P BLI H ’ U S ERS N OTE .

D URI N G the 1 8 - - M r e years 93 94 95, Jakob Jakobs n ,

Ma . of n Cand . g the University of Cope hagen , conducted an ex haustive series of investigations into the remains of

f t the old Norse language in Shetland . Some o the e sul s of are L t his enquiries embodied in these two ectures,

which were cast in a popular form, and were delivered at Lerwick and other places in Shetland before the

’ a uthor s return to Denmar k . Other results of his in

a ion s vestig t are contained in his Thesis entitled, Det

” n ne ed N oro Sprog paa Shetland , which was accept by the University of Copenhagen as entitling him to the

degree of Doctor of Philosophy .

snwxcx ur names 1 8 . L , S , 97 L I ST O F A BBRE V IAT I N O S .

— I . r s r Shetland localities (quoted in pa enthesi afterwo ds, — — which are or have been in u se there)

P r A ith st . A ith stin . . . , g , Papa Stoo

Bressa a . an dstin . B r . S S , y. , g

S a ndw . r . Con n in sbur . C . g g , Sandwick pa ish

e t D el tin U . Un st . De . (D l ), g. ,

W . W s D D u n r . u . ssn ess. , o , all

Fe Fetl a r W ts e t s e t . , . es , The w s id (Ai h

t n ds in Fo . Sa t , Foula . s ing, g, Sand

L u n n a s i ss W . L . t n . , g ne , alls)

Wh h a l . W . I r t . . sa . N , The No h Isles , y

Roe r Roe Y. . N . , No th . , Yell

Ym. Mid est est . N , N ing , Yell h H er r . o h ma vin e Y . N i n . N rt . , , de a in Yell

I I .

. I . er . cf, conf Icel , celandic

w r e . l . o r . Eng , English N , No w gian

l r N . d . O . O e e . esp . , sp cially , Northe n

t s . Fa n r es . . , Fa o e Sco , Scot i h

h et l e . f i for . S . . , instance , Sh tlandic

“ m t s b f h k n In the co bina ion j , j , gj , j , j , and j the “ j ” letter (as in Scandinavian) has the value of an ” “ y “ English consonantal (as in yard

The sound of the letter in Shetlandic (as ( i . in

“ km -f of en , sheep old) is similar to that in French

' ébn bl eu eu . G a scl words as , blue, f , fire, etc , erman in ,

e f b auti ul , etc. As I have been prevented from the use of special

' lzonetzc m m p letters in a book of this kind , it has so eti es pr oved very difficult to convey a proper idea of the pro n u n c ia tion of a Shetlandic word by the spelling. The

‘ greatest difii cul ty has been the rendering of the l iquid

“ sou nd of some of the consonants (an accompanying i m s s of . ound), e pecially l and n This liquid sound is so e times (although imperfectly) indicated by a prefixed or

“ " " “ ” fi'i x ed y l l enll el l in s su f.i. He a V V . ( y , and y ,

” “ ” ” kol l et t raa lfa n in h aa n bu n a nn a y , y g y , y , y

" ” ta n n iks whart, y ,

The terminating - r (preceded by a hyphen) in Old Northern words quoted is the mark of the nominat ive singular form in words of the masculine

- -= l r te - = i i. koll r ko l s r t r ster tr . gender, as , , etc

CO PEN HAGEN i 897.

THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ N LY 700 years ago a language called D on sk

” r tunga, or Danish tongue was spread ove

e r nearly th whole north of Eu ope . It was not at all confined to Denmar k : it was spoken in

Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden), whose

centre it was ; it was spoken in Iceland , Faroe, O Shetland , rkney , to a great extent in the western

M a n Scottish Isles , the Isle of , and also to some

Br t —in extent in i ain itself part of Scotland , especially

th e th e r of in the north and along coast, in no th

r r th e England and pa t of I eland , and finally along

r south and east borde of the Baltic Sea . It was the

Scandinavian vikings who carried the Danish tongue

: so far the Norwegians and Danes went west, the

Norwegians taking a more northerly, the Danes a

r r t mo e southe ly direction (in Sco land , and especially A 2 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

the islands north of Scotland , it was chiefly the Nor wegian s who settled ; in England it was the Danes) ; the Swedes went more to the eastward and occupied

h e B . t m f. i east border of the altic Sea, and even for ed R a little kingdom in the heart of ussia. I need not here say much about how Shetland f was peopled , first by Picts, who came rom Scotland ,

e and th n by Norwegians, especially those who at the

th r th e fl close of the 9 centu y crossed North Sea, y ing from the tyranny of King Harald Haarfa ger and

s trying to find new home . It is a general belief that

r th the No semen extinguished e Picts in Shetland .

But it was not the custom of the Norsemen to kill — those who did not oppose t hem sword in hand a t

r m any rate, they would neve have killed the wo en . d And besi es, we are not told anyt hing about the

fled r r Picts having anywhe e from Shetland. The e would be far more sense in tracing the u n - Nor se looking people in some of th e more secluded dist r icts of Shetland back to the or iginal or aboriginal in h a bi

t s w tants, whether Picts or not, han to Spaniard , recked

s there at the time of the Spani h Armada . And among these first inhabitants we may include Laps and m Fins, who play such an i portant part in the old

r Shetland legends. They we e the original inhabitants 3 THE OLD SHETLAN D DIALECT . m of Norway and Sweden , till the Norse en conquered

them , and now they only occupy the north end of

th e Scandinavian peninsula. Even if one or two ships of the Spanish Ar mada should have been wrecked on the Shetland coast, and even if a case

t or two of inter mar r iage should have aken place, it would not have affected whole communit ies.

Shetland originally belonged to Norway up t ill

th e 1 r t the end of 4th century, when No way en ered

t m r s s r in o a union with Den ark unde a Dani h ove eign , and Shetland as par t of Norway passed over into

r me this union . As Denma k beca the leading country

th e - a - of the two, fact that Shetland people now days always speak of the islands as formerly belonging to

m r is for s Den a k , to be accounted in thi way.

Bu t hardly a century after t he union was com

l eted re r t p , the islands we handed ove to Sco land ,

for t su m m i r m pledged a cer ain of oney , wh ch fo ed

r r M r re oi m the dow y of the P incess a ga t Den ark , who was mar r ied to King James th e Thir d of Scot land .

Time will not allow me to enter upon the political s or tate of Shetland during the Norse Danish period .

ffi t o r m It may be su cient state, that the fo of govern m m r r ent was de oc atic. The highest powe lay with 4 THE OLD SHETLAND DIAL ECT .

Law m the Ting, which was a general asse bly of the

f m La w r m people, or ing the Cou t and Parlia ent of the time and held on the plain of Tingwall . The land was held originally according to the Norse

“ ” m or r udal syste , system of absolute p operty and fr ee transmission from father to son without deed of

But inheritance . soon after the Islands were handed

r m m ove to Scotland , the feudal syste was ore fully

m r r t introduced , the syste of stipendia y p oper y, by

“ ” which the udallers (udal - farmers) became tenants of landlords .

To illustrate a little the spirit and customs which reigned during the Norse period of gover nment in

e Shetland , and the close connection existing b tween

r ma m th e Shetland and No way, I y ention story of

r t is Jan Tait and the Bea . I the only histor ical m m tale which has co e down to us fro that period , and is quite in the style and spir it of the old

d t . t to l r Icelan ic ales or sagas The ale belongs Fet a .

r w It is this . The king of No ay sent his Chamber lain

“ ” acr oss to Shetland t o collect the skat (t a x ) due t o

m r r . C m Fetl a r r the C own The ha be lain ca e to , whe e the skat was collected at Ur ie To Ur ie th e

“ udallers came with the teinds or tithes they had to

“ ” . m r bis pay They brought with the thei mers.

6 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

But flesh and blood . seeing his courage he would

’ s r wa s give him one chance to save h i life . The e a

r bear infesting a certain place , and constantly endange

t ing the lives of the inhabitan s. If he could catch it

r and bring it alive befo e the king, he should be m pardoned . Tait then went to an old wo an who

r lived near a spot the bear used to f equent, and asked

h r h im e all about its ways and habits. She said to

B r n r r y butte you have got i to the p esent t ouble,

" and by butter you shall get out of it. Then she

advised himto take a kit - full of butter and place it

r st r in an open spot in the fo e , whe e the bear used to

m r r th e s co e, watch there till the bea appea ed on cene

e r t it and licked the butt , and hen , when had lain

z t b down to sleep, sei e his oppor unity and ind it with

r opes . Tait acted according to h er advice . The

r r e bea , after having licked the butte , felt h avy, lay

down and fell asleep, whereupon Tait, who had been

w r m r . watching, hastened to tie the ani al ith st ong opes

H e m r r e re th e anaged to b ing the bea alive b fo king,

but t to r id h im r r e h im the king, wan ing get of , o de d

h im to th e e r m out of his sight, bidding take b a ho e

t e with h im to Shetland . Tai w nt back to Fetl a r wit h

th e bear and tr anspor ted it from there to th e island

- L off e t e r is of Yelli inga ( the Y ll coas ), wh re the e a spot THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ B ’ B m still called the ear s ait, which na e is known by

r very few people now. The e is a green circle in the

’ island said to have been made by the bear s walking

wa s around the pole to which it tethered . Less than 200 years ago there was a number of

r Bu t No n ballads in Shetland . they are all lost except

r t r e one , which ela es a st ife b tween one of the earls of

th r O e . R rkney and king of No way obert Sibbald ,

“ s writing in the beginning of la t century, says The

’ e er w s t e la . O Sh tland s la were hos of St , whom the

t s H e na ives have in great e teem . was one of the kings

r m ar e of No way, of who strange things reported in the f him i ik ” o V ss s. songs they have , called These

” or iss k r v i s N . visa O . ballads (f om , song) were kept up for centuries to a great extent as accompaniment

ae l to dance , an old medi va dance, in which all the per sons taking par t joined hands and formed a compact

r r circle on the floo , moving forwa d and keeping a a m cert in ti e with the feet. There was no need of any m m r usical instru ent. A foresinge or precentor began

r eve y verse, and the others joined in , singing the chorus. This dance was not extinct in Shetland till the middle

r m of last centu y, about the sa e time that the Norn language in Shetland had got corrupted and began to

t get los . And when the language got lost, the ballads THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

t were bound to get lost too . In Faroe his is almost

of the only amusement the people at the present day,

th e and it is through this ancient kind of dance, that old Faroese ballads have been kept alive.

I r now turn to the principal object of this lectu e,

the history of the Norn or Norse language in Shetland .

1000 c Up till the year , or little more than a entury m w f . a ter Shetland had been peopled fro Nor ay, the — m whole of Scandinavia Den ark, Norway and Sweden , a n d : r also the Norwegian colonies Iceland, Fa oe, — Shetland and Orkney had still one language : the

But r t Danish tongu e. du ing the eleven h century it t begins to divide, and at the beginning of the thirteen h century there are two dist inct groups of dialects—the

East Scandinavian, including Danish and Swedish and W the est Scandinavian , including the Norwegian and

: its island branches Icelandic, Faroese, Shetlandic and

B ut me Orcadian . still the na Danish tongue lingered , applied to th e language of all Scandinavia . In the twelfth century we find an Icelandic wr iter applying

t o this name (Danish tongue) the Icelandic language .

The first writer who uses th e name N or roena (that is

” r t Northern), of which No n is a con raction , is the r e S norri Stur luson enown d Icelandic historian , who

th e W con t radistinc applies it to est Scandinavian , in 9 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . tion to the East Scandinavian : proper Danish and

Swedish . And after this time the name becomes

But r - a - common . in No way and Iceland now days the name Norn is never applied to the language of the present day, only to the language before the R m t efor a ion , as it is represented in the ancient , chiefly

: e Icelandic , records the remarkabl Saga literature

(history in novelistic form), especially concerning Ice

r r land and No way. (In passing it is wo th observing,

O S e that the ancient history of rkney and h tland , the

r kn e in a t O y g Saga, was written in Iceland during tha

r r pe iod . ) This literature decays during the fou teenth t m cen ury, and the clergy, who had then beco e very w po erful and possessed the highest learning of the time,

L r all used the atin language for literary pu poses, and

- allowed the mother tongue to decay. It was not till

R r th e s after the efo mation , that native tongue gained

But r their pr oper place again . then they p esented a

f r m dif e ent aspect, and the na e Norn was not applied to

wa s r r them . It No wegian (No sk) in Norway, Icelandic in Iceland , and Faroese in Faroe. In Faroe the name Norn is not remembered as having been applied to the

Faroese dialect. Only in Shetland this old name has

ow n been carried down to our time, applied to the

r t m old Shetland language du ing its whole life i e . The B 10 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . Norn dialect lived in Shetland till the middle of last

e century, and even in the b ginning of this century a

e m r dial ct called Norn , although i properly (as the g am ma tical feature of the Norn had been quite superseded L by that of the owland Scotch), was spoken in outlying — places such as the Nor th Isles (especially the nort h

Un st . of of ), but longest in Foula The part Shetland w here t h e greatest number of Norn words at the pr esent

t day survive is beyond all ques ion the North Isles.

