a' |
– |
all |
aboot |
– |
about |
aben/abeen/abin |
– |
above, about |
ae |
– |
of |
a- |
– |
make a sheep fold |
afore |
– |
before |
agin |
– |
against |
aff |
– |
off |
ain |
– |
own |
aglae |
– |
awry |
ahint |
– |
behind |
an' |
– |
and |
ance |
– |
once |
ane |
– |
one |
aroun |
– |
around |
auld |
– |
old |
aw |
– |
all |
awa |
– |
away |
awfy |
– |
awfully |
bansters |
– |
binders |
bairn |
– |
baby, child |
baith |
– |
both |
Ben |
– |
mountain e.g. Ben Lomond |
bide |
– |
stay |
bit |
– |
but |
blate |
– |
terrified |
blether |
– |
(idle) chatter |
bogle |
– |
phantom/demon |
bonnie, bonny |
– |
beautiful |
brae |
– |
a steep bank or hillside |
braw |
– |
fine |
breeks |
– |
trousers |
bridie |
– |
meat in pastry pie |
brither |
– |
brother |
burn/burnie |
– |
stream/small stream |
buchts |
– |
cattle pens |
ca', caw |
– |
call |
ca'/caw canny |
– |
be careful |
caber |
– |
a log used in the traditional game of ‘tossing the caber’ |
cam |
– |
came |
canny |
– |
careful |
cannie |
– |
quiet |
cantie |
– |
cheerful |
cauld |
– |
cold |
chanty |
– |
chamber pot |
claymore |
– |
the traditional Scottish broad sword (‘Gaelic claidheamh mhor’ - |
clegg |
– |
horsefly |
coo |
– |
cow |
cootie |
– |
louse, nit |
corbie |
– |
raven, crow |
cran |
– |
a measure of uncleaned herring, about 37.5 imperial gallons or typically around 1200 fish |
craw |
– |
crow |
cud |
– |
could |
dae |
– |
do |
daffin |
– |
dallying, acting foolish, silly |
daur |
– |
door |
daurna |
– |
dare not |
dee/die/deein’ |
– |
die, dying |
deid |
– |
dead |
de'il |
– |
devil |
doon |
– |
down (‘doon the water’ is a trip down the Clyde) |
douce |
– |
sober, gentle |
dowie |
– |
sad |
dram |
– |
small quantity of whisky |
dule |
– |
mourning clothes |
ee |
– |
eye |
een |
– |
eyes |
eneuch |
– |
enough |
ewe |
– |
female sheep |
faimly |
– |
family |
fain |
– |
gladly |
fair |
– |
somewhat (e.g. ‘fair taken wi’) |
faither |
– |
father |
feart |
– |
afraid |
ferm(er) |
– |
farm(er) |
firth |
– |
estuary |
fit |
– |
what |
fleeching |
– |
coaxing |
fleg |
– |
fright (sic flegs - |
forby(e) |
– |
besides |
forgie |
– |
forgive |
fowk |
– |
folk |
frae |
– |
from |
frein |
– |
friend |
frichten |
– |
frighten |
fur |
– |
for |
gae, gang |
– |
go |
garth |
– |
made |
gaun |
– |
going |
gey |
– |
rather |
ghaist |
– |
ghost |
glen |
– |
valley |
gloaming |
– |
dusk |
gluve |
– |
glove |
greet |
– |
weep |
guid |
– |
good |
hae |
– |
have |
haggis |
– |
pudding made from minced meat (offal), oatmeal and onions. |
haill |
– |
whole |
hairst |
– |
harvest |
hame, hameless |
– |
home, homeless |
haud |
– |
hold (“haud your wheest”- |
hauf |
– |
half |
haver |
– |
talk nonsense |
haud |
– |
hold (‘Haud yer wheesht!’ = ‘Shut up!’) |
haugh |
– |
meadow by a river |
heid |
– |
head |
hert(y) |
– |
heart(y) |
het |
– |
heated (also ‘it’ of someone chosen in a children's game) |
