AN

ETYMOLOGICAL

DICTIONARY

OF THE

SCOTTISH LANGUAGE.

AN

ETYMOLOGICAL

DICTIONARY

OF THE

IN WHICH

THE WORDS ARE EXPLAINED IN THEIR DIFFERENT SENSES,
AUTHORISED BY THE NAMES OF THE WRITERS BY WHOM THEY ARE USED,
OR THE TITLES OF THE WORKS IN WHICH THEY OCCUR,

AND

DEDUCED FROM THEIR ORIGINALS.

ABRIDGED FROM THE QUARTO EDITION,

BY THE AUTHOR,

JOHN JAMIESON, D. D.

FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH,
OF THE SOCIETY OF THE ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, AND OF THE
AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED FOR ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND COMPANY, AND
ALEXANDER JAMESON, EDINBURGH,

By Abernethy & Walker.

1818.

CONTENTS

Preface

An Explanation of the Contractions used in this Work

Rules for Rendering the use of the Dictionary more easy

Transcriber's Notes

PREFACE.

The Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, which was published in the year 1808, has been so favourably received, that although the impression was large, a set is now rarely to be found; and at any rate cannot be purchased at less than double the price paid by Subscribers.

As many, who would wish to possess the original work, cannot now be supplied; while it has still been out of the reach of others, not less interested in our national literature; the Author has been advised to give it to the Public in an abridged form.

He has followed the same plan with that of the abridgment of Dr Johnson's English Dictionary; in giving all the terms contained in the larger work, in their various significations, the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and their derivations. In one instance only has he deviated from the plan of the great English Lexicographer, in placing the etymons after the definitions. This mode is undoubtedly the most simple; as a reader, when looking into a Dictionary for the origin of a word with which he is familiar, or for the signification of one with which he is unacquainted, must be supposed to turn his eye first to the definition, that he may know whether this is the word that he looks for, or whether, in the passage in which it has occurred, it can bear the sense there given, before he thinks of examining its origin, or can form any judgment as to the propriety of the etymon that may be offered.

While this work contains a variety of words which are not to be found in the quarto edition, the Author flatters himself that he does not claim too much in supposing, that during ten years which have elapsed since it was published, he has had it in his power, from many sources formerly unexplored, to make considerable improvements both in the explanatory and in the etymological department. This, he trusts, will be evident to any who will take the trouble to compare the one work with the other.

In most instances, where he has met with new significations of the words explained in the larger work, he has inserted them in this, with their authorities. Such, indeed, is the copiousness of our vernacular language, that he is far from pretending that he has had it in his power to give a complete view of it. From the recent publication of many of our old acts formerly imprinted, from his own researches, and from the liberal communications both of friends and strangers, who have been anxious to render what they are pleased to consider a national work as complete as possible, the Author has been supplied with a great variety of terms which were formerly unknown to him. These he hopes to have it soon in his power to give to the public in an additional volume in quarto, in order to complete the former work. This, as far as he can calculate at present, will be equal in size to any of the preceding volumes.

An Explanation of the Contractions used in this Work.

Rules for rendering the use of this Dictionary more easy.

Y vowel, used by our ancient writers promiscuously with i, being in fact only double i, and printed ij in other northern languages, is to be sought for, not as it stands in the English alphabet, but in the same place with the letter i, throughout the work.

Words not found in SH, to be sought for under SCH.

Those, in like manner, not found in WH, to be sought for under QUH, expressing the sound of the old Gothic guttural.

Words, improperly printed in our old books with Z, to be looked for under Y consonant.

In One Volume 8vo, price 12s.

HERMES SCYTHICUS,

OR

OF THE

GREEK AND LATIN LANGUAGES

TO

THE GOTHIC.

Illustrated from the Moeso-Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, Francic,
Alemannic, Suio-Gothic, Islandic, &c.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED,

A DISSERTATION ON THE HISTORICAL PROOFS OF THE
SCYTHIAN ORIGIN OF THE GREEKS.

⁂ A few copies have been printed in royal 8vo, price 24s.

"Dr Jamieson, being amply provided with an accurate knowledge of the various dialects of the Gothic Languages to be compared with the Greek, has proved the existence of a connection between them, more extensive and more intimate than could easily have been imagined, without so laborious an investigation, in which he appears to have gone considerably further than his learned and ingenious predecessors Ihre and Rudbeck."