The common dialect a t the present day in

L is Shetland resembles the owland Scotch, but inter spersed with a great many N om words and

t t phrases, and has a distinc ly Scandinavian accen ua

I t tion and pronunciation . is just now leaving a

r stage, the prominent featu e of which is Scotch, and

er th e r m is ent ing a stage, p o inent feature of which is

th e r English, but still carrying along with it from fi st or r u m t No n period not only a n ber of words, al hough

s dimin ish ih r thi number is rapidly g, but also a p o n un c ia t ion and accentuation which are distinct ly

Scandinavian .

r The fact that about ten thousand words, de ived m — fro the Norn , still linger in Shetland although a great number of them a re not actually in daily use and only remembered by old people—is suffi cient to THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . l l show that it cannot be very long since the real Norn

. e speech died In several parts of Shetland , specially

Foula and the North Isles, the present generation of old people remember their grand - parents speaking a

e languag that they could hardly understand , and which

r But m was called No n or Norse. it ust have been m m greatly inter ixed with Scotch , for any of the old words now dying out and being supplanted by

s a re r e t a re e Engli h, ally Scotch, although hey b lieved

t r by many o be No n . Another proof of the Scotch intermixture is the

t h e ma n r fact, that old Foula who epeated the only preser ved Norn ballad to M r L ow in 1 774 could not

h im r r give a t anslation in full of it, but only elated the general content. If the Norn language had been

or r m — pure, nea ly so, at that ti e the end of last — centu ry the ma n would certainly have been able to

r W give a prope translation of the ballad . hat was the chief cause of the disappear ance of the Nor n dialect in Shetland P There wa s never any law passed prohibiting the general use of it , and the people were

’ quite at liberty to retain their forefathers speech . In

r Faroe, whe e Danish is and has been for long the ofii cia l language, used in the schools, in the churches, and in the law courts, the people still speak a branch 12 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . o f the old Norwegian which is quite different fr om

n . Bu t th e moder Danish in Shetland people, through

r m oppression and consequent igno ance, ca e to look

r t o r fa r down upon thei old dialect, and conside it

r t m inferior to Scotch or English . The g ea nu ber of

s t r r Scotch et le s who ove spread the country, carrying what the people deemed to be the higher language m with the , very probably would despise the native

t r t dialect, which hey did not unde s and , and would influence th e people to imitate them in the use of

Scotch , which would certainly have been found often n ecessary in t r ade and gener al in ter cour se . A little fragment of a r hyme in Norn is preser ved fr om last cent ury about a Shetland lad who went south to

e r m t r Caithness, and on his r tu n ho e was hought a g eat

e m m deal of, b cause he could ake use of so e Scotch

r n ot u rr h is t words, appa ently c ent in na ive place at

Un st m . the ti e The verse, which is said to belong to ,

’ is intended to show the par en t s pride in t heir son on this account

r er ooa De vaa e (v a) g tee , “ ” “ when sona min guid to Ka adan es ’ h n k aa n r u ssa m r a ay y ca a e, “ ” bz r gg be e, ’ “ ” el a fire , ’ ’ kl owma z ta in gs .

14 N THE OLD SHETLA D DIALECT .

f often the cause of the dif erence is, that in some parts of the country a cer tain number of words have been kept up which have been lost in other part s of th e country.

r be Every popula dialect, whatever language it

ma m r longs to, and however deficient it y be, co pa ed

r r r s s s with the cultu ed and lite a y language, pos e se a

u m r m s great n ber of apparently supe fluous na e , applied — to var iou s things with very minute distinctions distin c tions often given up as unnecessary by the cultu r ed

r for s language. In the old No n , in tance , there are a great number of wor ds applied to the different

’ r r r parts of a living c eatu e s body, va ying according

re ve r to the creature it is applied to . There a fi o six words standing for head , and about double

m t that nu ber standing for ail . Now, when the Scotch language got a fir m footing in Shetland and began

r to conquer the No n , the vocabulary became so

r s r m much inc ea ed , that a g eat nu ber of the old

bu t words had to be given up , on account of the

s - me su erfluit m ff re n ju t ntioned p y of na es , di e nt ames

ff for me would survive in di erent places the sa thing.

r m s for Taking first the No n na e head , we find , that

'

N . ko u the general name (O. f d) is lost and only survives in place- names in the der ivative form 15 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

' H evdz r o H erni a N . (O. . applied to a headland

m r r It is a very com on occu ence in a dying speech ,

for es r that the general name a certain thing di fi st, m l while the subordinate na es, app ied only to certain

m - s N . kol l . O . r kinds of the a e thing, survive , signifying originally the hair - grown part (or upper

th e r rounding) of head , has been p eserved in Shetland

“ u s r s in a few compo nd and derivative wo d , as a head

' ” ’ kozl or kozl tetf t o , applied the protecting top sheaf

“ s r - - of t aw on a corn scroo or hay stack. (The words

N or th ma vin e th e are used in ). Further, in word kolly et applied to a cow without hor ns a

” kol l et oo r - c koll et m . y , where y eans ound headed The

“ ” “ ” m — a — na e cole, coll (Scotch) cole of hay for a m - s h e m r Ai h s in t . t t s all hay tack , is sa e wo d The g

“ ” m a t f - fisher en , when the haa or deep sea fishing,

' t o th e m th e r o- kozl used call ouse g , signifying gray

' ' t skb tu r ska l z . k u l N . head S l (Faroese l ) and (O.

” t m r e y ologically the English wo d skull , signify in

' - m koz Shetland much the same as the just entioned l .

' But ska ll z , which is applied especially to the bare t o n ow r p of the head , is nea ly obsolete and almost

r r ska / i d only used in the de ivative wo d b , applied to

th e A ska IZ /et lzen r r a hen wanting top J , co e

” n A kol et coo spon di g to the expression ly . 16 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . The proper Shetland equivalent for the English

“ ” [rm/l a el ” or s/za a l r r m word skull is p M p , de ived f o

N kd a . O . . rs , skull , head But no part of the body has got so many

r names as the tail , varying acco ding to the different

e . m s ha l f creatur s The old Norn na e are , applied to

’ ta ] r a long tail, especially on a cow ; g , to a ho se s tail (etymologically the English wor d slea uf

st al l as and , to a bushy tail , such on a dog or fox

’ ’ ’ d r dzl l s or dr we y , to a sheep s tail ; p , to a fish s tail ; !

’ star t - r r d a m or , to a bird s tail ; f , ostly applied to the continuation of the spine or the fleshy part of

M m v the tail . ost of these na es sur ive in Shetland ,

r but not always applied in the o iginal way. The

' ’ r ka l z t wo d , for a cow s tail , is los , but the fishermen

“ ” “ ’ th e ka a l er when at the haaf, used to call cow de

' - ka a l zn . or y , signifying the long tailed animal The

r th e com tail of a fish (o esp . lobe of the tail) is still

“ mon ly called de spur which word was also u sed

Aith stin r m by the g fishe en at the haaf, denoting the

ka u star t - r e tail of any creature . S f and hav in the

' Shetland dialect taken the forms s r and skj u r t st u r t r ( j ), both used as lucky wo ds at the haaf, the

m th e Un st r r for er by fishe men , the latte by the h s n rm fis . A ith ti g fishe en , to denote the tail of a 1 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 7

By the North Yell fishermen the tail of a turbot

“ ’ is sometimes called de Row or r ova k

r oa (O. N . f ) was by the Shetland fishermen commonly

d of - fi h applie to the tail the Izoe or dog s . The

’ ” Row a - name he d, applied to the long shaped point L at the north entrance of erwick harbour, is really

: the same word , meaning tail and it is only by

' of m i of r om losing knowledge the ean ng the word ,

the that head has been added to the tail . Akin to

' ’ d z I . o r d l l cel and Far ese y , sheep s tail (originally signifying anyt hing that is shaking backwards and

’ f de e t r r l . W orwards), is She landic , sheep s tail hen a person is in a hurry, or walks of? showing by the ff motion of his body that he is o ended , it is some

“ ’ ' ' " ” D er e: a dzr r e u on l um dirrel times said , / p differently pronounced from derrel). The word ta : g! is lost in its original meaning tail , but when a person is walking with something trailing behind

' ' ’ tr a zl zn a ta ! him , he is sometimes said to be g (Conn) As a striking example of the recently

x mentioned difference in words, e isting between

f th e different districts o Shetland , I shall mention old names for the dyke which leads out from the

“ " sheep- fold or km and forms like a leg on it for the purpose of preventing the sheep from being 0 18 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ km scattered about, when being driven into the ’ ’ — “ ” a a zn - f r oa d S o dyke (U) rom to , to drive animals

N . s m O O . ca slowly, , to waylay, to watch an pportunity m o r aft . for catching anything (derived fr m , a bush) — m . ekstr s O N . r Rekster dyke (Fe) fro , ignifying ” — driving (of animals) S tzl é 'er s- dyke (Y) fr om

' '

ll z r m . N . szz O. , trap or enclosu e to catch ani als in

’ — — et - S ta i N . r t f . na e m f O . Re dyk (N ) rom , sheep old gg

' ' - W d kr stu z stookz t . yke or o gg , , (De, Nes , ests )

— N stri ka l 2 r r O. . pe haps from , ( ) sleeve, ( ) p ojecting

- ‘ - N . st a kz Kr s kza i Fo O. part of a building . o g g ( ) from j ,

r ms pole (stick) . And the e are even more for than ff m these . The di erence see s in this case to be very old and to proceed from a similar diffe rence existing

th e M r in ancient Norwegian dialects. any mo e speci mens might be given , did space permit.

As th e fishing has been always of pr ime impor tance to Shetland as the chief means of livelihood for the people, I shall here say something more about the customs and terms relating to this subject. The fishing

e was don formerly in Shetland with wooden hooks.

s books r h The e wooden we e pins , some of w ich had a

e tome w a s notch in the middle, wh re the (string) fixed ,

s e - and a lack at the one end , wh re a loop fashioned half

wa s hitch passed around , by which the hook with the 1 THE OLD SHETLAN D DIALECT . 9 bait on was kept in a hanging position up and down along the end of the line . By the slightest t ouch this

a - off h lf hitch slipped , and the pin , both ends of which

were pointed , stuck across the mouth of the fish .

These wooden hooks were not entirely done a way with m m even in the beginning of this century . So e ight

A ith stin ma n think this scarcely credible, but an old g

me th informed , that he had seen fishing done wi this

re kind of hook , and described it . They we called

’ ’ ’ ' ma a m- smvver zes or mzttzes pins (U), turning pins , or

s m t s n m s and o e ime ber j bggel s (F0 ) . These na e were

also applied to wooden pins , used instead of buttons.

Bernj oggel is the same wo r d as w magg el or

' ” “ va rn a c l - m kl zbbe gg pin , now ost often called de r pin ” a wooden pin for keeping the two parts of the

' - / N . k be z r wooden pack saddle or mom (O. bf r ) togethe

“ r Va rn a el m on the back of t h e ho se . gg eans “ N guarding nail or pin and is compounded of O . . ! — n /2 m. va r da r a . , to gua d or protect, and g , pin ety Engl

“ ” nail .

A striking proof of the gr eat amount of experience

m t that the Shetland fisher en had is the fact, hat they

in misty weather, before the compass was invented ,

“ ” could always find the land by the moder- dye a n

r — l unde swel in the sea, which swell always went in the 20 AL THE OLD SHETLAND DI ECT.

c dire tion of the land , whatever way the wind blew .

The Norway and Faroe fisher men are said to have had the same knowledge which di ed out entirely when the compass was introduced .

There are various names for the different siz es of

of w it/re fish, especially the coal fish or (commonly pro

' d—r h noun ced sa id O . N . sez fish ; ) , as t is was the the old m m Shetland fisher en were ost familiar with. The common Shetland name for t h e first stage of the

’ ‘ szll ock r saithe is , which wo d is etymologically the

‘ Norwegian szl zmg ; bu t in Nor way the name is

' r t f r zl applied to a young t ou , derived rom the word ,

‘ - r Si! szl a meaning : fish f y. In Shetland or is applied

- r e - to the herring fry, in Fa o always to the trout fry.

r s t m What further suppo ts thi e y ology, that the name

f fish is transferred rom one kind of to another, is the '

k a e w . k da fact that the word o , Nor j o , is in Norway applied to a young trout, but in Shetland it is some times applied to a half- gr own piltock (coal - fish) or a

‘t D un rossness r - ilt good fat piltock. In the live p ocks

iltocks fi re t r p roasted on the wi h the livers inside, we e

- or k tlzes called liver kodes o . The word is derived

' kd fish - m N . a from O. , fry, and is ety ologically akin to

“ ” rk e the sa me or the s e t c uith e In O n y w d , ” , p l , is commonly

u r a - ro sa t e et a c : to k a pplied to a yo ng o h lf g wn i h , Sh l ndi pil c .

22 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ ” “ e w eir /t i w el shi b N O . . the nam of a piltock, eing

' ' vol sz s s it dr l zn , cylinder ; in the North I le is called a o

’

mO . N . a d t o t c lin d (or fro e , applie a hing of y

’ r l m dr m' is mm ica shape . In Faroe the na e yl co only

r : r - applied to a ce tain kind of bread be e bread , baked in the embers or hot ashes in the form of r ound sticks ;

r dr / [e m m in No way y eans a cudgel . A third na e for

- r th e s is steevi n a half g own piltock, used on we tside,

’ in N n — e v steev O . . st r r (a piltock), which is yfi g , d i ed

“ ' r stzi - r' t m Fa r st vzn ur is f om f , meaning s u p ( . y g a half

“ h v t grown halibut) . In Con n ingsburg stee in is a pe

m for m str t h e r lee/71a na e a child . In the sa e di ict wo d

' or kel vzk is applied to a young ling a little bigger than

“ ’

N . ke z r rs th e an Kelva (O . fi ) efe to

’ h v - —r s cf. . k e /u n sezd cylindrical ape ; Norw j g , a half g own

’ k z r r t . . o piltock O N . gfl is pa ticula ly applied a wooden

’ is m h etl kew l stick and the sa e word as S . a

’ stick put into a lamb s mouth to prevent it from

" k r - r w suc ing the mothe A piltock , fully half g o n , is

l 521i bel l a t r r m often ca led a ( y ) pil ock , p obably f o the

r u bel z - e N . br r . O . i o nd and thick shape ( Ic l , belly ; g ,

- r s bag, belly). A half g own cod is in the outh of

’ ' “ k to k z and kew l is th e or ka ol i n -tree a e to a A in ofl w d , ppli d stick with a notch in th e end of it for takin g th e hook out of the ’ s st m fi h s o ach . 23 , THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

' Unst vel ter zn called a , which is the same word as

- . va l tr e val tr Norw ( ), a cylindrical thing, a long shaped bundle.

