Abeigh, aloof, at bay.

Aboon, above.

Acquent, acquainted.

Ae, one; only.

Aff-loof, offhand.

A-gley, askew.

Aiblins, perhaps, possibly.

Airt, region, direction; to direct.

Airted, directed.

Aizle, ash (of fuel); a cinder.

Ajee, ajar.

An, if.

Asklent, askance.

Ava, at all; of all.

Awnie, bearded (barley).

Ayont, beyond.


Babie-clouts, baby-clothes.

Bairntime, a mother’s whole brood or issue.

Bade, endured, could stand.

Bannock, a soft flat cake.

Barley-bree, barley-brew = ale or whisky.

Baudrons, the cat.

Bawsent, white streaked.

Beets, adds fuel to, incites.

Bell, flower, blossom;
sin’ lint was i’ the bell, since flax was in blossom.

Belyve, by and by, presently.

Ben, the spence or parlour; in, into, the inner room.

Beuk, a book.

Bicker, a wooden cup; a draught.

Bickering, hurrying.

Biel, bield, a shelter.

Bien, comfortable.

Big, to build.

Biggin, a building.

Bill, a bull.

Billie, brother; comrade.

Bings, heaps.

Birk, a birch (tree).

Birkie, chap, fellow (carries a suggestion of strut, conceit
or cockiness).

Birken-shaw, a wood of birches.

Bizz, to buzz.

Blate, bashful, shy.

Blaud, a slapping lot.

Blellum, a gassy fool.

Blethers, nonsense.

Blink, to glance brightly; a glance; a moment.

Blinkers, spies.

Bluntie, stupid, like a fool.

Bocked, vomited.

Boddle, a small coin, about = ½d.

Bogle, a ghost.

Boortrees, elder-bushes.

Bore, a hole or gap.

Boot, more than they bargained for.

Bouk, a bulk, body.

Braing’t, pulled with a jerk.

Brak’s, broke his.

Branks, a wooden curb, a bridle.

Brats, clothes; aprons.

Brattle, a spurt, sprint, scamper.

Braw, handsome; gaily dressed.

Braxies, sheep that have died of braxy.

Briestit, sprang forward.

Brechan, a horse-collar.

Brent, smooth, upright.

Brent-new, brand-new.

Brock, a badger.

Brogue, a trick.

Broo, brew, liquid, water.

Broozes, wedding-races home from church.

Brugh, a borough.

Brulzie, a brawl or brangle.

Brunstane, brimstone.

Bughtin, gathering sheep into the fold or bught.

Buirdly, burly, stalwart.

Bum, to hum.

Bum-clock, the beetle.

Burdies (dim of burd), damsels.

Bure, did bear.

Burn, a stream.

Burnewin, the blacksmith.

Bur-thistle, the spear-thistle.

But, without.

But an’ ben, the kitchen and parlour.

By, a great deal (“I care na by”).

Byke, a hive; a crowd.

Byre, a cowshed.


Ca’, call; drive (cattle, nails, etc.); push.

Cadger, a hawker.

Caff, chaff.

Caird, a tinker.

Cairn, a (memorial) heap of stones.

Caller, fresh.

Cannie, quiet, gentle, kind (also adv.).

Cantie, merry, jolly.

Cantraip, cantrip, magic, witching.

Carl, an old man.

Carl-hemp, male-hemp.

Carlin, a middle-aged or old woman.

Cast out, quarrel.

Caups, wooden cups.

Chanter, the playing pipe of the bag-pipes.

Chaup, a stroke, a blow.

Chiel, chap, young fellow (eulogistic term).

Chimla, chimney.

Chitter, to shiver.

Claivers, clavers, talk, about anything and nothing.

Clash, gossip, tittle-tattle; to talk so.

Claught, clutched.

Claut, a handful, a quantity.

Cleed, to clothe.

Cleekit, linked (their arms in dancing).

Clink, money.

Clishmaclaver, palaver.