Quarterly Review, No. XXVII, Oct. 1815.

AN

ETYMOLOGICAL

DICTIONARY

OF THE

SCOTTISH LANGUAGE.

A

The letter A has, in the Scottish language, four different sounds:

1. A broad, as in E. all, wall. U is often added, as in cald, cold, written also cauld; and sometimes w; both as marks of the prolongation of the sound.

2. A short, in lak, mak, tak, S. as in last, past, E.

3. A open, in dad, daddie, a father, and some other words, S. as in E. read pret., ready adj.

4. A slender or close, in lane, alane, alone, mane, moan, S. like face, place, E. The monosyllables have generally, although not always, a final e quiescent.

A is used in many words instead of o in E.; as ane, bane, lang, sang, stane, for one, bone, long, song, stone. For the Scots preserve nearly the same orthography with the Anglo-Saxons, which the English have abandoned. Thus the words last mentioned were written in A. S. an, ban, lang, sang, stan. In some of the northern counties, as in Angus and Mearns, the sound of ee or ei prevails, instead of ai, in various words of this formation. Ane, bane, stane, &c. are pronounced ein, bein, stein, after the manner of the Germans, who use each of these terms in the same sense.

When this letter is written with an apostrophe, as a', it is meant to intimate that the double l is cut off, according to the pronunciation of Scotland. But this is merely of modern use.

A is sometimes prefixed to words, both in S. and old E., where it makes no alteration of the sense; as abade, delay, which has precisely the same meaning with bade. This seems to have been borrowed from the A.S., in which language abidan and bidan are perfectly synonymous, both simply signifying, to remain, to tarry.

A, in composition, sometimes signifies on; as agrufe, on the grufe or belly, S.; Isl. a grufu, cernuè, pronè. Johnson thinks that a, in the composition of such E. words as aside, afoot, asleep, is sometimes contracted from at. But these terms are unquestionably equivalent to on side, on foot, on sleep; on being used, in the room of a, by ancient writers.

A is used, by our oldest writers, in the sense of one. The signification is more forcible than that of the indefinite article in English; for it denotes, not merely an individual, where there may be many, or one in particular, but one exclusively of others, in the same sense in which ae is vulgarly used.

ABAD, ABADE, ABAID, s. Delay, abiding, tarrying; the same with Bad, Bade.

A. S. abid-an, manere.

Wallace.

ABAID, part. pa. Waited, expected.

A. S. abad, expectatus.

Douglas.

To ABAY, ABAW, v. a. To astonish. Abayd, part. pa. astonished; abawed, Chaucer.

To ABANDON, v. a.
 1. To bring under absolute subjection.
Barbour.
 2. To let loose, to give permission to act at pleasure.
Wallace.
 3. To destroy, to cut off.
Wallace.

To ABAW.
V. Abay.

ABBEIT, s. Dress, apparel, O. E. abite.
Bannatyne Poems.

Arm. abyt, abyta, Lat. habit-us, Fr. habit, id.

ABBACY, ABBASY, s. An abbey.

L. B. abatia, id.

Acts. Ja. III.

ABBOT OF UNREASON, a sort of histrionic character, anciently exhibited in Scotland, but afterwards forbidden by Act of Parliament.
Acts Marie.

This was one of the Christmas sports; and, as the ancient Saturnalia levelled all distinction of ranks, the design of this amusement was to ridicule the solemnity of the proceedings of an Abbot, or other dignified clergyman. It is the same with the Abbot of Misrule, and distinguished in name only from the Boy-Bishop, characters formerly well known both in England and in France. The principal personage was denominated the Abbot of Unreason, because his actings were inconsistent with reason, and merely meant to excite mirth.

ABEE. To let abee. To let alone, to bear with, not to meddle with, S.

To let be, E.

Ritson.

ABEECH, ABIEGH, adv. Aloof, "at a shy distance," chiefly used in the west of S.
Stand abeigh, keep aloof.
Burns.

Fr. aboy, O. Fr. abai, abay, abbais; E. at bay, O. E. abay.

ABERAND, part. pr. Going astray.

Lat. aberrans, E. aberring.

Bellenden.

To ABHOR, v. a. To fill with horror.
Lyndsay.

To ABY, v. a. To suffer for.

O. E. abeye, abie. A. S. byg-an, to buy.

Henrysone.

ABIL, adj. Able.
Wyntown.