As is well known to all Shetlanders, the Shetland m fisher en before this day, like the fishermen in Faroe

r m and Norway, had a g eat nu ber of lucky words, words that they would use only at the Iza af or deep

“ ”

. a sea fishing H f is the old Norn word for ocean . m The origin of this custo is not easily explained , bu t m t the custo itself is cer ainly very, very old , and

deeply rooted in the Pagan time . The most likely explanation seems this, that before the introduction

s r e r t and p ad of Ch is ianity, and also long after that

m be period , the people, and especially the fisher en ,

a t o - llev d themselves be surrounded by sea spirits, w m ho they could not see, and who watched what they were doing; In the Pagan time people believed in

' the sea - god n r whose kingdom was the m e s m yst riou ocean , and he had his attendant inor spirits who watched in truders upon his element. The feeling which came to prevail among the fishermen

- towards the sea spir it s was one of mysterious dread .

They considered the sea a foreign element, on which

e - they w re intruders , and the sea spirits in consequence

hostile to them . They had therefore , when at the 24 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

r be fishing, to take great ca e what they said, and it came very important to them to have a number of

e r m mystic names, to a great xtent ag eed upon a ong

r m r themselves, although de ived fro words which we e

mm Bu t co on in the Norn language. t here is a certain

m — r nu ber of haaf words , doubtlessly fo ming the oldest

r portion , which seem to have been originally wo ship

r - r wo ds . An original worship of the sea spi its is

’ fishermen s rendered probable by the fact, that the haaf-terms were not at all confined to things in mm i ediate connection with the fishing, but extended

r . m m much furthe All the do estic ani als, for instance,

m m s got separate na es at the haaf. So e of the e words

r t m a e now obsolete in Scandinavia, but we find he

r used in the old Icelandic lite ature, chiefly as poetical

L oa ' r ube Fo terms. j g (No th Isles and j ( ),

“ ” — he ma a r N m m t . ( ) , are the old haaf ter s for ocean

” ’ “ is L oa O . N . é m . e . N . a z Jub is O j p, eaning deep j g

“ l a r e g , meaning liquid substanc and occurring in the M old Icelandic poetry as a name for the ocean . y attention was first di rected to t his word as well as to

ma a r M r L W Mid the word by aurence illiamson , M ” Yell . aar now only occurs in compounds, both

“ ma r - in Shetland and Scandinavia , such as bank, t applied to an abrupt slope of the sea bo tom . Further THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 25

‘ ' haaf- terms of a poetic character are : de bzr tzk (North

br en n er de br en n er br en na Isles) or y ( , ) (South Shetland ,

L u or n . n a a n n a Aithst . F0 . nn ) fi (f ) ( , ) for the fire

' '

Bir ik . z t a r r t O . N b r a bi r tz b t t is , , brightness , from j , brigh ;

' ' '

in O . N . br en n zr or br en n zr nn z both (f , the burner) and f

for D e o er a z - er are poetical terms the fire . f y (U) or f a )

N a r . D O . . e (Y) for the sun ; from f g , fair, beautiful g/ong er (West side) for the horse ; same word a s Danish

a n er s : g g , u ed in poetry for a horse, and signifying goer,

l oa m l mer m N lam- r u . oa O . . r nner De g (g ) for the oon g , “ ” t weak light (whence Scotch gloaming, wilight) , in

’

: . r N . i dz . poetry moon D e g o (O . g n ) for the wind

sufli cien t r m A p oof, that the custo of using lucky

t is words at the haaf was rooted in the Pagan ime, to be f in ound the fact, that the minister and the church were

on no account to be mentioned by thei r right names at m sea . The inister and the church represented the new conquering faith which aimed at doing away w ith the

’ old gods and consequently at disput ing the sea - god s

B ff t o dominion of the sea . eing thus o ensive the sea

’ - a o beni god and sea spirits , the church had to be called

” “ ' ’ ' o e a o n sta na er . Ben znoose lzo s , and the minister p means prayer house, not house of bones, as the popular etymology explains it, from the bones of the dead bodies

n buried in the churchyard . It is a corruption of M D 26 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . noose r r m rs , p aye house, which latter for still occu in the

B n is or n r for r . North Is les . e an old N wo d praye The

A ith stin r m t Papa, Sandness and g fishe en of en used to

kl a ustr — N . call the church de Master (O . cloister or

Th e m r monastery . ) iniste who could not be called by

“ his r ight name any mor e than the church was called de

' ” " r r - man m r m ben zma n p aye ), but o e co monly de u sta nder m his in p , fro standing up the pulpit during

m m f. i. s r m . H e the e on had any other na es, such as

' ’

N . ta r edzka nter r r l oa der r m O . la de p (p eache ), de (f o to

'

t s u e lzozdeen . u ter o nds , to speak in a p culiar tone) , de (U)

The natu re of the haaf- ter ms will be seen from this

e e mer w r s Th y were not nons nsical , ely coined o d , as

me t nor e r r for so hink , were th y the eal No n words the

r pe sons , animals and things they were applied to.

They are words of a mor e or less poet ic nat u r e and m u e m t : s m ostly fig rative t r s , hat is to say person , ani als and things a re named according to some str iking

t m u characteristic about he . This acco nts for the great

m s u s m variety of na e ed for one and the sa e person , animal and thing . Each animate and inanimate being had always many char acteristics that wou ld readily

s m m r . was affo d a basi for the any na es applied The cat ,

’ for : oodzn ooter N m instance, called de f or f ( , Delt. and

' ' ' u kzser t h ir e/e ( oosz r a a mz i f. f rther), de , Fe, p , de ( . THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 27

' sk a w n t Br I a . reland in Sandwick parish), de (Nes , , dw ’ . S an . f s / n Conn , and urther) or de ka vnas de

' s a al er do oen a ven z Fo vaa l e pj (U), g or g ( , de r

“ foodi I shall explain some of these names . De n

“ (footer) means the light- footed animal ; ra a mi is de

’ f m r aa m= kra mmock s rived ro , paw, esp. a cat paw (from

' ’ }zr a mmr N . ea of O. a . , paw on b st prey, esp a bear s paw) ;

“ ” " " “ sk aavin skavna shi de or means the shaver, the

” ’ - f of nose shaver, rom the cat s habit washing itself up

“ ” around the lugs and down over the nose ; de spjaaler

“ th e f s rl a means player ( rom an old p , to play) ; de

' voaler m eans the wailer, from the cat s wailing cry

l a vd . N . (O. , to wail , to cry)

’ boon k The cow was called in the North Isles de ,

m : bum cf. . which eans the bellowing animal ; Norw ,

/ e l br e h t . br l e. b . O to ellow, Dan o , S to o ther names were

' tek dr atsz used in other places . The otter was called or d ' “ ” m “ ” a . or /z Tek is the sa e word as Scotch tyke,

’ ” D r si e N . tze . at O. , a bitch , the otter is call d from its

N dr c f. O . . a tta manner of dragging its tail ; , to walk slowly

' and heavily (in Icelandic dr ott Izol a is a nick - name to the fox - as , corresponding to Shetlandic dring tail a sea

o f name for the cat). Quite similar is the origin the

a fi r a va s d . cf. o w. name d ( N , to saunter) The eal was — — to r to be s o r ator . Sco. d ing l w ; d ing dil y 28 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

' in th e Nor th Isles and Foula called de Izoa r zn (or

’ “ ” “ " w oa r zn m r th e -fish ) , which eans the hai y one, hair , ’ t “ m N lea r . Un s fro O . , hair The whale was in called de ' ' — — N . ezi r fat a edzn m m O . j j the fat ani al , fro j , The

' ' common name for wife was it a zmel t or nj a zmel t

m ld s : h a i a . h e (Scotch ( ) etc , domestic), because sat at

h er s m m e . ho e, whil hu band was at the haaf The li pet

” t or a r bai was in Foula called de fj , which is prope ly

'

N . a r a c r O . f. the ebb, fj ( the exp ession to geng to de

m t m nu i r ta the f li pe ebb, or si ply De gg fi sta f

m t r es t th e fish e which the fisher an s ik in o , was call d at

' ' the haaf by the Nor th l sles fisher m en de Izodzk (koodzk)

Iz der m n : th r r w Fa r n ta o r e No . . o , ea ing th eatener and o ,

m s r r bol a m a m . , to rai e the in a th eatening way) The

“ ‘ ” r e b - r r r m prope nam uggi staff is also a No n wo d , f o N t de a a r O . . no wa . gg , to strike The boa was called f (

a r . f , conveyance) The mast of the boat was called de

N . ston . s stong or steng the stick (O . g ) The ail was

“ ” aenz N . s called de cl oot or de skegg a the lat ter is O .

' ousker r z or t - s patch, rag . clout. The boa coop was called

' ' ” Un st r m sw ztzk or swa tt e/e r m by the fishe en de y , f o the

“ kvetta m : r w t o u nite O. N . s ord ( ), eaning to pou out

r s wa wate in a plashing y. — Other haaf terms a re to sn ee or sna e de n eba r d

' ‘ ’ ' : h e fish N . sn zda sn ezda t ( North Shetland) to cut (O . , )

0 3 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . in un der white For the third one sometimes White in un der or W in u nder w /zeedo dat, hite Catching

r nst r m s m sight of the fou th ling, the U fishe en would o e

sa Wneeda l z er a w heedo c m times y gg , which is N , and

” m s : W t ean hi e lies on white .

fishin - lzo d bz The g lodge was called de y or gg , and almost everything in th e lodge would have a separate

“ name too. The kettle was called de or

” non e Rin a l i m g r . g( ) oad eans : that which hangs

“ th e r r N by ing and is compounded of in g (in O . . ) ' — ” [lzr zng r ] occasionally applied to the bool of the kettle ) N l oda . r O . . and , to hang loose dangling De honge

m r si ply means the hange .

r is r s m Finally, the e a thi d clas of haaf na es , con i sist ng of ordinary Norn words which , having become

th e r e r obsolete in daily conve sational languag , we e

r e u r s e su st t u t etain d at the haaf as l cky wo d , whil b i ed

Scotch or English words wer e u sed at th e fir eside .

s : da m th e For in tance de p, for the end of fishing line

ta m m L ow m . G (Dan ; [fro er an] , bit of rope, end of

r tek de/e for t O N . a line) ; de g o or g r a (U) the ke tle ( .

' ’ ' r ta r de zlder A ith st or kzldzn F0 g y , ea then pot) ; ( ) ( )

“ f r eld- b o N . r the fire (O . ) in in ildin is the

' su ffix ed t r kl ova Hot/en kl zvven defini e a ticle) ; de or ,

r fire- en the definite a ticle) for the tongs, applied 3 1 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

m N originally to any clefted tool or instru ent (O . .

' ' kl o kiez a N . a kkz fi ) ; de r (Westside) for the dog (O . r

' ha nd- r de r ussz for the more common , dog) ; for the

“ ” N lz ss r r o . ae horse (O . . ) Finally de (Scotch form

’ m th e N . m of O . ) for the yard of ast.

Bu t leaving the haaf terms and tur ning to the

u r r fireside lang age , we also find this latte satu ated

t But n m wi h Norn expressions . of the vast u ber of

n m subjects it is o ly a few, that space allows e to

er it m r ent upon here, and will not be o e than a

e r mere touching of th su face. Only one or two

s m r subject can be entered o e fully upon . The fi r st

old m s r s s u is the na e for the va iou kind of tensils, the household utensils and the baskets or boxes used in

“ connection with the fishing. First of all there is de

” leery/t ie mm t r r , the co on baske , made f om st aw or

- r t m . . k essa d ied docken s e s It is the Norw j , derived

m N . . t fro O . basket In this connec ion I may

“ - N . mention de open basket (net work) (O .

' mezss . , basket) , etymologically the same word as Engl

' “ ” “ ‘ ’ bziddze b ddz fish er man s mesh . De ( o ) is the basket

‘ ' ‘ o dz o a . . d (same word as Far y , Icel y , tub, kit). A

“ ” kuddie is a small buddie originally it signifies pro

“ ” kod bably bag, and is akin to the word , meaning

“ “ kuddie D u n rossn ess pillow . De is in called de 2 3 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

' “ lzow r m — , which wo d in ost places signifies bow net,

d - N fe r w . na a v O . . toie weel ( f , Nor ). A g is a

m r for m com s all st aw basket holding eal or . It is

w ta e a m t a a ' h e l ta a the Nor . gj , derived fro g (S t . ),

“ " m u t oie r eaning fibre, beca se the g was o iginally

' m r r b . l oo z made f o tree root fi es A p (Du), a m small meal or corn basket, is very uch like a

“ ” - N . l a u r t oie . O. s t m g It is p , box , ba ke , ost often

(as in modern Norwegian) applied to a certain measu re

l e u r - of butter, and Far. yp , a long shaped wooden box ,

“ ” u sed for the same pu r pose as the kessh ie is used for in Shetland , namely, for carrying something (peats,

” m u r - - an e) on the back ; lep, lek in the words

' totnel e toudzl e to o del e/e : m p or p (P , Fe) and ( ) (U) a s all

m - kessh e r kesshie f. . i f m tight ( i a anure ), are obscu ed or s

“ - m - a f. l o n r of l up r ; c . anure box ( a f om

N . ta da r . s a n O . , manu e) A p is a high wooden hooped vessel (generally for holding milk to be churned) ; i n

- N . s a n n Fair Isle it signifies the water pail . O . p is a

r n r kind of vessel and also a ce tain measure (1 l a p . ) 'k S ke skeé bz O . N . ske a dr r pp or , which is pp , a y measu e ,

' r r u dda r dz . m barrel , and o (No w ) are both na es applied

r da d/ a k to a large basket for rubbing corn in . The wo d y

st m w I . Un (N . ) is in and Yell someti es applied to the ater

“ ” da ffock m G da b/ melt m - pail or (fro aelic , ashing tub) . THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 33

. d ll a . M It is Norw , Icel . and Far . y , pail , kit ost often

t o the word occurs, not in its original sense, but applied

’ m m du ll a k al ost anything big, clu sy and untidy a y o a

” ’ kesshie l l k , and even a du ya o a wife woman) .