Cloot, a hoof.

Clud, a cloud.

Coble, a small boat.

Coft, bought.

Cogs, various wooden vessels for food and drink are so called.

Coggie, dim. of cog.

Coila, Kyle, a division of Ayrshire.

Coof, cuif, a dolt, ninny; a mean-spirited fellow.

Coost, did cast.

Cootie, leg-plumed; a small pail.

Corbies, crows.

Couthie, kindly, comfortable.

Cour, to cower.

Crack, a story; a chat.

Crackin, conversing.

Craig (dim. craigie), the throat.

Craiks, landrails.

Crambo-clink, rhyme.

Crambo-jingle, rhyming.

Cranreuch, hoar frost.

Crap, a crop.

Creel, an osier basket.

Creepie-chair, stool of repentance.

Creeshie, greasy.

Crood, to coo.

Crouse, confident, bold.

Crowdie, oatmeal and water or milk (= uncooked porridge).

Crummock, a hooked stick.

Cushat, the wood-pigeon.

Cutty, short.


Daffin, funning, skylarking.

Daimen-icker, an ear or two of corn.

Darg, work.

Daw, to dawn.

Dawtit, petted, made much of.

Dead, death.

Deave, deafen.

Diddle, to jog to and fro.

Dight, to winnow or sift; to wipe.

Din, dun coloured.

Dink, dainty, trim.

Ding, to overthrow, beat.

Dirl, to vibrate, thrill.

Dizzen, a dozen.

Doited, muddled; bewildered.

Donsie, restive; wayward.

Doo, a pigeon.

Dooked, ducked.

Dool, sorrow.

Douce, sedate, serious; seemly.

Dour, stubborn.

Dow, can; downa, cannot.

Dowff, dull.

Dowie, low-spirited, dull, jaded.

Downa bide, cannot stand (them).

Doylt, stupified.

Draigl’t, draggled.

Dreigh, tedious, slow, tiresome.

Droop-rump’lt, short-rumped.

Droukit, soaked.

Drouthy, thirsty.

Drucken, drunken.

Drumlie, muddy.

Drumossie Moor, Culloden Field.

Dub, a puddle.

Duds, duddies, clothes.

Duddie, ragged.

Dundee, a Scotch psalm tune.

Dunts, knocks.

Dusht, touched.


Earn, an eagle.

Eerie, apprehensive, frightened, “queer.”

Eild, old age, eld.

Elbuck, elbow.

Eldritch, unearthly, fearsome.

Elgin, a Scotch psalm tune.

Erse, Gaelic.

Ettle, intention.

Eydent, diligent.


Fa’, to fall; lot; to have (by lot); to claim.

Faikit, let off, excused.

Fain, fond, glad; fain o’ ither, fond of each other.

Fairin, a gift from the Fair: ironically = a thrashing.

Fan’, fand, found.

Fash, to mind, trouble oneself.

Fasten-een, Fasten-even (evening before Lent).

Faught, a fight.

Fauldin’-slap, gate of the fold.

Fawsont, seemly, well-doing.

Fecht, a fight.

Feckless, feeble, fit for nothing.

Fell, sharp, tasty.

Fen’, fend, a shift or provision; to provide for, look after.

Ferlie, to wonder.

Fetch’t, stopped suddenly.

Fey, fated to death.

Fidge, to fidget.

Fidgin-fain, fidgeting with fainness.

Fiel, well.

Fient, fiend. The fient a, devil a....

Fiere, comrade.

Fissle, to bustle, be all alive.

Fittie-lan’, the hindmost near horse in ploughing.

Fleech’d, beseeched, wheedled.

Flee, a fly.

Fleg, a fright.

Fley’d, frightened, scared.

Flichterin’, fluttering.

Flingin-tree, a flail.

Fliskit, fretted and capered.

Foor, fared, went.

Forbye, besides.

Forfairn, worn out.

Forfoughten, exhausted by the conflict.

