holes, eye-holes.
Quaigh, a small wooden cup.
Quean, a disrespectful term for a woman.
Quern, a hand-mill.
Raddman, a councillor.
Randy, riotous, disorderly.
Ranzelman, a constable.
Rape, a rope.
Redding-kaim, a wide-toothed comb for the hair.
Reek, smoke.
Reimkennar, one who knows mystic rhyme.
Reset, a place of shelter.
Rigging, a ridge, a roof.
Ritt, a scratch or incision.
Riva, a cleft in a rock.
Rock, a distaff.
Rokelay, a short cloak.
“Roose the ford,” judge of the ford.
Roost, a strong and boisterous current.
Rotton, a rat.
Sackless, innocent.
Sae, so.
Sain, to bless.
Sair, sore.
Sall, shall.
Sandie-lavrock, a sand-lark.
Sang, a song.
Saul, the soul.
Saunt, a saint.
Saut, salt.
Sax, six.
Scald, a bard or minstrel.
Scart, a cormorant.
Scart, to scratch.
Scat, a land-tax paid to the Crown.
Scathold, a common.
Scaur, a cliff.
“Sclate stane,” slate stone.
Scowrie, shabby, mean.
Scowries, young sea-gulls.
Sealgh, sealchie, a seal.
Setting, fitting, becoming.
“Sharney peat,” fuel made of cow’s dung.
Sheltie, a Shetland pony.
Shogh! (Gaelic), there!
Shouldna, should not.
Shouthers, the shoulders.
Sic, siccan, such.
Siccar, sure.
Siever, a sewer.
Siller, money.
Sillocks, the fry of the coal-fish.
Skelping, galloping.
Skeoe, a stone hut for drying fish.
Skeps, straw hives.
Skerry, a flat insulated rock.
Skirl, to scream.
Skudler, the leader of a band of mummers.
Slade, slid.
Slap, a gap or pass.
Slocken, to quench.
Sneck, the latch of the door.
Sock, a ploughshare.
Sole-clout, a thick plate of cast metal attached to that part of the plough which runs on the ground, for saving the wooden heel from being worn.
Sombrero, a large straw hat worn by Spaniards.
Sorner, a sturdy beggar, an obtrusive guest.
Sorner, one who lives upon his friends.
Sorning, masterful begging.
Sort, a small number.
Sough, a sigh; to emit a rushing or whistling sound.
Spaed, foretold.
Spae-women, fortune-tellers.
Speer, to ask, to inquire.
Speerings, inquiries.
Spreacherie, movables.
Spring, a dance tune.
Spunk, a match.
Stack, an insulated precipitous rock.
Staig, a young horse.
“Stilts of plough,” handles.
Stithy, an anvil.
Stot, a bullock.
Streek, to stretch.
Striddle, to straddle.
Sucken, mill dues.
Suld, should.
Sumph, a lubberly fellow.
Sune, soon.
Swalled, swollen.
Swap, to exchange.
Swatter, to swim quickly and awkwardly.
Swelchies, whirlpools.
Syne, since, ago.
Syver, a sewer.
Tacksman, a tenant of the higher class.
Taen, taken.
“Taits of woo’,” locks of wool.
Tane, the one.
Tangs, tongs.
Tauld, told.
Thae, these, those.
Thairm, catgut.
Theekit, thatched.
Thegither, together.
Thigger, a beggar.
Thigging, begging.
Thirled, bound to.
Thirl, the obligation on a tenant to have his flour ground at a certain mill.
Thole, to endure.
Thrawart, forward, perverse.
Tint, lost.
Tither, the other.
Tittie, a little sister.
Tocher, dowry, estate.
Toom, empty.
Tows, ropes.
Toy, a linen or woollen headdress hanging down over the shoulders.
“Tree and tow,” the gallows.
Trindle, to trundle.
Trock, to barter.
Trow or Drow, a spirit or elf believed in by the Norse.
Trow, to believe, to think, to guess.
Twa, two.
Twal, twelve.
Twiscar, tuskar, a spade for cutting peats.
Udaller, a freehold proprietor.
Ugsome, frightful.
Ultima Thule, farthest Thule.
Ulzie, oil.
Umquhile, the late.
Uncanny, dangerous; supposed to possess supernatural powers.
Unce, ounce.
Unco, very, strange, great, particularly.
“Unco wark,” a great ado.
Ure, the eighth part of a merk of land.
Usquebaugh, whisky.
Vifda, beef dried without salt.
Vivers, victuals.
Voe, an inlet of the sea.
Wad, would.
Wadmaal, homespun woollen cloth.
Wa’, a wall.
Waft, the woof in a web.
Wakerife, watchful, wakeful.
Wan, won, got.
Warlock, a wizard.
Wasna, was not.
Wat, wet.
Watna, know not.
Wattle, an assessment for the salary of the magistrate.
Waur, worse.
Wawl, to look wildly.
Waws, waves.
Weal, well.
Wearifu’, causing pain or trouble.
Wee, small, little.
Weel, well.
Weird, fate, destiny.
Well, a whirlpool.
Wha, who.
Whan, when.
“What for,” why.
Wheen, a few.
Whigamore, a term of the same meaning with Whig, applied to Presbyterians, but more contemptuous.
Whiles, sometimes.
Whilk, which.
Whingers, hangers, knives.
Whittie-whattieing, shuffling or wheedling.
Whittle, a knife.
Whomled, turned over.
Wick, an open bay.
Wi’, with.
“Win by,” to escape.
Win, to get.
Withy, a rope of twisted wands.
Wittols, cuckolds.
Wot, to know.
Wowf, crazy.
Wrang, wrong.
Yarfa, yarpha, peat full of fibres and roots; land.
Yarn-windle, a yarn-winder.
Yelloched, screeched or yelled.
Yestreen, yesterday.
Yett, a gate.