” The old Foula - name for the da ffock is de va ts(a ) ” dud m “ /i n O . N . va tn dull a d l l a or (fro , water, and y ) water

' ’ dudl zk . In some parts of Shetland it is called de f n ddzk

' ' ddzk in a dst v tzk . N a ta s n i San O . i orfi (in g ), which is f , g

' f n r emzkel yi g tub or pail . The word signifying

- f r r - m a o un &c . a wooden tub sh ped vessel holding ilk , , is

’ r ome now growing rare . It is the Norwegian y or

' r mek olla r ome n me m o , where y or a signifies crea , and kolla - a round shaped wooden vessel , akin to the word

“ ” bad koll . or , which I mentioned for head The words

' ’ koopz and kn bbz originally mean something cup or bowl o ka a . or N . shaped (O. p , bowl) The box h llowed out

Un st stone, that the pig eats its food out of, is called in

“ ' ' n ee k u boz m m r and Foula de g , which na e is o e properly

s m applied to the stone, which was the uten il for erly

” Koo i Bressa s m used . / is used by the y fi her en , applied to the box containing the limpet bait . A third

“ for - Con n in sbur is name the bait box , used in g g, de

‘ " kmboa kw o O. N . kmbbzk . The word ) signifies originally confined Space and is akinto the word h e

m K r u b l a n tie as well as to English crib, anger. in p n 34 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

' ’ k rub lzr zbbz Aiths , is the same word , and also , used in

- ting for the haddock line creel . Another form of the w ord is kmfi; which is in Foula and Aith sting applied

’ ’ ’ f A ith s to the lamb s or cal s box . The pig s box is in

“ r ice tr u e Tr u el ting called de g gg l . gg signifies

t / i l l h s N . r A it originally a small trough (O. yg ) and is in

“ ting also applied to a vessel for holding liver- oil a oli

” t r l mm u e . gg , especially when partly broken The co on

“ ” - sko name for the haddock line creel is de l . The name ska! is also applied to a cer tain kind of round

’ m N ska l O . . shaped wooden dishes, got fro Norway ( , m bowl) . The old na es for utensils have been kept best

" r - m li in connection with the live oil . I entioned de g

” r el Un st r t ugg . In a wooden oil vessel , broade at the

“ ' l i lzozlk w bottom than at the top, is called a o Nor . nolk m ital/ea ) , derived fro the root , to hollow out, and

' ” s m D un rossn ess a l z r ooo the a e thing is called in o el .

A tub - shaped vessel for holding oil is sometimes called

" li a bu nka a a which is Norwegi n , and akin

“ etymologically to English bunker An oil - pot is

“ ‘ ’ ” th e l i oztzk oot /ea called in North Isles a o p or f y , and a small or partly broken oil - pot is in some places called

' ' ' ' N ttz ittz ath ztz . O . m a p (p ) or p , which is py , a di inutive

‘ ' “ zt z rko d otslzk m . t l r zr t n for of pot A p or p (E gl . pot

’ ’ ’ pozt zbr od and pa nn zbr od (Fe) are all applied THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 35

B r od to a piece of a broken kettle for holding oil .

N . br at here signifies a broken piece (O. ) and is f m “ dif erent from the com on word brod , which is a

“ ” Scotch form of the English word board . The m general na e for a utensil is lost in Shetland , but it

“ e : ousker r occurs disguis d in a compound word de y ,

- K e r O N k . r . er the boat scoop y there signifies vessel ( .

“ “ ker old ousker r r m owsin or ), so y prope ly eans the g

” r vessel , or the utensil for baling the wate out of the boat

My next subject is the old names for the var ious

lt d- m . W ee ueed u colours (q eaning white, occ rs in for

' br n n zl needzn w m instance g q , hich is a Foula word ean

“ ” - m ing breast white, and was used as a nickna e for

ma n wh o r w any had a fancy for wea ing a hite vest.

“ Wh eed - Wheeda also occurs in place names, such as

mit es w lre das a k c r o ma r s e t o & . G white ), f , meaning

- Gr o i Gr o a gray, occurs in the words g and g , applied in

m or the North Isles the for er to a gray horse bull , the

- m . latter to a gray are or cow Further, in place names,

“ ” - r Gu Gr o sta ne . l such as , which means g ay stone ,

n l sa meaning yellow, occurs in the word g , the old name

O . N . n lsé tt for the jaundice . It is a contraction of g ,

” Ga l - yellow sickness . also occurs in place names, such

- k N . sta ke r is a te ro k th e sea . A star (O . ) high poin d c in 3 6 S THE OLD HETLAND DIALECT . as Gn l a /za rn a r ( Gol a called so from the yellowish

r r R m . r R di colou of the ock o, eaning red , occu s in o and

R da r m r a , applied in the No th Isles the for e to a red

r ed m horse, the latter to a are or cow. Further, in

- m R stock Gr n place na es, such as o a ,

” r r nslzka S a meaning g een , occurs in the word g o (Y, ), applied to the green tufts on the gr ass-grown side of a

r clod of ea th, when turned over with the spade ; further

- m Gr n a sta ok in place na es, such as e (spelt

- t r . S w a r t tha is a stack, grass g own on the top ,

“ ' m u swa a bz eaning black , occ rs in , a contraction of sw a r t - ba k me for - , the old Shetland na the black backed

' gull (in Un st called de also in sw a r tl zns »

moorv swa r ta tee applied to black ground , and in , which

“ ” m S w a r ta sker is an oath and means in black ti e. ry

” br oon is the (place black skerry. Shetlandic

‘ N br zi n n Bl o m O . . . unaltered form of , brown , eaning

' “ ” ‘ r - m : Bl o zo M oor et blue, occu s in place na es such as g .

’ “ ” - mor a u - r r - m O . N . d eans reddish brown ( , moo red ) and

has reference to the reddish - br own colour of dry moor ' B ha zl a r . land . S is a g ay shade through black oth

” ” sh a il - mooret and a are colours applied to sheep wool .

“ ” r m s - The latter wo d properly ean hoar frost, in which

’ N Izel a n is O . . se se it used in and modern Icelandic ( ,

lzj el a ) and in this sense it is still used in the Shetland

3 8 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

’ “ n a lmott - r r m m - r which , j , o iginally eans hel et cove ed .

B oa et m r - r r m b oa j g eans ing st iped , and is derived f o j g ,

N a n - r m I n r O . . b . g , eaning a ring the Shetland No th

Isles the name bj oag is applied to for instance a

’ r collar of straw around the horse s neck in har owing.

“

is r m . N Fl e/eket means spotted and de ived fro O . — . on : r N . s on ekk r S e O . fl , spot p g is f om p g , applied

m r m especially to a etal buckle, but the o iginal eaning

“ A s n et coo r er seems to be a patch . pa g is p op ly a cow covered with patches of different colour fromthat of the

Yu l et body. g (U) is applied to a black sheep, white

r com a ound the eyes, or the opposite . The word is

N n a o m . a a O . pounded of y g , the old na e for the eye ( g ),

' l ztt m and , eaning coloured .

Another subject I should like to enter a little upon is the var ious Nor n expressions that are used about a

ff su . person , when in an o ended or lky state of mind

The great variety of these expressions according to the various degrees of sulkiness show clearly the hu morous instinct of the Shetland people . I go through the list first and shall then try to explain the origin of some of

’ ’ ”

H i s t r is sta l . . e stu szt o H e l the words , ta en a

” ' He t r a ms/bet dr u ms t nsnket H e k ust e tr oz . is , or , or j

' ” o H e t r l et tr ul slzket tr zts/zka . n l him up in is y , or .

’ ’ ’ H e nel oo is i de He is lyin up i de r . 39 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

’ ’ ' ' H e is snozlket snozl k s dd , or has ta en a or a or a

“ ' ” ' mil d m H e sn nsket zl l or de f r u pses. is or

“ ’ “ ' H e sl ob H e mu ll is hangin a . is hangin a soor

“ ’ ' e n on un zn (mool ) . H was u c m lfepp i de

' H e k u st H e dr be j him up in a is a o body, etc . This list is not supposed to exhaust the subject . I m shall explain a few of these expressions, of which so e m refer purely to the ind , others to the way of utterance,

m r t others again , and that is the ajo i y, to face and

“ ’ ' H e k aar z attitude, as revealing sulkiness . is i de ( )

' ” ” koor zs 0 H oorikoor is com (F . and is a

oor or oor z pound word , the first part of which is

“ ” or a r m ( Icelandic ), eaning a senseless state, akin to

“ ” r is koo Scotch oo ie ; and the second part the root r ,

’ H s signifying a state between waking and sleeping. e

’ ’ lyin i de hoorikooris is or iginally applied to a person

- - r half wake and half asleep in the mo ning, before getting

out of bed , and as he is then generally sulky, the ex

m r pression is ost often applied in this latte meaning.

“ We find both words also in the expressions to sit

' '

k r zn r . oor zn or oo (nodding, half asleep) owe de fire The

“ ’ ’ ” Yell expression lyin up i de hel oor has a similar

N . lzel . O . origin . The word (Engl hell) is in applied vaguely to the realm of death or the world beyond the

lzel oor r earth . A person in the is thus prope ly 40 D D L THE OL SHETLAN DIA ECT.

s - peaking a half dreaming person whose thoughts a re

t m r wandering away ; hen it eans a pe son , who will not speak , of which unwillingness sulkiness is most often the “ ' cause . A t r ozns/zket body is proper ly a person who m tr on i s s u N . akes a , which mean a long no t (O .

’ and is most often applied to the pig s snou t .

’ Tr ot nsnket is sometimes used also in the meaning

r depressed , in a depressed mood . There a e three ex pressions besides, taken from the way in which one m H ' . e mn n e forms the outh, when one is sulky is l/ ppzn

' m N mu - O . . n n r l z (Fe) co pound of , mouth, and ep or

' ” l z a r i pp , signifying a big lip ; the exp ess on literally

“ ’ m : m - He s eans he is aking a big mouth lip . hangin

” ” “ “ H e a sl eb ; sleb is a big lip . is hangin a soor ” “ l ' N . mzél z m ma ll mool O . or ; mul , mool ( ) eans a

- big down hanging mouth, and is usually applied to the mouth of a horse (especially) or cow. The same word

s - - occur in several place names, applied to rounding down

m r u l et headlands (or similar for ations of land). T ly

“ ” t r u ll et t r ul slzket m t row - ( y ) and originally ean y like,

r m tr u l l O . N . tr oll derived f o y , , in the old language m signifying trow (troll) or fairy, in odern Shetlandic

r an untidy being . As the trows we e always supposed to be both sulky and untidy beings, the words t r a l ly et

“ h ave m and trnl slz/eet acquired both these eanings . H e 41 THE OLD SHETLAND DI ALECT .

’ ’ dmmoet twa rtree (two or three) words oot o him

“ mm H e he spoke the words out in a low dru ing way.

’ ” r ded a o oot o him, ( ) he growled , spoke so low, that one him 5 could barely hear , ( ) he spoke nonsense ; in both

m N In ota O . . senses derived fro f , to emit rough sounds ,

“ ” m * D r l r : . o to growl, to sno e, also to rush to tu ble o

(U) is akin to English drooping and means or iginally

w u bent down , with bent do n head and sho lders,

m I“ I e k ust which position often acco panies sulkiness . j

“ h im da l hol t or : k u st du lh oit up in (intill) a , he j a

” h im r m ower , is a No th Isles expression and eans

“ : w - m literally he thre a hiding hat over hi self, which

- N . r O . phrase occurs in , whe e the word for hiding hat

- - is dy l nottr or na ttr . The phrase which originally m refers to agic is in Shetland generally applied to a. person who under some pretence refu ses to do anything

i s r Th e - he is h dden or h a p omised to do . hiding hat thus ironically refers to the person ’s pretended excuse as a cover over his sulkiness . In no point does the Shetland dialect reveal a greater wealth and flexibility than in regard to expressions for the different states of weather and sea . Hundreds of words and phrases concerning these

The same wor d is in modern Icelandic Mal ta ) and in Shetlandic

’ ' ’ " r d om ( oe) c monly applied to small tight rain he s r odzn oot o h im. F 42 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

subjects can be traced back to the old Norn . I merely f mention this act, as the subjects are too vast to enter upon here.

s A great many Norn words urvive in compounds,

e a re r that is to say, th y neithe used nor understood

r singly, while two such wo ds but together as a com

in mm pound may be co on use and applied rightly.

few m it I shall mention a of the , as tends to illustrate M the process of the dying of a language. ost of these words at one time belonged to the most commonly

na a used daily words . Thus, while f is preserved, applied m originally to the ocean , now ore specially the deep sea

fishin - -r g grounds, the general Norn word for sea, s ,

“ ' u for : snoorm is lost . Still this occ rs in instance de zl ,

“ r - r that is : the ebb or fo e sho e, literally sea mark

' mzl m r shoo meaning sea, and a k, which latter word

' summer mzl of mm occurs also in , the first day su er

’ ’ - i th . slzoo zl tze (the summer half year), the 4 of April De p ,

“ ” - N or th ma vin e m literally : sea boy, is a na e for the

“ ” re n n l e water spirit, called in the st of Shetland de j gg

- and in Scotland the water kelpie.