Forjesket, “jaded with fatigue,” R.B.

Fou, full; drunk.

Foughten, troubled, wearied.

Fyke, fidget.

Fyle, to dirty.


Gae, gave.

Gae, gaed, go, went.

Gairs, slashes (of a stuffed gown).

Gar (pf. gar’d, gart) make, cause to.

Gate, gait, the road; the way;
a’ to the gate, away, out of the way;
tak the gate, start for home.

Gaucie, gawcie, ample, flowing.

Gaun, going.

Geck, to toss the head.

Get, the begettings, offspring.

Genty, trim, elegant.

Geordie, the yellow lettered, a guinea.

Gin, if; when.

Girn, to twist the face, in chagrin or malice.

Gizz, a wig.

Glaikit, silly, thoughtless.

Glaum’d, clutched.

Gleib, a portion (of land).

Glowrin, staring.

Glunch, a scowl.

Gowan, the daisy.

Gowk, a fool; a guy.

Graith, the implements of an occupation.

Grat, wept.

Gree, a prize; bure the gree = won the victory.

Greet, to weep.

Groanin’ maut, the gossips’ ale at a lying-in.

Gruntle, the face, phiz.

Grunzie, the phiz (rather, mouth and nose).

Grushie, sturdy-growing.

Guid-father, father-in-law.

Guid-willie, hearty, with good-will.

Gumlie, muddy.

Gusty, tasty.


Hae, have.

Haet (= have it), component term in phrases;
deil-haet, fient-haet = devil a bit, devil a one.

Haffets, the temples.

Hafflins, half-like, partly.

Haggis, “A special Scotch pudding made of sheep’s
entrails, onions, and oatmeal, boiled in a sheep’s stomach.
The pièce de résistance at Burns’ Club Dinners, and an
esteemed antidote to whisky.” Thus Henley and Henderson, with
obvious envy.

Hain, to use sparingly; be out of use.

Hairst, har’st, harvest.

Haith, faith!

Haivers, nonsense; idle chat.

Hal’, hald, a holding.

Hallen, a partition wall; a porch.

Halloween, All Saints’ Eve (Oct. 31).

Hammers, blockheads.

Hangie, hangman (nickname for Old Nick).

Hansel, the first gift or getting, supposed to bring luck to
the receiver or occasion.

Hap, any warm wrap or covering.

Happer, the hopper of a mill.

Harn, coarse cloth.

Hash, an oaf, dunderhead.

Haslock, the finest of the wool.

Haud, to hold.

Haughs, low-lying rich lands.

Hauns, hands.

Havins, manners, conduct.

Hawkie, the cow.

Hech, dear me! (expression of surprise and grief).

Heft, a haft, handle.

Heigh, high.

Hein-shinned, crooked shinned.

Herriment, plundering, devastation.

Heugh, a hollow or pit.

Hilch, to hobble, halt.

Hiltie-skiltie, helter-skelter.

Hirples, limps.

Histie, bare.

Hizzie, a wench, young woman.

Hoast, a cough.

Hog-shouther, shouldering, jostling.

Hoolie! beware!

Houlet, an owl.

Howdie, midwife.

Howe, a hollow.

Howket, they dug; dug up, unearthed.

Hoyte, “to amble crazily,” R.B.

Hughoc = little Hugh.

Hunkers, the hams.

Hurdies, the buttocks.

Hushion, a footless stocking, worn on the arm.


Icker, an ear of corn.

Ilka, each, every.

Indentin’, indenturing, devoting.

Ingine, genius.

I’se, I will or shall.

Ither, other, another, each other.


Jad, a jade.

Jauk, to trifle, dally.

Jaups, splashes.

Jimp, small, slender.

Jimps, stays.

Jink, to dodge, to turn quickly this way and that.

Jinker, a spanker; a coquette.

Jirkinet, bodice.

Jirt, a jerk.

Jo, sweetheart.

