Cromarty Fisherfolk Dialect

Acknowledgements Buidheachas Am Baile would like to thank current and former members of the Cromarty community, at home and abroad, for helping with this project. Special thanks to the Hogg brothers – Bobby and Gordon – Bobby’s wife, Helen, and Mr. Clem Watson for providing so much material, not only on the dialect, but on the history of the town’s fisher folk. Thanks also to Maggie Scott, Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd, Edinburgh, for helping with the research. Images Contents Ìomhaighean Clàr-innse Front Cover Fish market at Cromarty, 1900s Introduction..................................................................2 (Highland Libraries, Postcards) Inside Front Cromarty, 1800s, from ‘Remarks on Local Some Phonetic Features...............................................4 & Page 5 Scenery and Manners in Scotland’ (1801) by John Stoddart (Highland Libraries, Fraser Mackintosh Collection) Sources.......................................................................6 Page 2 Interview with Bobby and Gordon Hogg, Dialect Words..............................................................8 2007 (Am Baile) Page 3 Cromarty, 1910s Dialect Phrases..........................................................20 & Back Cover (Highland Libraries, Postcards) Page 7 The Harbour, Cromarty, 1900s Bynames....................................................................24 (Highland Libraries, Postcards) Page 23 The Harbour, Cromarty, 1900s Miscellaneous.............................................................26 (Highland Libraries, Postcards) Bibliography...............................................................36 Page 38 Janine Donald, Bobby Hogg & Kelly McGill (image Ewen Weatherspoon) Postscript...................................................................38 Page 39 Illustrated Postcard 1910s, Sailors at Football, 1900s Cromarty Lighthouse, 1900s Notes.........................................................................39 (All Highland Libraries, Postcards) This booklet was put together by Janine Donald, researcher, Am Baile so that the people of Cromarty might have a written record of some of the local dialect words and phrases that were used in the past, mainly by the former fisher community. It is not definitive, however, and any comments, additions or suggestions would be most welcome, no matter how small. Material can be handed into Cromarty Library or emailed to [email protected] Bobby and Gordon believe they Folk-lore’ (1928), Donald Introduction are the last two fluent speakers Mackenzie identified three of the ‘Cromarty fisher dialect’, distinct resident groups: the Ro-ràdh a unique Scots dialect fishers of ‘fishertoon’; the The former royal burgh of identified by William Grant in ‘toon’s fowk’ of the town Cromarty lies on the northern his introduction to the Scottish proper; and the ‘Gaelickers’ of tip of the Black Isle peninsula, National Dictionary (1931) as the landward part of the parish, at the mouth of the Cromarty ‘North Northern A’. This dialect although in Mackenzie’s Firth in northeast Scotland. It is mainly associated with the boyhood the term ‘Gaelickers’ is home to brothers Bobby and fishing communities of the was applied mainly to the Gordon Hogg, descendants of Black Isle (Cromarty and residents of the adjoining a long line of local fisher folk. Avoch) and other small towns parish of Resolis and other The Hoggs can trace their and villages along the shores parishes beyond. Over the 2 ancestry back for centuries in of the Cromarty Firth, although years the three dialects would the small coastal port; in the each locale has its own have blended together and this census of 1861 there were no vocabulary and subtle current lexicon probably fewer than 96 Hoggs living in differences in syntax. While represents such a fusion. the Cromarty district and an several Cromarty residents entry for the family name in the retain aspects of the fisher The origin of the three linguistic Old Parish Register dates vocabulary, when Bobby and groups is interesting. back as early as 1698. Gordon get together they can According to one local tradition, converse fluently in the dialect. the fisher folk came from the Firth of Forth area during the It is said that at one time there reign of James IV (1473–1513) were three separate Scots and may themselves have dialects in the Cromarty area – been descendants of Norse or fisher, town, and farmer. In his Dutch fishermen. These article, ‘Cromarty Dialect and incomers would have spoken Scots or ‘Scottis’, the Consequently their Scots by local landowner, George dominant language spoken dialect had a Gaelic lilt to it. Ross. In 1783 Ross erected a throughout Lowland Scotland special chapel at the top of from the second half of the The ‘Gaelickers’, of course, Kirky