Un st is an old , now obsolete, expression , literally

” “ fisher meaning between sea and banks . It was a

’ s m m men s phrase. A fi her an, co ing from the limpet

r ebb and asked whe e he had been , did not like to give 43 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

a straightforward answer—it might prove unlucky

and therefore answered in th e above - mentioned round

about way, that he had been between sea and banks

“ “ a mil l a ( shoo sea , y between , bakka banks) .

adna s/zoor An is a Foula expression , literally meaning “ a second or alternate sea ” and applied to a few big

e waves in succession , running ashor and followed by a

A n na r s r lull , and so on . , econd , occu s besides in

“ ” adnash oor in the old Yell expression , now obsolete :

’ ’ ” a nn a w ha r t he s blawin y it is an uneven wind ,

” a nn a wh a rt : y being literally second every, that is m m every second mo ent blowing, every second oment

'

. a n n zs 12 ed a dna set calm Further, in ( ) or , applied to a two year old lamb or a lamb in its second year and in some places to the second lamb of a ewe

' ' ' M a mzll z . zl l or the second calf of a cow y , , between or

' ' ' ' noosa mzl a skotta or skozta m among, occurs in ly and zll z

' ” k a ta mz l z k r ooa : hoosamill s r oo (sk t l s Fe) . To geng ya m m is to go a ong the houses, carrying gossip fro the one

“ to the other ; to rin skot ta mill isk roo is an old hide- and

skotta milliskroo m : seek game, eaning literally to run

“ skatta m skroos to and fro (Icel . ) a ong the or corn

- * N . sk r z . a O . é G st cks ( f ) in the corn yard round , delved

“ " The or to ri n h as bee a e because the m a w d n dd d , e ning of ” skotta is lost . 44 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . the second year out of lay is gener ally called a ttzfi l (d) or

' 1 a ttz l s m Fet l ar a n fi , but in so e places (as d Westside) it is

' a l ta r/el m a ttzvel t called or , which is nearer the original

: a t r -vel ta t N a O . . tr form) p , at i , atta ( p ) meaning “ ” again , anew, and velta delving or a delved piece of

' ’ ‘

. Gor a O . N . a r ar w r ground ( g ) , dyke ( all) or ya d , occurs

' or stz - in g , dyke stead , foundation of an old dyke, which word is also applied (in some places) to a division

' t wo - r m . orsz mens between corn rigs Furthe in g , that is

” m r yard si mens, strong ropes for secu ing (fastening) the

' szmmen - r hay and the corn in the yard ( , straw ope, is

' “ N sl mz O . . th e suffix ed , band ; n is definite article) ;

’ to g or i nr d de com (U and Fe) : to put the

' l : rd N . nzr da a O. corn into the yard ( , , is properly to keep,

r to secure) . In Unst it is said about a person who eithe

“ r r eats a g eat deal or talks a g eat deal , that he has a

k olka —nan : guid (good) j , which literally means skill in ‘ l N k k a = ski l . N . dlkz k s O. . olka O . t the jaws ( j from j , jaw ; )

’ ” k znn r kin - fish , cheek, su vives in Shetland in the word ,

th e B k ol ka the fleshy part of cheek of a fish . oth j

“ ” and kin occur in place - names and denote a piece of

m r m steep banks, bearing so e ese blance to a cheek

“ ” N l lk l ee/z - O . . , corpse , is preserved in strae, the straw

r - under the co pse in the death bed , and in the expressions

“ ‘ m a s : cal a leek , applied to the sea, and within de

46 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

‘ or d r es a r - a st com j , earth, occu s in the expr sion to y f de , ” is : r e de hay, de boat, etc . , that to secu the corn , etc . ,

m r : against stor s and sudden gales, p operly to fasten it

n r m w ei th s dow to the ea th by eans of g , stones) further in the expression to y a r -poa n de r u iff (roof) (Fe) : to

” - oa n tw o r s s double p , to put on laye s of od (in thatch

u er r P oa n me ing) and not the sual lay of st aw. ans

“ ” r r sod , g een turf for thatching, and is p obably derived

dn N . s n . O . from p , shingle

Finally it will be necessary to enter a little u pon the

r a re u t class of wo ds which sed figuratively, hat is to say which are lost in their or iginal sen se and a re now applied only to things which originally have been likened to the

u m r things the names stood for. There is a n be of old

u r r words applied joc la ly to thin and lean co n , but few of

m r r s . these wo d literally ean thin , lean co n The list is

' “ ” ' a ndz or n a a sk lzee fj fiend (U) fj gg (fl g ) or fl (Fe) , g

neckl e nen /al e i } n a k/zet (Du), , n corn ,

’ ' a a dao eesker sna a W s s si zl a g (U), p (U), g ( e t ), standin

' str zns or str et r tn em (Du), og og co n gg o (Y,

ull a - F u t t a . obsolete), o, e y pluck (Y) j gg,

” “ ” m m r a a f usk ff. fj g, j properly ean light e pty (ai y) stu Th ese words also signify haz e or a slight obscur ation of

r ken l a H o w . the sky. enkel is akin to N g , barely to k H " N e ban . O . . u together o is y, mould, a mo ldy or 4 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 7

r O adoo musty cove ing . g (properly weed among the

corn , in which sense it is still used in Y) is derived from — ' ' N . a kr ddz a k r ddz : . O . , where signifies corn field , plant

“ ” ' “ ” Stil k s lk l k tr ins ta N . stz r a O . . S ( y ) is , stalk og is

“ r m N m u em O . . . T de ived fro y, tow, hards gg o is in t m i Un s f. . applied to a thick swar , of birds or midges, in

” : t u em the expression As tick as gg o. The word is

m mos N . tlzoka m » . O . compounded of , ist, fog, and g, Norw ,

“ ’ mm r - Aith stin 0 m r su e colt. In g a lock g is jocula ly applied to a quantity of small useless things (a lot of

“ m sm m mm s all potatoes, all sillocks, a ore co on

“ ’ m mu r r 0 m : ter is , a lock urr (in the North Isles

mn dder sm ), applied to all things (potatoes,

: sm r originally all particles, dust particles, No w. and Icel .

” ” = mo m N mddr mor . T t a r O . . mudder fro ) n, e is in

Aith stin g applied to old gr ass the word is derived from

- m N . to . r O. , tangled wool Ullya pluck prope ly eans

“ - m N u l l R r O . . . oe wool pluck , f o , wool In North the

or as m word is applied to wool , hair feathers re ains of

r the carcase of an animal or bi d .

A great many words a re applied figuratively to an

- or odd looking person , a big and stout untidy person

(more especially a woman), a tall and thin fellow, etc .

An odd - looking person is called in Un st and Yell a

' “ Iz ok n n z m n j fi , which ea s properly somebody or some 48 THE OLD SHETLAND DIAL ECT .

r m ka n n n n en thing found in a bu ial ound , Norw. gf

“ - - h a N [ta n r o m . O . . ( hill found g , Shetlandic j g , hill, ound

In Nor wegian the word lt a ngfu n n en is sometimes applied m m . to an odd , so ewhat deranged person An odd , s all

“ and squar e - built person wa s in Fetl ar called a t r a ayll

- - n a n l n r r : at O . N . t r d l f g (p ope ly thrall captive,

' ” A oota vzd body (U) is a person of strange behaviour (a

m r : person shunning co pany), prope ly a person from the

' ' da r r s n tvzdd utor . waste or wilde ne s, Norw. , The wo d

“ r r lite ally a big boulde , piece of rock , 1 is m applied to a big cl u msy woman . Such a wo an is also

' ' dzk H st k fi sta /é husta k soa dz soa . a called a e , and , o

“ “ ” - di . N sata m soa O . literally eans hay stack and is ,

r - - m anothe word for a hay stack . A square shaped wo an

' ‘

da . stceda Un st stu ddzk . st is in called a (Norw o , Icel , pile,

' r r e -ka zr l m stack). A g eat gj o or gy is a big and tall wo an ;

'

N . r originally the words signify giantess (O. gyg ;

'

N . ker l zn . r kairl O . is g , old wife) An untidy pe son is

ll N t r oll r tr n O . . called a y ( , t oll the Shetlandic word for

“ troll is Scotch A dr uy ll s/zl a ag et (t r nyll s/zl a ag et)

” r u r - u c eat e (Y), properly trow struck (str ck by a

I t ma be see rom th e use of t s or t at th e t ra s war y n f hi w d, h h ll ( captives) of th e ancient Shetland vikings have been generally of smaller siz e than their conquerors and masters.

' “ r mea s o r N u r ea of ou ers ou a Izn dzn b e O . . d b . 1 In F l n uld ( , h p ld )

-i th x d t a rt n is e suffi e defini e icle. 49 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

signifies the same as the above mentioned hj ok

” “ ’ fin n i hul i n . A big and stout fellow is called a g o a f w b Izol e ellow, here ulgin is Norw. g , wisp of hay,

“ bundle of straw ( hallow, windlin) , also applied jocularly

N r a t - er r ek r a t O . . r s to a big fellow. A f ( p , rafter) and a p

s u r er m r r O . N . s or p (Du) ( p , rafte ) both denote a tall and t hin person . An animal whose upper jaw projects beyond the

' abesh ot a eshot lower one is commonly called g (g p ),

“ A ith stin m t oossz w but the old g na e is a , hich is

'

tl mssz . N . O. goblin , troll A wild ungovernable

' ' m m toosszk toossz w child is so eti es called a or p, hich is

” - m s the same word as the afore entioned toos i .

Fetl a r m a edemu r In bad butter was so etimes called f/ ,

’ - O . N . ezt r which really means (fat) tallow (from f , fat, m or r . and , tallow)

There is a number of jocular words denoting a very

'

i . z b a f. r tzn small person , specially a (small) child , j (U) ;

' ’ ' ' eer epz (Du) ffor ek (U) (a) n os/ ng zr t (ting) (Du) og ag ot

’ ’ ' ' oomzk oor zk oor mzk oor mel a a tzn (C) ; ( (C) , (U) ; p y

’ ’ steevi n tud tna dzk ( U) ; (C) or (Fe, etc .

’ ' bzr tzn - r B art in . j is the same word as Icel g , a species

- m r . N O . b a r t r of trout (named fro the bright colou ; j ,

“ ” ' - ma N . d z Q in O . . zé bright) omik( ) is g , a helpless being (

“ ” un ma i f the denying prefix g rom the root mag, G 50 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

ormik oormel signifying strength, power O and

“ r N ar m- r O . . mean literally a (little) wo m ( ), but are

”

m. e 1 . Re . steevin se . 8 never applied to a wor g , p ” t uddik - N . tu tt r d rfi h O . wa s . Tud ( ) is , a being

” r dasta b A o is a figurative expression , used in

Fetl a r and applied to a per son who does not care to move out of the way, a person who is always standing ’ w in one s way, when one is anxious to get on ith any

r f kind of work . The wo d o ten occurs in the expression

“ ” r da sta o to stand or sit laek (like) a o , but nobody is able

r to tell , what the word in this connection eally means The only explanation is this within the memory of old Shetland people the larger vertebrae or joints of the spine of some big whale were used as seats, instead of

N o N . . w O . stools , in the name is applied to a

sta b N . certain kind of big whale, and (O . stabbi) signifies

r c r any block used as a seat. In Fa oe su h stabs f oma

’ whale s spine are still to be found used as seats, and they

‘ are called r oydr a rsta bba r (evidently the same word as

r dastab Of o course such a stab could not move, and the application of the word to a motionless person is

“ ddera tn b . r u s r obvious A (obsolete, U), applied jocula ly to a small thickset person (child), is another form of ” rodastab.

Such figurative application of words indicates, that 51 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

they have reached their dying stage. Every dying speech is full ofexpressions ofthis kind . I shall mention

: two words, which are on the way to be used figuratively

' Ousker r z as a name for the boat - scoop is not yet obsolete, but it is growing obsolete . In some places in Shetland it is now chiefly applied to a big clumsy woman (a great ’ “ ouskerri o a wife ) and very little used in its original

' lt obra n bo u meaning . A muckle , a great ugly bra is

s f. i. Roe in some place in Shetland ( N . ) applied to a big, boh " repulsive looking person , but ran really means

shark (Norw . in which sense it is still used

Hobran in other parts of the country. contains the

“ ” - h N Izoe fis O . . word , the Shetland name for the dog (

Izd Iza a . r . f , Norw ) I have hitherto in this lecture almost exclusively treated single words and not contexts in which the old

r language appea s as spoken . There are a few nursery

' ' ’ ’

dzks ddzk N . a a oa u s O . t rhymes, two or three riddles (g , g ; g ) w m and a fe other s all fragments in Norn preserved, although in a very much corr upted state (some of them

n f are hopelessly corrupted) . An old ursery rhyme rom

u t Foula, a rhyme for frightening nruly, disobedien children , runs thus

h et a a ect e commo ta s f r In t e Sh l nd di l wif nly s nd o woman . 52 THE OLD SHETLAND DIAL ECT .