Jouk, to duck down, cower.

Jundie, to justle.


Kain, farm produce paid as rent.

Kebars, rafters.

Kebbuck, a cheese.

Keek, peep.

Kelpies, water-demons.

Kennin, a little, a thought (astray, etc.).

Kep, to catch (a ball, etc.).

Ket, a fleece.

Kiaugh, cark, anxiety.

Kilbaigie, an esteemed whisky.

Kimmer, wench, gossip, lass (married or single).

Kirn, a churn.

Kirns, harvest-homes.

Kirsen, to christen.

Kist, a chest.

Kitchen, a relish, treat or extra; to impart a relish to.

Kittle, risky, difficult.

Knaggie, knobbly.

Knap, to break (stones for road-metal).

Knowe, a knoll.

Kyles, skittles.

Kytes, bellies.


Laigh, low.

Laik, lack.

Lairing, sinking in moss or mud.

Laithfu’, lothe, bashful.

Lallan, Lowland.

Lane, lone, alone (is used with possessive pronoun: “thou art
no thy lane” = not alone).

Lap, leapt.

Lave, the remainder; the rest of them.

Lawin, the reckoning.

Lea (also lay and ley), untilled or meadow-land.

Lea-rig, strip of grass-land.

Lear, lore, learning.

Lee-lang, livelong.

Leeze me on, a blessing on.

Licket, licked, thrashed.

Lift, the sky; a load, share.

Limmer, a jade.

Lin (also Linn), a waterfall.

Link, to go dancingly, trippingly on.

Linkit at it, went at it.

Linties (or Lintwhites), linnets.

Loan, a lane.

Loof, palm of the hand; the hand.

Loot, let (past tense).

Lough, a loch, lake.

Loup (also lowp), to leap.

Lowe, a flame.

Lug, ear.

Lugget, eared; lugget caup, the two-eared cup.

Luggie, a cog with an upright handle.

Luntin, smoking.

Lyart, faded, blanched.


Mae, more.

Mailin, a farm.

Mark, an old Scots coin (1s. 1½d. stg.).

Martyrs, a Scotch psalm tune.

Maukin, a hare.

Maun, must.

Maut, malt.

Mavis, the thrush.

Melder, a milling, or quantity of corn sent to be ground.

Mell, to meddle.

Mense, good manners, discretion.

Messan, a mongrel.

Midden, a dungheap.

Midden-creels, dungheap baskets.

Mind, to remind; to remember.

Minnie, mother.

Mirk, dark.

Moop, to nibble; to herd with.

Mottie, dusty.

Mou’, the mouth.

Moudiewort, a mole.

Muslin-kail, meatless broth.

Mutchkin, a liquid measure = 1 pint English.


Naigie, dim. of naig, a nag.

Nappy, ale, liquor.

Near-hand, nearly.

Neuk, corner.

New-ca’d, newly driven.

Nieve, fist.

Niffer, exchange.

Nit, a nut.

Nowte, cattle.


Ourie, shivering, drooping.

Out-owre, out-over, away across.

Owsen, oxen.


Pack and thick, confidental.

Paidle, to wade.

Painch, the paunch.

Paitrick, a partridge.

Parishen, the people of a parish.

Pat, did put.

Pattle, a plough-spade.

Paughty, pompous, haughty.

Paukie (or pawkie), sly.

Pechan, the stomach.

Pechin’, cramming.

Pint (Scots), two English quarts.

Plack, a small coin, about ⅓d.

Plaiden, of coarse woollen cloth.

Poind, distrain.

Poortith, poverty.

Poussie, the hare.

Pow, the poll, head.

Pownie, a pony.

Prief, proof.

Priggin’, haggling.

Proveses, provosts.

Pyke, to pick.

Pyles, grains, particles.


Quat, quitted.

Quean, a young woman, lass.


Ragweed, the ragwort.

Rair, to roar.

Raize, to excite, to anger.

Ramfeezl’d, fagged out.