ABIL, adv. Perhaps.
V. Able.

ABYLL, adj. Liable, apt.
V. Abil.
Bellenden.

ABITIS, s. pl. Obits, service for the dead.
Bannatyne Poems.

Lat. obit-us, death; also, office for the dead.

ABLACH, s. A dwarf, an expression of contempt, S. B.
Gl. Shirrefs.

Gael. abhach, id.

ABLE, ABLIS, ABLINS, adv. Perhaps, peradventure, S. Yeable-sea, id.
Montgomery.

ABLINS, adv.
V. Able.

ABOWYNE, ABONE, ABOW, prep. Above, S.  Yorks.  Westmorel.
Barbour.

A. S. abufan, id. The radical term is evidently ufan, supra.

To ABREDE, v. a. To publish, to spread abroad.
Gl. Sibb.

A. S. abraed-an, propalare.

To ABREDE, v. n. To start, to fly to a side. Chauc. abraide, id.
Henrysone.

ABREID, ABRADE, ABREAD, adv. Abroad, at large, S.
Burel.

AB-THANE, ABTHANE, s.
V. Thane.

ABULYEIT, ABULYEID, ABILYEIT, part. pa.
 1. Drest, apparelled.
Douglas.
 2. Equipped for the field of battle.
Acts Ja. II.

Fr. habill-er, to clothe.

ABULIEMENT, s. Dress, habit; Fr. habiliment.
Bellenden.

ACCOMIE, s. A species of metal, S.
V. Alcomye.

To ACCORD. Used impersonally; as accords, or as accords of law, i. e. as is agreeable or conformable to law. It has greater latitude of signification than the phrase, as effeiris, which denotes any thing proportional, convenient, or becoming, as well as conformity.
Laws of S.

To ACHERSPYRE, v. n. To shoot, to germinate, E. acrospire.
Chalmerlan Air.

A. S. aechir, an ear of corn, aecer, Su. G. aakar, corn, and spira, the projection of any thing that is long and slender.  Gr. ακρος, summus, and σπειρα, spira.

ACHERSPIRE, s. The germination of malt at that end of the grain from which the stalk grows, S.

ACHIL, adj. Noble.
V. Athil.

To ACRES, ACRESCE, v. n.
 1. To increase, to gather strength.
Burel.
 2. Used us a law term in S. to denote that one species of right, or claim, flows from, and naturally falls to be added to, its principal.

Fr. accroist-re, Lat. accrescere, id.

To ACQUEIS, v. a. To acquire.
Burel.

Fr. acquis, acquise, part. pa.; Lat. acquisitus.

ACQUART, AIKWERT, adj. Cross, perverse, S.
Douglas.

A. S. acwerd, aversus, perversus, E. aukward.

ACTON, s. A leathern jacket, strongly stuffed, anciently worn under a coat of mail.
Stat. Rob. I.

O. Fr. auqueton, haucton, L. B. aketon, acton, id.

ACTUAL, adj. An actual minister, or an actual man, a phrase still used by the vulgar to denote one who is in full orders as a minister of the gospel, S.
Wodrow.

L. B. actus, officium, ministerium.

ADDETTIT, part. pa. Indebted.
Douglas.

Fr. endebté, id.

ADEW, used as an adj. Gone, departed.
Douglas.

From Fr. adieu, used in an oblique sense.

ADEW, part. pa. Done.
Wallace.

A. S. adoa facere, adon tollere.

ADHEILL, s. The district in S. now called Athol.
Barbour.

Gael. Blair-adh-oll, Blair-Atholl, expl. "the great pleasant plain."

ADDILL, ADDLE, s.
 1. Foul and putrid water.
Douglas.
 2. The urine of black cattle, Renfrews.

From the adj. Dreich, q. v.

Bellenden.

ADREID, conj. Lest.
Palice Hon.

Imper. of A. S. adraed-an timere.

ADRESLY, adv. With good address.
Wyntown.

AE, adj. One, S.
V. letter A.
Ramsay.

AE, adv. Always; E. aye.
Z. Boyd.

Isl. ae, semper, Moes. G. aiw aeternum.

AER, s. Oar.
V. Air.
Stat. Gild.

To AFAYND, v. a. To attempt, to endeavour, to try.
Wallace.

A. S. afand-ian tentare.

AFALD, AFAULD, AEFAULD, AUFAULD, EFFAULD, adj.
 1. Honest, upright, without duplicity, S.
 2. Used to denote the unity of the divine essence in a trinity of persons.
Barbour.