' S kel a komzna r eena t oona

sw a r ta fiesta ol etta br oona ,

' ' ' f omtzn a (fi bmta n ) ka a l a a n df omtzna (fi amta n ) bj a dnzs

a kw a a r a lza a l a .

The translation runs thus A skekkel (that is to say some sort of bogie or fabulous animal) has come riding

“ ” to the toon on a black hor se with a white spot on w its bro ,with fifteen tails, and with fifteen children on ” m each tail . This fabulous ani al is here called a

k kk l r i s e e . The word, which o ig nally signifies a bogie, is still used in Yell and Fetla r to denote a str aw guiz ard

' Un st uiz ards r l zks r (masker) . In these g are called g o , f om

r kekke l . N . r l a o s O . g y , signifying a bogie The way to treat children when they will not be quiet is mentioned in a nursery r hyme belonging to Un st :

’ ' B a n m zkka teea y l ,

ta k a n l e en gg ,

sl o a n we en g gg ,

’ ' bay n ml zkke teea .

“ m : Translated , this eans The child will not be quiet ; take him by the leg, and strike him against the wall,

” if the child will not be quiet. As the third specimen of conversational Norn , I shall mention a riddle or

” goadik belonging to Un st and given me by M r j ohn

r L I vine, erwick

54 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. view to the publication of an etymological glossary or dictionary of the old Shetland dialect, may do some thing to preser ve the remains of this now dying speech

The success of these resear ches is in gr eat measure due to the kind hospitality and readiness to assist me with

which I have met during my travels in the islands .

THE OLD SHETLAND PLACE-NAMES .

- m N dealing with the Shetland place na es , the first

thing that strikes one is the gr eat abundance of

m r r these na es . Nea ly every hill , b ae and knoll ,

m r every valley and glen , every loch , burn and a sh, every

“ headland , ness and point , every bay and bight, voe

“ ” r e e o and wick , eve y pi c of banks, every gj (cleft, inlet), every rock and “ craig every holm and rock in

“ r r the sea (stack , skerry and baa eve y c oft and farm,

“ every cor n however small a patch of gr ound it

- ma r fish in &c . y be , eve y g ground , , has its own distinctive A name. few places have undoubtedly had names,

r which are now lost, especially by depopulation of ce tain

r m dist icts, and also to so e extent by the giving up of old

“ “ Rock at th e s ore rom c s ocks a nd iltocks th e h , f whi h ill p (

- young coa l fish ) a re drawn .

“ - ld 1 Sma ll piece of corn fie . H THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

habits, in connection with which place- names were kept

. m etl a r a up The s all island of F alone , ccording to what

M r . L W m Mid rm me aurence illia son of Yell info s , con

- m r tains about two thousand place na es . The e is

s w e r nothing wonderful in thi , when conside the habits

m f m r r s and odes of life of or e gene ations . In the pa t

m u m r e t people oved abo t ore f quen ly in the open air,

r r often to conside able distances, and were not sc upulous

m r m in counting the nu be of iles they had to walk . The

r sheep then , as now, pastured on the hills the whole yea

re t round and we allowed to wander about as hey liked .

As sheep - pasture in olden times was of almost equal importance with the fishing (nearly every poor body

e m e m r own d so e sheep) , the sh ep and la bs had to be ca e

on e r fully looked after. Then , pe son would very often

“ m m r m du m ask so e one, co ing f o the hills, Did see y

’ ” ‘ ' ‘ mooret hog ony way ? or : Did du see my bl aiget

” ’ ‘ dest r een P or du wi m yowe , Did licht in y kat

’ s moget gimmer ? &c . If every spot in the hill had t m it m m not had a dis inctive na e, would so eti es have

r f u s proved ve y di fic lt to tell the exact pot, where the

But th e sheep wer e seen . exact spot could always be indicated .

W mmer - mm e hen the su half year co enc d , that is

t m er r in the spring i e, the cattle w e d iven to the hills to 59 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ pasture there, till the harvest was over ; then the okri

* ” : r garth was slipped , that is the animals we e allowed to come in on the toons or crofts and eat the remain

- ing corn stubble with the grass among it on the fields .

But r w m when pastu ing on the hills, the co s would ove

m r about, shifting fro place to place, so a gi l going with

m - m m —for her ilk kit to the hills to ilk the , going to the hills to milk the cows was customary in former times — during the summer season would often ask some one

m r coming fro that qua ter, if he or she had seen their kye,

r Of r and where they we e seen . cou se, they had gener m ally been seen so ewhere . And the ponies too had to be looked after then as

now. And besides, there were the swine . They were

m but not kept always at ho e as nowadays, went loose m on the hills in the su mer time, and they needed to be m looked after as well as the other ani als mentioned .

. t r Finally, there were the geese The looking af e and m — seeking for all these ani als sheep, cattle, ponies,

—c m swine, geese aused the people to be on the ove con tin ua ll y, to and fro, through the hills, and consequently m they would co e to know every spot in the vicinity, and m then of course na es would arise.

The craig fishing, the going to the craigs or shore

“ ” “ ” k m far or - — r : ro . . a c field art e o ur O i f O N , n ; g h ncl s e. 60 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ “ iltocks rocks to draw sillocks and p , was followed

r to a far greater extent fo merly than now. The Shet

- land coast is thickly lined with ancient craig seats, rocks

“ ” and stacks bearing ancient names. As it would often be discussed among people before or in going t o the

r r craigs, which place it would be best to go to, whe e the e would be prospect of getting most sillocks and pil tock s

the f s f r that night, dif erent eats would soon get dif e ent names . The fishing seats near the shore or at the

” r t r m r r haaf we e bound to get hei na es too, as the e we e so many of them and differen t seats had to be visited on differ ent occasions .

r t o s e t r It is ha dly necessary tat , hat the g eat major ity of place - names in Shetland a re derived from

o r e W th e Norn ancient Norw gian language . hile the

Norn speech gr adually gave way befor e Scotch and

t t r m e me su English , and the old conversa ional e s b ca p

- m s m e planted by new, the place na e aintain d their f a r e u to . ground . The reasons not so di fic lt find Place names a re not so liable to change as conver sational words one par ticular name thr ough t ime sticks to one

r s e me particula pot, so the connection b tween a na and

- the place it repr esents is far closer than the connection

' between a conver sational wor d and the art icle it repre se a s r is nts, the wo d applied to any article of that

62 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

as m of. few words, the Norse names are co posed To give an instance : There are in the old Shetland

r ff No n , upwards of twenty di erent words denoting a

: r height hill , knoll , or brae, according to the va ying

s r shapes of such heights. All the e words occu in place

th e m names of present day, each na e denoting a certain m or . form of hill , brae, knoll Further, there are ore than half a score of word s denoting different kinds of

- m inlets of the sea . The Shetland place na es are essen

ia l l t m t y descriptive, tha is to say the na e of a place is m r r m or m r ost often de ived f o one ore wo ds, describing

its situation or nature . The first thing to be done in trying to make out meanings of old place- names is to enquire particular ly about the situation of the place in

question , the aspect of the ground , etc . As far as ability to describe th e places by means of names is con

r cerned , the old language was vastly supe ior to the m r odern language, as it possessed a far g eater variety of words to express minute shades in difference of mean

r s ing. This quality which is ve y often conspicuou in the numerous old sea and weather expressions is equally pro

- m minent in the place na es. To translate an old Shetland place- name into the English language would often re

u m m q ire a circu locution or so any words, that it would

have to be called a definition and not a translation . 63 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

B ut do then the languages grow poorer and poorer in their tran sition from an older to a more modern stage

m r Fro one point of view they do, f om another point of

W - a view they grow richer. hile popular education now

r m r m days is acquired through books, it was in fo e ti es

r h m acqui ed t rough nature, outside life. This ade the old languages r icher in r egard to gener al expression s for

u m m the vario s natural pheno ena, but the develop ent of the various branches of tr ade and science has made the moder n languages abound in pr ofessional and technical

r r is h e te ms, (not in gene al use). This one of t things which make complete dictionaries of modern languages so bulky.

H ardly any old Shetland place- names have been traced with certainty to any other language than the

* Nor n ; but still it is possible through a study of the

- m r Norn place na es to get a peep at an ea lier period .

We find the settlements of the ancient Irish mission

“ Pa a e aries, the p popes or Culdees, recorded in

- l a n dndma - some Shetland place names. The book or

” r book of settlement, describing the discove y of Iceland contains the following But before Iceland was

m r peopled by the North en , there we e in the country

One or two Celtic personal -na mes (na mes of sa ints) a re contained in

- Shetla nd place names. 64 THE OLD SHETLAN D DIALECT.

m m r those men , who the North en called Papa . They

r r men we e Ch istian , and the people believed , that they

r m r came f o the west, because I ish books and bells and

r r t m m t s c osie s were found after he and still ore hing , by

m r - men which one ight know, that they we e west west

” men r mfo r h e is the old No se ter t Irish . ) That was found

” ' th e s r P a P a l z in i land of Easte ppy and in pj . It is

m m r also entioned in English books, that at that ti e the e

r es was inte course between these countries . Th e same

” r s th e e r p ie ts or papas, as Norwegians call d these ea ly

Irish missionaries who went ou t befor e the viking per iod

e r t r s t o in order to conv t the hea hens, have thei vi it

Shetland r ecor ded in the name P apa the big

” ” - = r N . P a r island of the p iests Papa being O. p ¢y p iest

” “ ” N sta - r r : a r O . . r r u P a isle, stoo big, ) ; f the in p little,

' P a zl r H B rr p (No th Yell aroldswick , U u a Isle) , which

” ’ m t - l N . P a l z P a b O . a na e is a con raction of Papa n , pj , p

’ ” ' ” l : h e N bol b l z or r s h e a b z t i O . . t ae j bal ( , j ) e idence of p p .

” The same wor d papa occu r s in the old name of th e

” r es Fetl a r P a il - r e e loch of T ta in , p wate , b sid s which

- r r there is an old church site . The g eat I ish missionar y

m t r r St Colu ba, who lived in the sixth cen u y, di ected his

r special attention to the conversion of the no thern Picts.

M r Gilber t Goudie h a s suggested that a t race of his

omm but rr ou s t t u r C only ( e one sly) pel S o . THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 65

' name is to be found in the place - name Cl n ml ze (for

” ol uml ie C : D u n C , eltic a township in

* n ss of ross e . The name another missionary who lived f R in the ourth century, St Ninian , or popularly St ingan ,

’ is found in the name of a peninsula called St Ringan s

”

D un rossn ess. Isle, on the west side of This isle, or

rather peninsula, contains the ruins of an old chapel , said to have been dedicated to St Ringan or Ninian .

But what r ace of people did these early missionaries labour among here in Shetland ? One would naturally M think of the Picts . any myths about the Picts linger

in Shetland , but they are no real guide to us, as they are mostly of Scottish origin , not original Shetland myths.

” The origin of the brochs, whether they are Pictish or o Norse structures , has been disputed , alth ugh some of the arguments advanced are strongly in favour of the Pictish

no n theory. Still there is proof of any contact betwee

But few Picts and Norsemen in Shetland . there are a

- place names, in which we probably find the Picts com

’ for P t - ed e t r . memorat . The old Norn word Pict is The name Pentland firth is a corruption of Pett

” aith land firth, which pronunciation still survives in C

’ Orkne in a P ettl a n ness . In the y g Saga the name is ds

” See Re e ues of the aroc a benefices of et a v n p hi l Sh l nd , p . 302 , in ” Procee s of the oc et of t uar es of cot a r 1 1 ding S i y An iq i S l nd, Ap il 4, 884. I 6 6 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

‘ br dr m r fi , which eans Pictlands fi th, Pictland being the

n old name for Scotland . O the border of D el tin g and

P ett a w a ter Tingwall parishes is a loch called . The

mm r i ediate neighbou hood of that loch, the valley P etti da l e m r , has fro old been d eaded as a place particularly haunted by trows. It was never thought safe to pass

P et wa t r th e e ta e at night. In yes of the Norwegians there would certainly be something myster ious about these Picts whose language would be unintelligible and

u m r whose ways and c sto s would be st ange to them. It is therefore quite natural that the Picts in the Nor se

a s m m traditions by and by, these traditions beca e ore

r indistinct, were identified with t olls, and p laces origin ally inhabited or frequ ented by them came to be looked upon as places where descendants of this or iginal r ace still

r r r e linge ed on in th e shape of t rolls . The e a still tra ditions r ff th e linge ing in Shetland to the e ect, that Picts

m r P ettida l e u beca e trolls. And egarding in partic lar an

- D eltin r m me old South g woman info ed , that according to an old local tradition the place in ancient times had been inhabited by Picts who were changed in the way m Of r e entioned . cou se she had no id a as to a possible

me u m derivation of the na in q estion fro the Picts . In

” N orthmavin e U ea r is r Pettidal e , near y , the e anothe , w th e r hich valley, and especially burn running th ough THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 67

f e of h it, has rom olden time be n considered one t e

— r avi n most troll haunted places in N o thm ne. O the

east side of Wh al say there is a hill called P ettzga rt/zs

ell f , in the neighbourhood of which the trolls were

often heard fiddling, singing and dancing. In the

north of Un st there are some places which may from

th e m nature of their na es show traces of the Picts.