Ram-stam, headlong, reckless.

Rant, to rollick, royster.

Rants, jollifications; rows.

Rape, a rope.

Raploch, coarse cloth.

Rash, a rush.

Rash-buss, a clump of rushes.

Ratton, a rat.

Raw, a row (of pins).

Rax, to stretch; to reach;
Rax thy leather, stretch or exercise thyself.

Reave, to rob.

Red-wat-shod, red-wet-shod.

Reek, smoke; to smoke.

Reekit, smoked, smoky.

Remead, remedy.

Rig, a ridge.

Riggin, the roof, roof-tree.

Reestit, scorched; rested = refused to go.

Rigwoodie hags, gallows hags (rigging for the woodie).

Rip, (or ripp,) a handful of corn from the sheaf.

Rive, to strain, rend, tear.

Rock, a distaff.

Rockin, a social meeting for song and chat and story, to which
the women brought their rock or distaff.

Roose, to praise, flatter.

Rowe, to roll.

Rowte, to low, bellow.

Rowth, abundance.

Rung, a cudgel.


Sair, sore; to serve.

Sarkit, shirted.

Saugh, the willow;
saugh woodies, willow-wands.

Sawmont, salmon.

Scaith, hurt.

Scar (or Scaur), a jutting cliff, or bank of earth.

Scaur, to scare; (adj.) readily scared.

Scaud, scald.

Scho, she.

Sconner, to loathe.

Screed, a rent, tear.

Scrievin’, careering; tearing along.

Seizins, freehold properties.

Sets you, becomes you.

Seventeen-hunder linen, fine linen, woven in a reed of 1700
divisions.

Shachl’t, large and shapeless.

Shavie, a trick.

Shaw, a wood.

Sheuch, a ditch, watercourse.

Shiel, a shed or hut.

Shill, shrill, shrilly.

Sic, such.

Siller, silver; money; wealth.

Sinsyne, since then.

Skeigh, skittish, coy.

Skellum, a scullion, a worthless fellow.

Skelp, to spank (in all the Eng. senses).

Skinkin’, watery.

Skirl, to shrill out, to scream.

Sklent, to slant, look aside; to cheat.

Skriegh, a scream.

Shyrin’, flaring.

Skyte, a glancing quick stroke.

Slap, a gap in a fence or wall, a gate.

Sleeest, slyest.

Slypet, slipped down.

Smoor’d, smothered.

Smytrie, a smattering, a clump.

Snapper, to stumble along.

Snash, abuse, insolence.

Snaw-broo, melted snow.

Sned, to crop, lop, prune;
Sned besoms, make birch-brooms.

Snell, bitter, biting.

Sneeshin-mill, the snuff-box.

Snick (or sneck), the door latchet.

Snool, to snub; to bear snubbing, cringe.

Snoove, to go slowly and steadily on.

Snowkit, pried with the nose.

Sonsie, plump and pleasant.

Sough, a sighing sound.

Soupe (or Sowpe), a “sup” of anything.

Souter, a cobbler.

Sowth, the low humming or whistling of one trying over a tune.
Cp. “soothe.”

Sowther, solder.

Spairge, sprinkle.

Spate, the flooding of a river or stream.

Spavie, the spavin.

Spean, to wean.

Speel, to climb.

Speer, spier, to inquire.

Splore, a jollification.

Spotting, ? making spates.

Sprattle, to scramble.

Spring, a quick dancing air on the pipes.

Spritty, full of roots of sprits, or rushes.

Spunkies, Will-o’-the-wisps.

Stacher, to stagger.

Stang, to sting.

Stank, a pool.

Starns, stars.

Staumrel, doltish, half-witted.

Staw, stole.

Staw, to disgust, turn the stomach.

Stechin, cramming.

Steek, to close, fasten.

Steeks, stitches, links (of a purse).

Steer, to stir, molest.

Steeve, firm, compact.

Sten, a leap, bound.