Brae for these Gaelic 14th century until the spoke Gaelic and had residents. It is easy, therefore, Reformation and spoken by all migrated over the years to the to see how Cromarty could ranks of society. The ‘toon’s Cromarty area from develop its own distinct dialect fowk’ – the local traders, neighbouring parishes, and, given its relatively isolated craftsmen and seamen – were seeking employment, geographical location, at least a mixture of Morayshire and especially during the period of on the landward side, how that Highland stock. the town’s development in the dialect might be maintained. second half of the 18th century 3 The Cromarty Fisherfolk Dialect Some Phonetic Omission of Consonants Features Connragan gam fàgail às In Cromarty, the aspirate ‘h’ was often omitted or inserted Feartan Cànain contrary to standard usage; Annie would be pronounced, In his introduction to the ‘Hannie’, a hoose, an ‘oos’, an apple, a ‘haypel’. Thus, a Scottish National Dictionary, Cromarty fisherman might say, (1931) Grant described Cromarty’s fisher quarter ‘A’m fair sconfished wi hayreen; gie’s fur brakwast lashins o am dialect as being ‘of a very and heggs.’ (I’m so fed up with herring, give me plenty of ham curious and interesting type’. and eggs for breakfast.) A few of these linguistic 4 curiosities are listed here on Another feature of the dialect was the omission of the ‘wh’ sound pages 4 and 5. at the beginning of the interrogative pronouns – who, what, whose, when, and where:- At’s theer trouble? (What’s your trouble?) Ar’s he fae? (Where is he from?) Az dowg’s that? (Whose dog is that?) Similarly, with the adverb ‘how’ – Oo thee keepan? (How are you?). At other times, ‘w’ took the place of the ‘wh’ sound. In this way, ‘which’ becomes ‘wutch’ and ‘whiskers’, ‘wuskers’. Use of Archaic Language Diminutive Forms Seann Chànan ga Chleachdadh Faclan airson The archaic pronouns – thou, thee, thy, etc. – were in common use in the first half of the 20th century in Cromarty and are still Rudan Beaga used occasionally to this day. Bobby and Gordon both use them The use of the Scots in their dialect. It is their belief that this is the result of a religious diminutive and double upbringing and their ancestors’ associations with the Bible. For diminutive were also example, a common expression used by their aunt was, ‘Div commonly used:- thee put the Lord afore thee the day?’ This biblical association is borne out in Donald Mackenzie’s Cromarty Dialects and Folk- chiel (boy), chielie (small boy), Lore (1928) in which he records that the elder fishermen of chielack (smaller boy), Cromarty were very religious and were able to recite or chant chielachie (even smaller boy) 5 prayers, without preparation. rope (rope), ropie (small rope), ropack (smaller rope), ropackie (even smaller rope) A fisherman might say, ‘Come ere and hae a squint at ma wee bit boatackie’ or ‘Come intae oor wee bit hooseackie’. The Cromarty Fisherfolk Dialect Sources Written Sources Stòir Stòir Sgrìobhte This lexicon has been One of the earliest written National Dictionary (1931- compiled using predominantly references to the Cromarty 1976); and The Linguistic late 19th and 20th century dialect appeared in 1867, in a Survey of Scotland (1975 and written sources, and 20th and series of articles in The 1977). 21st century oral sources. Invergordon Times and Every word or phrase listed General Advertiser, titled ‘Six has been recorded as having Days in Cromarty’, been used in Cromarty at one Oral Sources time or another during the past ‘The dialect of the town 6 140 years. Some of the words [Cromarty] is peculiar to Stòir Beòil will have been used in other itself…it sounds very strangely Oral sources include Scots-speaking areas, albeit to one who looks for the nasal recordings of Hogg family with different pronunciations. pronunciation of Ross-shire.’ members and friends (1960s Others seem to be exclusive and 1993) and recent to the Cromarty fisher folk. For Other written sources used for recordings and conversations example, their word for a this project include: The North (2007) with Bobby Hogg, Helen thrashing or beating – a Star and Farmers’ Chronicle Hogg, Gordon Hogg and Clem ‘sallikatazaar’ – appears to be (1897-1898); The Scotsman Watson. Contributions were quite unique and is still (1909-1912); Transactions of also received by email from remembered by several the Scottish Dialect various Cromarty residents, members of the community. Committee (1914-1921); ex-residents, visitors and Transactions of the Rymour general enthusiasts, at home Club (1928); The Scottish and abroad. The Cromarty Fisherfolk Dialect 7 Dialect Words Faclan Dualchainnt Dialect Word English Meaning a, ah who ablach odd looking, awkward aave the boy who acts as scummer

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