AFFECTUOUS, adj. Affectionate.
V. Effectuous.
Abp. Hamiltoun.

AFFER, AFEIR, EFFEIR, EFFERE, s.
 1. Condition, state.
Barbour.
 2. Warlike preparation, equipment for war.
Wallace.
 3. Appearance, shew.
Barbour.
 4. Demeanour, deportment.
Maitland P.
V. Fair, Fere.

AFFERD, part. pa. Afraid, O. E. affered, vulgar E. afeard.
Douglas.

A. S. afaered, territus.

AFFERIS, EFFEIRS, v. impers.
 1. Becomes, belongs to, is proper or expedient; frequently used in our laws.
Barbour.
 2. It sometimes signifies what is proportional to, S.
Acts Counc.

AFLOCHT, AFLOUGHT, part. pa. Agitated, in a flutter, S.
V. Flocht.
Bellenden.

AFORGAYN, prep. Opposite to; the same with Foregainst, q. v.
Barbour.

A. S. onforan, ante, coram, and gean, contra; on being changed into ain S. and E., as onweg into away.  Foran ongean, ex adverso.

AFORNENS, prep. Opposite to.
V. Fore-anent.
Wyntown.

AFTEN, adv. Often, S.
Ramsay.

A. S. aeft, iterum.

AFTER ANE, adv. Alike, in the same manner, in one form, S.  i. e. after one.

AFTER-CLAP, s. Evil consequence, S.
Gl. Sibb.

AFTERHEND, adv. Afterwards.
V. Eftirhend.

AFTERINGS, AFT'RINS, s. pl. The last milk taken from a cow, S.  Lancash.  Derbysh. id.

A. S. aefter post.

Morison.

AGAYNE, AGANE, prep. Against, S.
Wyntown.

A. S. gean, agen, ongean, Su. G. gen, igen, Isl. gegn, gen, contra.

AGAIT, adv. On the way or road.
V. Gait.
Wallace.

A in the sense of on, and gait, a way.

AGATIS, adv. In one way, uniformly.
Barbour.

A, one, and gatis the plur. or genit. of A. S. gat, a way.

AGEE, A-JEE, adv.
 1. To one side, S.
To look agye, to look aside, Gl. Yorks.
Ramsay.
 2. A-jar, a little open, S.
Burns.

AGLEY, A-GLY, adv. Off the right line, obliquely, wrong, S.
Burns.
V. Gley.

AGRUFE, adv. In a flat or grovelling position, S.
V. Grufe.

AGWET, s. The name anciently given to the hill on which the castle of Edinburgh stands.
Hardyng.

Corr. from C. B. Agned, Castel mynyd Agned; perhaps, q. "the castle of the rifted mount," agen, signifying a cliff, ageniad, id. agenedig, rifted.

AHIND, AHINT, prep. Behind, S.
Buchan Poems.

A. S. hindan, post, aet hindan, a tergo, on-hinder, retrorsum.

AHIND, AHINT, adv.
 1. Behind, in respect of place, S.
 2. Late, as to time, S.
 3. Applied to what remains, or is left, S.
Ross.

AICH, s. Echo, S. B.

AIGARS, s. Grain dried very much in a pot, for being ground in a quern or hand-mill. S. B.

To AIGH, v. a. To owe, to be indebted; aighand, owing, S. B.

AIKERIT, part. adj. Eared; weil yaikert, having full ears; applied to grain, Tweedd, Pron. yaikert.
V. Aigars.

AIKRAW, s. Pitted warty lichen, L. scrobiculatus, Linn. South of S.
V. Staneraw.
Lightfoot.

AYLE, s.
 1. A projection from the body of a church, one of the wings of the transept, S.
 2. An inclosed and covered burial place, adjoining to a church, though not forming part of it, S.
Spalding.

Moes. G. and A. S. alh, templum.

AILICKEY, s. The bridegroom's man, he who attends on the bridegroom or is employed as his messenger at a wedding, Ang.

Su. G. e marriage, and lackey, Fr. lacquay, a runner.

AIN, adj. Own, S.
V. Awin.

AYND, END, s. The breath; also written end; A. Bor. Yane, id.
Barbour.

To AYND, EAND, v. a. To breathe upon.
Bellenden.

AINS, adv. Once.
V. Anis.