Stents, assessments, dues.

Stey, steep.

Stilt, to limp, halt.

Stimpart, a dry measure = about ½ peck.

Stirk, a young bullock or heifer (over a year old).

Stocks, heads (of cabbage, etc.)

Stoiter, to stagger.

Stookit raw, row of stooks, or shocks of corn.

Stoor, harsh, deep-sounding.

Stoure, dust (of toil, etc.)

Stown, (could) have stolen.

Stowlins, by stealth.

Streekit, stretched.

Stroan’d, spouted.

Studdie, an anvil.

Sturt, trouble.

Sucker, sugar.

Swank, limber, agile.

Swarf, to swoon.

Swat, sweated.

Swats, new ale.

Swither, hesitation.

Syne, then; since.


Tapetless, headless = silly.

Tapsalteerie, topsyturvy.

Tassie, a cup.

Tawie, quiet to handle.

Tawted, matted.

Teat (pron. tait), a little, a small quantity.

Temper-pin, the wooden pin that regulates (tempers), the
motion of the spinning-wheel.

Tent, care, heed; to care for, attend to.

Tentie, careful.

Thack, thatch.

Thae, those.

Thairm, fiddlestrings; intestines.

Theekit, thatched.

Thegither, together.

Thieveless, dry, unfriendly.

Thir, these.

Thirl, to thrill.

Thole, to endure, suffer.

Thowe, a thaw.

Thowless, lazy, good-for-nothing.

Thrang, busy; a throng.

Thrave, 24 sheaves (= 2 shocks) of corn.

Thraw, to cross, contradict; to twist;
Thraw saugh woodies, make (and peddle) baskets.

Thrissle, the thistle.

Throu’ther, throwther, pell-mell, mixed up.

Till, to;
till’t, to it.

Timmer, timber; the woods.

Tine, lose; be lost.

Tint, lost.

Tinkler, a tinker.

Tirlin’, rattling on the door-pin (= knocking for admittance.)

Tittie, sister.

Tocher, dowry; tocher-band, marriage-contract.

Tod, a fox.

Toun (often spelt town), a farm-house and the buildings
a-near; a hamlet.

Towmond, a twelvemonth.

Toyte, totter.

Trig, smart, neat.

Tyke, a vagrant dog.


Unco, great; very; strange.

Uncos, news; strangers.


Vauntie, proud, in high spirits.

Virl, the ring of metal round the point of a staff or
umbrella.


Wabster, a weaver.

Wad, would; wager.

Wae, sorrowful.

Waft, a side excursion.

Wair, to spend, bestow.

Wale, to choose; a choice.

Walie (adj.), choice; goodly; large.

Wame, the belly.

Wanchancie, risky.

Wanrestfu’, restless.

Wark-lume, a tool.

Warstle, to wrestle, struggle.

Waught, a draught, or hearty drink.

Wauken, to awaken.

Waukin’, watching.

Waukit, hardened with work.

Waukrife, wakeful.

Waur, worse.

Weans (= wee anes), children.

Weasan, the weasand.

We’se, we will, or shall.

Whaizle, to wheeze.

Whiddin, scudding; whids, gambols.

Whigmaleeries, fantastical notions.

Whins, furze bushes.

Whirligigums, flourishes.

Whitter, a hearty draught.

Whyles, sometimes.

Widdle, the wriggle and struggle.

Wimple, to meander.

Winnock-bunker, a window-seat.

Wintie, a staggering motion.

Woodie, the gallows; a wand.

Wordy, worthy.

Writers, lawyers.

Wud, wild, mad.

Wyte, blame.


Yell, dry, milkless.

Ye’se, you shall or will.

Yestreen, last night.

Yett, gate.

Yokin, a yoking; a spell of work; a set to.

Yont, beyond.

Yowe, a ewe.

Yowie (dim. of yowe), a pet ewe.

Yule, Christmas (old style, however,
and therefore January 5).