caithnessdictionary

A celebration of words used in Caithness Scots. Based on the dictionary by Iain Sutherland.

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Aikle: molar
Aiklefill: a small amount of liquid, a dram (Lit. enough to fill a molar).
Til hev all yur aikles: to be sensible.
Til keep something at e back o yur aikle: to not speak of something.
"Will ye hev a dram?"
"Och, choost an aiklefill."
From Old Norse 'jaxl', a molar.

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

on e Sunday!" Castlegreen, Tatties an Herreen.

Rax is used in General Scots and is from the Old Scots 'rax', to stretch.

2/2

#scots #scotslanguage

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Rax, wrax: to strain, to sprain, to exert, to overwork, to stretch, to be stretched.
Raxed: made useless by too much stretching or strain.
"Ah raxed masel playin football."
Raxer: an alcohol binge.
"So straichten yur back, sir, an hev a richt raxer. There's notheen lek broth 1/2

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Gee: mood, frame of mind, idea, whim, notion, sudden enthusiasm, caprice.
"She's taken a gee for running ivenow. Efter twa weeks she'll be seek o hid."
Used in General Scots.
From Old Scots 'gee', a fit of temper, which possibly comes from Old Norse 'geð', mind or mood.
#scots

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

@torshavn12 So many to pick from 🤣

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Gappas: a fool, a loud-mouth, one given to talking much & foolishly, an indiscreet person. There are many variations including gawpus, gap(p)as, -is, -as, gaipas. Used in General Scots.
"Yon is choost a gappas!"
From Old Norse 'gapuxi' a gaping fool or 'gapa' to gape. #scots

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

@LeftPeggers @The_Dandies It certainly seems to be from a similar root
https://t.co/A0aFFEHQHT

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Blin drift: drifting snow; a blizzard with poor visibility.

"E blin drift wis at bad Ah couldna see far Ah wis goin."

Used in General Scots.

#scots #scotslanguage

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

@artbookreviews Glad to be of service!

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Quoy: an area of land that was originally part of a common pasture which has been enclosed and cultivated. It is now mainly in place names in Caithness, Orkney and Shetland, for example, Quoys o Reiss in Caithness. From Old Norse 'kví', an enclosure for animals.
#scots #language

[Scots Language Centre @scotslanguage]

Explore timelines o the Scots leid bi Dr Dauvit Horsbroch, wi History of the Scots Language.

1550-1600 Late Middle Scots 1

Read an lug-in:

➡️ https://t.co/I5FElzh8VH

#Scots #ScotsLanguage

[Martin Gray @peediepuss]

@caithnesswords Said to be only fish in the sea that can blink. Some creel fisherman here would put them back because of this, instead of keeping for bait. Heard them called Sweet William here.

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Screever: a strong wind, a howling gale. Also 'screever o wind'. Probably from Old Scots 'skruif' or Old Norse 'skrifa' to scrape, scratch, or from Scots 'scrieve' to move quickly, from Old Norse 'skrefa', to stride.

#scots #scotslanguage

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Blin Da: spotted dog fish (scyliorhinus canicula). Blin probably refers to the fish's small eyes and da is probably from Gaelic 'dall' meaning blind or 'dalllag' meaning spotted dog fish. Also sea da.

#caithness #scots #scotslanguage

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

@peediepuss These are fantastic! Thank you for this.

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Scarf: cormorant or shag. Also scarf, scarff, scarfie, skarfie, palmer-scarf, palmer, paamer-scarf.
Scarf is used across northern Scotland and is from the Norse 'skarfr', a cormorant or shag. There might also be some influence from Gaelic 'sgarbh', which also comes from the 1/3

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

@peediepuss Those are great names! What a shame they’re not used much now. I also read that scarf was a nickname for someone from Eday, which I thought was interesting.

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

a palm branch.
It can be difficult to tell the difference between a cormorant and a shag, but usually cormorants are bigger, have a heavier, thicker beak and more yellow and white on their face. Their feathers also tend to have a blue sheen whereas shags have a green sheen. 3/3

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

same Norse root.
Palmer is from the Scots for a shabbily-dressed person or one who walks clumsily or leisurely, and could refer to the appearance of the birds as they dry their wings. Palmer itself originates from the name for pilgrims who returned from the Holy Land carrying 2/3

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

Bay
Have smoothed their bristles white,
The Merry Men of Mey get up,
and dance with all their might."

John O' Groat Journal, December 1859.

(Note: The Boars of Duncansby is another tidal race.) 2/2
#caithness #orkney #pentlandfirth #scots

[caithnessdictionary @caithnesswords]

The Merry Men of Mey: a dangerous tidal race in the Pentland Firth that forms off the Men of Mey rocks, off St John's Point, when the tidal stream is moving westwards. When fully established it extends across the Pentland Firth to Tor Ness.

"As soon's the Boars of Duncan's 1/2