A t of ax avord Bur r a firth the back S hill , in the banks,

” is there a place called de P ettasmog . The word smo N mo a smu a s O . . s g ( g , g ) means first a narrow pas

a - of age, then hiding place or place refuge (in Dun

' ” rossness Ka ttzsmo s there is a place called de g , which

’ “ : - Pettasmo means the wild cat s hiding holes). g in

“ Unst is a piece of banks not too steep to be des c n w n e ded. Sheep often go do n there on the gree patches and a re not able to get up again . People can get down ther e better than anywhere else in the neigh bourh ood and can at the same time remain quite unseen from above . The only plausible etymology of the name

” ’ Pettasmog is the Picts hiding-place or (place of)

” On of S ax avord d refuge. the top hill an undergroun entrance was discovered, according to what an old Nor w ick man told me, and in connection with this it may be worth mentioning, that according to old legends the 68 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

Sax avord top of has always been a habitation for trolls.

“ " C m of Littl atoo Every year at hristmas ti e the trolls ,

” of Sax avord of Muckl atoo on the top , and the trolls , on the top of Kl eberswick betwee n Haroldswick and Nor wick, would visit each other to had Yule in company.

“ ’ ” so- An underground dwelling, or called Picts house,

f F ael o was ound at j , in the hill f Hoosifel l above H ar

oldswick . of The walls were built very big stones, set

t a n on edge, the one above the o her, and according to

’ old record from I 73 1 a so- called Picts house was found

of Hoosavord the W on the top , now called art of

a N orwick . But the place of main import nce in this

” e far connection is de W , which is not very away from

” ax avord the P ettasmog. North past S the land draws

narrow and juts out into a point, terminating in the

On e ax avord Noup. this point betwe n S and the Noup

' the ground in one place rises up fromall sides to a con

l e h t siderab e height, st ep on the east side, but wit a pret y

r gentle slope towards the west, rounding to the no th east

and south west. The top forms a circular flat space.

ra This is the place de O , which means ear or lug, and

’ ” C ra e on its top, called de roon o de O , has be n an old

- I of Ora broch building . n the western slope the , an ’ f underground room or Picts house was ound, dug out by

e the lat Mr j ames Hay of Haroldswick. I ts walls were,

70 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

r the byre, whe e a fairy was sitting, milking one of his

r off cows. The fai y on hearing this immediately left

“ ’ ” r Oh m milking and c ied , dat s y bairn , whereupon she

m n fled , leaving the pan she was ilki g into . This pan was kept in the house of Taft and caused the house to

r Fivl a prosper ever afte wards . In this old myth is the

’ ” r Fivl a name of the t oll s child , but at one time has

mm r - been a co on t oll name in old fairy legends, both

or n r Shetlandic and Scandinavian . In the old N the wo d

z ll f fi is applied to a person who behaves like a fool , a

“ ” or r z a m ll clown , boo and f fi eans to behave like a flfi

n l er or fool . O the west side of Shetland the word fij is

me still used to denote a foolish person . The aning of

“ ” ’ ’ Fivla gord will thus be : the fools or clowns dyke.

n Crussifell B O the top of , a hill between altasound H and aroldswick , are three concentric circles, ancient

- r dyke steads, which place has by certain autho s been

e connected with Druidical worship . The nam of the

“ Fi vl a - r place is de tree , which points to a pre No se

r origin . The e is no reason to suppose, that the names

“ “ ” Fivl a and Fivl agord ar e not as old as any of th e

- rt Un st in habi place names in the No h of , and the early tants who gave these places their names would not have

given such mocking and derogatory names to erections

- th at they knew were made by their own fore fathers. L 1 THE OLD SHETLAND DIA ECT . 7

Among theories to explain these names the most plausible one would seem to be that of a Pictish occupa

Fivl a ord a r e f tion of the place. The trolls of g there ore

' P et zna /za z not unlikely to be descendants of Picts. t S go is another instance of the name Pett. The place so

“ n called is a bight i South Yell . Pettina is an old mm m " gra atical for of Pett, being the possessive plural

” su ffix ed th e t N with the definite article of Pic s (O. .

’ ha i o P etta n n a . S ) The meaning of g is as yet doubtful . The brochs or “ Picts’ castles ” are commemorated

- i . B u r a r /z m m f. r t u in any place na es, fi (U , B r r a

Roe Bu r r a l a n d voe N . B u r r a n ess (Y, ), (De),

' B u r a w a ter W B u r a ta zn g (Sandness and alls), g g (N .

“ B r Roe B . N ba r O . a r ), where urra u ga is g , the

b or r R . e . B possessive form of g , b och, castle g urra

” r S a mbu r isle hereafte (see Index) . g (Du) means

- - south broch (sun n borg ) .

Mentioning of the Picts su ggests a mentioning of

wh o in h the Finns, the Norway Finns, were the early abi tants of the Scandinavian peninsula prior to the Norse m m conquest . The numerous yths about the , still linger m ing in Shetland , ake one inclined to think, that they have been in these islands, but whether they have been here as an original and independent race or not, we have

t w as n o means of knowing . I customary among the 2 7 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

Norsemen to ta ke their servants or thralls from among the captives made by them in war, and as Finnish

thralls were commonly kept by the Norwegians, there is reason for believing that they were kept also by

* the Norse settlers in Shetland . The Finn seems to be commemorated in one place- name at least (possibly more) in Shetland . It is the name of an ancient dyke

etl ar stead in F , about which an old myth is told . My attention was drawn to this by M r Laurence Williamson

Kol ta f of Mid Yell . The guidman bens t in the north west of Fetl ar did not have a sufficiently good dyke around his property to keep away the sheep which broke

ne i in continually and destroyed his corn . O n ght when he went to bed , he expressed the wish, that a dyke sufficient to keep off the troublesome animals might be standing in the morning, when he awoke, even if he

for . r should give his best cow it Next mo ning, when he went out, he found a splendid new dyke standing where

e he had wished it, and at the same time his b st cow had

of disappeared fr om the byre. Parts the stead of this dyke still remain, and it can be traced all the way to

Fetl ar Hoobie on the south side of . There are a few legends told about places, situated alongside this dyke t stead , and the spot where it terminates on the sou h side

th e or traa l fan in 8. Cf. w d y g p. 4 3 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 7

of f - the island has been rom old a noted troll place. The

name of this dyke or dykestead at the present day is

“ ' ' ” Fzn n z z But de g rt dyke. the old name is simply

' ’ “ ” F zn n z o ffi in g rd the Finns dyke. The su x dyke

Finn i irt - om a g dyke thus c es to be a tautology,

modern addition caused " by ignorance of the word

“ ” gord . As the Finns were from early times believed

o by the Norwegians to possess great magic p wer, and as

s o ff there are several old myth ab ut them to this e ect, the

just mentioned Fetl ar legend is in favour of deriving the

“ m in n i o na e F g rd from the Finns. There can be no

connection at all between this Finn igirt -dyke and the

Fetl ar township in called Finnie, as this latter is situated

at the other end of the island .

fa r few - Thus about the place names, containing pro

- r bable pre Norse traces in Shetland . I now tu n to other

mor e common kinds of place- names and begin with the

far class which is by most comprehensive, that is the one

r f containing places, named acco ding to the orm of the

M of - land . ost the Shetland place names, as before mentioned , contain in themselves a description of the places they are applied to. I divide this class of names

- into sub divisions, taking first the various kinds of inland heights (hills, braes and hillocks) , then the level ground and the various kinds of valleys, glens and hollows, then R 74 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ m of or the various for ations the shore banks, then the m various indentations of the sea, and finally the s all i r slands and ocks in the sea along the coast. There are in the Shetland place - names betwee n twenty and thirty m words standing for hill or height, each word ost often denoting a certain shape of a height—and by compound

m ofth ese r ing so e wo ds. two and two, the language is able to express two or more characteristics of a place in one name.

M F H NA ES O INLAND EIGHTS .

N ell a ll m m O . . f , fj , eaning fell , ountain or high hill , occurs pretty frequently in Shetland . Standing alone

“ it usually takes the for m of fj a e There are some

m a el townships, which go by the na e of Ej , because

I they are situated at the foot of such hills, ( , in

Unst 2 R n is H aroldswick, , on the south side of ro hill,

Roe H Fetl ar . O North ; 3 , in de erra , ) riginally some “ d preposition has been prefixed , as on or under ( ,

' u ndzr which preposition has been dropped after

' of Vell z wards . The name the township y (situated on a height) in Fetl ar is probably derived fr om the same

' ' “ d u n dzr l l z N . e word : fell (O . or f , on or under the In compounds the form “ fjal sometimes occurs

a s : a l sa as the first part of the compound , such de Ej

' : mzr es (Fe) the mires below the hill . THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 75

As the latter par t of a compound the wor d usually

”* ” m - fil - f : Ber l takes the for for ell . Instances fl

B - - - Sa H oo l : erg fell craig hill , precipice hill) ( ) ; fi

high fell or form : lt df el l or {fa l l (in

' b e several places) ; S a l l zfi l (De) (i. the hill with the

“ ” S kr a l r f : - bare crown or top), efi (Qua f ) land slip hill ,

’ a a l a - Fzll a V fi l (U) etc . (one of the small islands or

“ holms between Wh al say and the Skerries) means hill

ell - a ll - m isle (f by or [f by ) . The hol rises to a consider able height.

N [ra n - r s ] { oa . O . O . j g ( g , Engl howe) denote a height

u z or hill , not so big as a fell, but us ally above the si e of

“ ”

f. i. m the heights called hool , de uckle and de peerie

H o m H oa a . O . N . (little) j g (U) , de j g (Fe) In the na e

Iza ug r - r is often applied to a thrown - up monumental

r is t mound , a bu ial mound , and this some imes the case

i H o a nes f. . s h in Shetland too, j g in South Yell , in whic

“ ' ness there are some places called de Ku ml zns from

'

ml r u . fl o en B o N . bu O. , bu ial mo nd j g in r ssay is probably the same word. l m “ N . bol H ool O . , , eaning hill , knoll , hillock , is an

exceedingly common name in Shetland . Instances :

” H ool H ool en (name of sever al townships ; d

“ — On th e Ordnance map wrongly spelt field it ought to be 6 7 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

' Ml um u ndzr Ia : the , on or under ( ) hill , properly dative

' in : H ool zn* br enda N orwick : plural hills ( , U) the

knol l H aol in ska r a Weisdal e : burnt ,t p ( ) the barren or

” H aol in stoor a the dry sharp knoll, (Du) big knoll,

’ ” l toorh ool Stoor for S toorbool big knoll ) (N m) cf. S

” “ ” “ ” H ool na bool a : of b loch (U), the hool the ools, or the highest part of the knolls : an old scattald- march in

“ ” . I o : B r a tt lz ool : s Yell n c mpounds ( ) (Y) teep knoll,

w a r t/too Br : - S l ( , Y) black knoll sometimes wul for - Leer w ul Leer lrool N orwick : hoo as for ( , U) the ‘bb l Wh th e s er wu : . knoll on slope, ( ) skipper hool

' n oo n oo z kn ik m S S O . zikr bn z r j g or j g is N , j , eaning

- high knoll or peak, hill top . In Scotland it usually

e denotes a hill whose top shapes into a knoll or p ak . ” a : S n oo Sn bo Inst nces are de j g in Foula, de j g or

’ B er nssn oo B er inn n fi j g in De ( g/ is a ma s name), de

' ’ n oo a -Izoo Sn oo z B r Roe S j g l (U), de j g o de j og (N ) the

” of - B or s end or corner the high hill ridge, called de j g , N m in .

' -i i h ufii x ed e te art c e H oolin is the accusat e a s t e s d fini i l . iv

1' The name probably refers to the burning of heather or copse wood at ur f h in or der to cu ltivate the soil . Th b ning o woods as been done in het a we ear the ace- ame Skabi n b th S l nd, l n by pl n renda e ” ’ ur t oo . N skb znn br en da accusat Br a e f a b n w d, O . g ( ive). enny (nam o cro t Fladabister is ro a 0. . br en na x ur 2 ur t a f in , C) p b bly N , , b ning, , b n l nd c or occurs severa t mes as e- am whi h w d l i plac n e in Norway.

78 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

m r N . knl a O . r fro , ound lump or protube ance .

Kna is There are two hills in T ingwall called de pp .

kna - N . r O . pp is applied chiefly to the knob or head of a

or stick and also to a stud button . The point of the

“ ' ’ elbow is in Shetland called de knapp or kn u bbz o de

” '

N . n a bbz s el bo . O . g , knob , protuberance, survive in the

“ name of the small promon otory south of Lerwick : de

” N a b (K n a b)

u b - s Kl is a kind of square haped bulky hill . The

“ r m m u m word p operly eans lu p (a l p of a hill . ) In

“ ’ ” “ ’ : K M de K Swin stances de lub o oola (D) , lub o

” “ ’ ” Tr o n is er ing de Klub o t . The English

” r m r club, a club for st iking with, is the sa e wo d (a lump of wood) and also club meaning an association (lump)

“ ” m n r m K of e . Several sker ies go by the na e of lub from their shape .

' “ Tznd Ta nd m r or or eans prope ly tooth spike,

is m m or - and so eti es applied to a peak conic shaped hill .

“ Fetl a r There is a point on the east side of , called de

” r Kl eberswick Tind , and th ee knolls in the hill of (U) ,

“ — called de Tands used as land- marks by the fisher men and having derived their names from their conic or

- tooth like form, when seen from the sea .