AIR, AYR, AR, ARE, adv.
 1. Before, formerly.
Wallace.
 2. Early.
Fell air, very early in the morning.
Airer, compar.; airest, superl.
Wyntown.
Are morrow, early in the morning.
Douglas.

AIR, AIRE, AYR, AYRE, AR, s. An oar; still used, S. B.
Wallace.

V. Irne.

AIRT, ART, ARTH, AIRTH, s.
 1. Quarter of the heaven, point of the compass, S.
Douglas.
 2. A particular quarter of the earth.
Wallace.
On every art, on every hand, on all sides.
Douglas.

Gael. aird, a cardinal point; Germ. ort, wart, Belg. oorde, a place or quarter; Isl. vart, Moes. G. wairths, versus, towards.

To AIRT, ART, ERT, v. a.
 1. To direct, to mark out a certain course, used with respect to the wind, as blowing from a particular quarter, S.
Law Case.
 2. To give direction or instruction, in order to find out a certain person or place, or any other object, S.
Sir J. Sinclair.
 3. To airt on, to urge forward, Galloway.
Davidson.

AIRT and PART.
V. Art.

AISLAIR, adj. Polished, S.
Abp. Hamiltoun.

AISMENT, AYSYAMENT, s. Used in the same sense with E. easement, as denoting assistance, accommodation.

AIT, oat or oaten.
V. Aits.
Douglas.

AITS, s. pl. Oats, S. Wild aits, bearded oat-grass, S. Avena fatua, Linn.

AITH, AYTHE, s. An oath.
V. Athe.

AITH, or AIFTLAND, s. That kind of land called infield, which is made to carry oats a second time after barley, and has received no dung. Ang.

Perhaps from A. S. aeft, iterum.

AITH-HENNES, s. pl. Apparently heath-hens, as being bred on the heath.
Skene.

AYSYAMENT, s.
V. Aisment.

AIZLE, s. A hot ember.
V. Eizel.

AKYN, adj. Oaken.
Douglas.

ALAGUST, s. Suspicion.
V. Allagust.

ALAIS, s. pl. Alleys.
Wallace.

ALAK,
Wallace.
V. Lak.

ALAMONTI, ALLAMOTTI, s. The storm finch, Procellaria pelagica, Linn. Orkn.  The same with the Assilag of St Kilda.
Allamotti is the proper pronunciation.
Neill.

Ital. ala, a wing, and moto, motion.

ALANE, ALLANE, adj. Alone, S.
Wyntown.

Alem. alain, Germ. allein, alone; from all omnis, and ain, ein, unus.

ALANERLIE, adv.
V. Allanerly.

ALAREIT.
V. Lareit.

ALARS. Alars yet, apparently, the gate overspread with alder.
Palice Hon.

A. S. alr, Alem. ellra, the alder; Su. G. alar, of or belonging to the alder-tree.

ALAWE, adv. Downward, below.
V. Law, Lawe.

ALBLASTRIE, s. Apparently, the exercise of the cross-bow.
V. Awblaster.

ALCOMYE, s. Latten, a kind of mixed metal still used for spoons.
Hence, Accomie spunes, spoons made of alchymy, S. B.
Douglas.

ALYA, ALLIA, ALLYA, ALLAY, s.
 1. Alliance.
Wallace.
 2. An ally.
Acts Ja. VI.
 3. Sometimes used as a plural noun, signifying allies.
Bellenden.

ALYTE, adv. A little.
V. Lite.
Lyndsay.

ALLAGRUGOUS, adj. Grim, ghastly.
Journ. Lond.

Perhaps from all, Moes. G. alla, and gruous, ghastly, q. v.

ALLAGUST, s. Suspicion.
Journ. Lond.

ALLANERLIE, ALANERLY, ALLENARLY, adv. Only, solely, S.

ALLARIS, ALLERIS, Common, universal, an old genitive used adjectively.  O. E. alre, id.
Wyntown.

V. Aller.

ALLA-VOLIE, ALLE-VOLIE, adv. At random, S.

Fr. à la volée.

Philotus.

ALLA-VOLIE, ALLE-VOLIE, adj. Giddy, volatile; "An alle-volie chield," a volatile fellow, S.

ALLE-MEN, adj. Common, universal.
Popul. Ball.

Su. G. all-maen, communis, Teut. alle-man, omnis homo, al-ghemeyn, universus.