Hielan/Heiland |
– |
Highland |
hirsel |
– |
flocks of sheep |
hoose |
– |
house |
hough |
– |
shank of meat |
ilka |
– |
every |
intae |
– |
into |
jine |
– |
join |
jist |
– |
just |
ken/kent |
– |
know/knew |
kine |
– |
cows, cattle |
kirk |
– |
church |
knowes |
– |
knolls, hills |
laddie |
– |
boy |
lang |
– |
long |
lassie |
– |
girl |
leein |
– |
lying |
leglin |
– |
stool |
len |
– |
lend |
lilt/liltin’ |
– |
sing/singing |
loaning |
– |
milking yard |
loch |
– |
lake |
loof |
– |
palm of he hand |
loon |
– |
boy |
lour |
– |
a scowl or sullen look |
lum |
– |
chimney (e.g. ‘lang may your lum reek’ = may you always be prosperous enough to have coal) |
lyart |
– |
grizzled |
ma |
– |
my |
mair |
– |
more |
maist |
– |
most |
mak |
– |
make |
maun |
– |
must |
micht(y) |
– |
might(y) |
midden |
– |
rubbish heap |
mither |
– |
mother |
mony |
– |
many |
moose |
– |
mouse |
mooth |
– |
mouth |
muckle |
– |
much (pro); large (adj) |
muir |
– |
moor |
- |
– |
‘no’, or ‘not’ as a suffix to a verb (dinna = don't, wisnae = wasn't) |
nane |
– |
none |
neep |
– |
turnip |
ne'er |
– |
never |
no |
– |
not (e.g. ‘it's no hot’) |
(the) noo |
– |
now (e.g. ‘Ah'm gaun oot the noo’) |
oor |
– |
our |
oot(side) |
– |
out(side) |
ower/owre |
– |
over, rather |
pairt |
– |
part (‘a lad o pairts’ = someone of significance) |
paw |
– |
father |
philabegs |
– |
kilt |
pibroch |
– |
music for the bagpipes |
polis |
– |
police |
rowan fu |
– |
swelling full (pregnant) |
roon |
– |
round |
runkled |
– |
crumpled, rinkled |
sae |
– |
so |
sair/sairly |
– |
sore/sorely (‘a sair fecht’ = ‘a sore fight’ means something problematic) |
sang |
– |
song |
sic |
– |
such |
shin/shoon |
– |
shoes |
siller |
– |
sliver |
skirl |
– |
wailing sound (of bagpipes) |
Slàinte |
– |
Cheers!, Your Health! |
slater |
– |
woodlouse |
sma |
– |
small |
snaw |
– |
snow |
spurtle |
– |
wooden spoon |
stan/staun |
– |
stand |
stank |
– |
drain |
stane |
– |
stone |
staun |
– |
stand |
strath |
– |
a broad mountain valley |
swankies |
– |
young lads |
sweer |
– |
lazy |
tae |
– |
to |
tak |
– |
take |
tapsalteerie |
– |
topsy turvy |
tattie |
– |
potato |
telt |
– |
told |
toun/toon |
– |
town |
trews |
– |
trousers |
twa |
– |
two |
verra |
– |
very |
wain |
– |
child |
wad |
– |
would |
wae |
– |
woeful |
wan |
– |
one |
warl/warl’ly/warlly |
– |
world/worldly |
watter |
– |
water (Glaswegians traditionally went ‘doon the watter’, i.e. the Clyde, for their holidays) |
wean |
– |
child |
wede |
– |
withered |
wee |
– |
small |
weel |
– |
well |
weel- |
– |
well- |
wha |
– |
who |
wham |
– |
whom |
whaur |
– |
where |
wheesht |
– |
tongue (“haud your wheest”- |
whit |
– |
what |
wi |
– |
with |
wid, wud |
– |
would |
wifie |
– |
(old) woman |
winna |
– |
won’t |
winna boo |
– |
won’t bend over |
ye |
– |
you |
yer |
– |
your |
yin |
– |
one |
yowes |
– |
sheep |