'

r . b a r i g , applied to a steep rocky hill , is the Icel j g ,

r i ber p ec pice, crag, another form of the word g (about 9 THE OLD SHETLAN D DIALECT . 7

“ r : B or which mo e hereafter. ) Instances de j g in Ting

”

B r in s . r s N m. o wall, de i g in , de j g in D There are several heights by the name ofRoni (R¢n)

N . li r a un n in Shetland . It is O . , which denotes origi

a a . s lly rough or rocky place, a wilderness The giant

are in the old Icelandic poetry sometimes called It r a u n

“ ” - bda r : mi n . ni dwellers, dwellers in the rocky wilder ess

” In the modern Shetland dialect roni is commonly

’ applied to a heap of stones ( a cairn ) a rani o

stanes in Lun n astin g it sometimes denotes a big piec e

r - th e of ock , a boulder. In place names word denotes a

u. : Rm rocky hill (knoll , brae) or platea Instances de

i n s in r n is H w a m (Fe), de a (at Skaw the n ,

ma r on i (valley and L ong a r oni (the long

“ Roe Ron i o r a f h (N . ), f g (the beauti ul rani t ere is a

r . Roe beautiful patch of g een below the rocks) (N ),

‘ n i Sa n dstin Kr o a r n i Ber r a r o ( crag rani in g, g o

M Roe (craw in uckle , and finally there is the

r n is R n is H il l N orthmavine th e king of all the n t in ,

in f highest hill Shetland, rising up rom a rocky plateau ,

“ ” the old name of which is de Ron is (on the Ordnance

Survey map : Roonies).

H wa mmis a small va lley. 1 Th e spelling Roen ess hill ( I need not speak of Ronas hill at al l ) is erroneous. 80 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. Sometimes the word as the latter part of a com

” - run ueeda r u n s H w eeda pound is contracted into , as Q (

” r uns m = u eeda r n is mi Kal a ra n ) (N ) Q ¢ white nis, iy

- r n N ko l a lz a u n o n i . l H o round topped ¢ O . r r u

mi O . N . lzd/t r a u n c f. H oo il probably high ni , ( j ,

D uss d O . N . s , y , means a (thrown up) heap. South past Lerwick the word is applied to a small stack of

“ ’ “ com a duss 0 corn in Danish dysse is a cairn or

- . r Weisda l e stone heap There is a big ound knoll in ,

“ ” called de Duss .

‘ e is li i L e O . N . l d mm , incline, slope, co only applied to

- m s i . f. . the slope of a hill It often occurs in place na e ,

Leea n N m D a l esl ee Ba kka n a l ee ( ), hill (Y),

Ba kka n a l ee = the ( slope above the banks or shore), ” L e ell W e/ ( est Sandwick, Y), sloping hill .

“ B r o/b N br ekka . r m O. . ( , akin to Engl b ink eans ” m s brae, slope . It occurs in na es of township . There

' “ ” “ ” Br B r ekkin is a ek in D u . ; ( the brae ) in Y and

Esh a ness m Ootna br ek , N , near Scalloway, etc .

ma r — a ma . N ba r mm m H a r O . is , ha er, etaphorically

mm - r applied to a ha er shaped crag, a jutting out ock or m stretch of rocks, ost often in the side of a hill . There

“ ” “ ” are several places called (de) H a a ma r or H a a ma rs ;

H a a ma r n ess w H a mr z ell ( ), f (Y), the hill with the THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 81

h aa ma rs B ru ns H a a ma r sl a nd ; in North Tingwall , etc .

—L a a ma r L a a /ra ma b a /z r O . N . l d a ma r ( ) is r , loading

” rock , a rock at which boats usually lie to be loaded

c L odber r i e and unloaded f.

B r oon . N br an B r oo (O . ) or is often applied to a rise

” r in the g ound it is the same word as Engl . brow .

Too N tlné a O. . m ( f ) signifies mound , a s all piece of

itl a too Re . L rising ground . g the little mound and

M u kl a too bi m 6 c 8. the g ound see p.

‘ Kl odi is another name for a mound (etym . akin to

“ Engl . clod l A third word for a mound , especially a buria

m - K u ml Ku m el b . ound , occurring in place names, is ( ) W There is an old piece of burial ground in esting (U),

” u m els called de K b .

Wa r t Vor d Vaa r d Vi r di/e. , ( ), I have as yet pur “ W ” osel . p y omitted mentioning of the hills called art etc ,

a n because the name does not denote y shape of a hill .

‘ “ va r di m It is Icelandic , English war eaning watch

H of - tower. eaps stones, ruins of ancient watch towers,

f - have been ound on the tops of all these ward hills,

which hills are invariably high and conspicuous, always

f r in sight of each other. They have been used o — signaliz ing purposes the signals were large kindled

fi res—and as the Warts could always be seen from a L 82 L THE OLD SHETLAND DIA ECT .

long distance, the country in case of danger, especially war, could be alarmed in a very short time.

Wart is an Anglicised pronunciation of the name.

Vord Vaa r d The proper Shetland pronunciation is ) ,

Vi rda Vi rdik , or , sometimes (in compounds) shortened

n -virt vird -firt : S ax a vor d i to ( ), Instances (U),

' ’ N onsvord Wh H ukma nna vor d N m th e h il lmen s o ( ), j ( )

Vi r da da l e W Bressa ward (the valley of the art) in y,

i d ell - nst i rdin V r if (the ward hill) in U and Papa, de V s

’ “ ” - a Vord (watch hills) o H a a m r (N m). De is the sea name for an ancient watch- tower on the top of the

n st Gallow hill in the South of U , which tower the old

- fishermen used as a meed or land mark .

“ ‘ In Unst there is a hill called de Vor deld

O . N . va r dlza ld (probably from , keeping watches,

Fetl ar guard), and in there is a hill by the same

' m Vor eld name (com only pronounced de dj ), by the

“ m Va a elzt w fisher en called de the atch or guard .

“ On the top of de Vordeld in . Un st there was

” b- s Wa a i .e. the an old building, called de hoo e, , watch house.

In the island of Balta outside Baltasound (U) there

” Veeti - is a high headland , called de head, which is most

O .N . viti probably derived from , beacon , as the headland

or - H is well situated f a look out place. In illswick ness 8 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 3

' there is a hill called Vidifi zll ( Veedzfell ) stoor the

- great beacon hill . From the hills we naturally descend to the plains

- and v . O .N . voll r . . alleys , a plain (etym Engl valley s i Tin w a ll : - urvives in f. . g the law court plain ;

“ f Ve l l Vell i Vell ins : urther in names as y , (y) and (y ) de

’ ’ Vel l in s H amna voe re Eshan ess (y) (plains) o , o O ( , m m N ), a place, where for erly men used to play at

” football de L ibvellO/fi ns (Fe) an old football

ikv ll i r - ei a = N . l e e l b ground (from O . , play plains to play).

Fit N t m - Fid s/z O . . or is fi , lowlying eadow land at

’ ” the side of water de dale and de hill 0 Fitch (at Dale

” Fidna r na A ithst in Tingwall), g ¢ ( ) the green Fid .

” - f m . N da l r B eta ! is the old or of dale valley (O . )

D a a l in r n a N orwick : v f. i . g o (at , U) the green alley,

“ ” Fo r ada a l W : . g ( esting , U) the beautiful valley In

Un st and Yell the word da a l a mist is applied to mist through the valleys.

mm- r n m . N Izva v ot ha . W (O ) denotes a small alley,

” ” so deep as daal or dale.

il w . N . Gil (O . g ) denotes a narro glen It occurs in

- fi Or il L : - S w a r ti several place names , . g ( ) burn glen ,

” ” Gil : - l a z D u a . gi (S ) black glen , j p (De) deep glen

botn t n N . Boi e is O. , bottom , also applied to a deep 84 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

- : Boiten round shaped valley. Instances in Connings

” B i s cf. Boddom D un rossn ess o ten burgh ( in ), de hill

el in in D t g.

Gr a ve ( Gr a a v) or Gr ef denotes a pit or hollow

f i a n Gr a a vins N . r o . . Gr ve (O. g f) (De), de (house in Fo) ,

” vel a nd m Gr a (Y) . The gref (botto ) of the peat bank

m r is is the sa e wo d . There an expression used in Yell

” on th in ko 'r : to lay y g in lg ef to do anything roughly, especially in delving : to leave the ground in a rough

. kol r a state (Icel g f denotes a pit for burning coals) . In the island of Hascusay opposite Yell there is a place

” called de Kolg r a ve or Kolg r ef which is very rough

u looking. It is from this place, that the so nd between

Hascu say and Yell derives its name Kolgrave Sound .

K ap and Koppa (Kop) denote a cupshaped hollow in

uss ika s r s f. i R /z the ground , . de p (Du) the ho e

” Ka s S Ka a Bressa hollows, de p at calloway, pp in y, ” - e r Koppister ( Koppa seter) Reg. set r hereafte

(see Index . )

S l oa S l a i n w f. i . g and g denote a lowlying wet hollo ,

”

l oa Sla in Sa n dstin . de S g in Foula, de g at Tresta ( g)

a l wa a n s u r O N . r Q f ( . f ) denotes i olated , hidden

” D e o i m a k o Ka and Ko s [( o p (etym. in t p ppa i the name ” of a hill in Weisdal e it is named so fromits kooping or overhanging ” ” t m a o ow o . to koo ea s to orm to a out o er . p p n f h ll , h ng v

86 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

. N . va tnlzla a r is downpour (O p.) The e a waterfall in Dun

” “ rossness Va nl a S a ndva tn Br called p. ( , Fo) : the sandy

” l och or lake ; Va tna br ecb (Br) : loch-brae ; de loch

’ ” “ ” ‘ o Wa tlee (U) : Watl ee being va tn lzl ia water

“ i e . . Va ts e ter con t rac , the slope above the loch ( ) (Y),

“ “ of a tn -seter : - M il a Va t na : be tion V loch seter. ly (Fe)

” assa tween (the) lochs . V (in Nesting) is a contraction

” Va tns-a id m - of which eans loch isthmus , the narrow neck of land between the loch and th e sea m but now the na e is applied to the township, situated on this isthmus.

/za n slzeen N t ar a m f. i. S O. . or is i , s all loch, pool , de

l a bbi ka ns R C S (N oe). ” i L N . d f. . ax o O for O . is the old word a burn ( ),

” - - B r etto B r L i . e. Lax d ( ), , trout burn ( ), (C), retto bu n

” - Tin w. N B a tt d m r . ( g , ) steep burn ( ) In the possess ive the word takes the form Or or Wa r Wi r ) from

i - N . dr f. i r b ster N m O. . O , ( ) the dwelling house beside

Orda l e N m - Or w ick M the burn , (U , ) burn valley, (

Roe - Wa r w ick Wir w icb ) burn wick ,

m m ar l i oa r l i another pronunciation of the sa e na e. A ( )

m m w a r l i w i r l i : (Nm) or ore com only , (properly burn

" N ai r / did r O . . gate, ) is a place where a bu n runs under a

dyke .

N o s - O . . r f m f , water all , is preserved in na es as 8 THE OLD SHETLAND DIAL ECT . 7

Forse For se de burn (Nesting), water

' - o For so ol laflrth f O. N . ar s d burn (C , Nm) rom j ,

- - water fall burn . After mentioning the lochs and burn s I might also

- for mention some place names, in which the old name

”

l en a en Wli in whem . mill , water mill (Q ), (for , Sco

- m f. i W/zin nz o N . boo . . i quern , O , hand mill), occurs, g and

a en da l e D un rossn ess Wli i n na w a ter N orthmavine Q in , in ,

- l i nn il ach . Old e in Nesting, etc water mills have b en n M r L i the places mentioned , as John Irvine, erwick,

me informs . m a N kelda f. i Keld . . S ar , O , spring, well , occurs in .

- kelda (Fe) butter well .

- i N . br a n n r f. . H ell a bra n B ra n O . , , well , occurs in y or

“ ” N bei - n a r a n : . . l la r br a n Yel l b (U) the healing well (O r) .

oa Lj g is a patch of green , through which a stream

- N l ock r f.i taor a aa Ai h l e O . . t . S t s t runs ( , s reamlet), lf g ( t )

” the big Ljoag.

- m i . M ri . N . r : a is O y , mire In place names M om

“ ” L : M rseter M rister a ( ) the mire, a (Y) and o (U, S )

- mire seter.

I shall now take the coa st and mention some of the

its f various names applied to various ormations .

The word stane (stone) is very often applied to 8 L 8 THE OLD SHETLAND DIA ECT.

’ e r th ocky shore , the land s boundary against the ocean

’ Dey r owed f(r)ae de stane to de booel s (bowels) o de ocean (very fa r out) de sillock w a s steeded

(gathered) in to de very stane .

d . N st r and Str a n O . ( ) denotes shore. There is a

etlar township in F by the name of Strand , and also a ” m Strand in Tingwall, named fro being situated close at the shore.

k ett - r N . l Kl ett (O. ) denotes a (piece of) rock and is

th e also applied collectively to shore rocks, a stretch of low rocky shore . There is a place at H illswick called ” — Kl etti n r e: the red klett or rock it is now the name of a house.

ba l - N . bell a l r H ell a . y (O from , stone) denotes a piece of smooth rock, generally (but not always) at the

- hel ik m sea shore. A ly , s ooth stone, is the same word .

- : The eave stones the flat stones, laid along the lower edge of the roof under the straw for running off the

a re Iz a ra lzell zl€s s water, called in the North Isles ( ) f y (af

ba s D un rossness or f being the old word for the eaves), in

N tlza k ta a be l iks ta a O . . . l y ( being a contraction of , roof)

- ll e i. Ther e are several craig seats called H ya (f. in the ness of Sound at Lerwick) ; S ker li el ly a (Y) : skerry

”

h el l a m . y , because the rock is nearly loose fro the land

There is a place in Fetl ar called H elly i na br etta : the

90 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

hill , rising up from the steep shore. The word berg is still used occasionally in conversation , not in its proper

’ r : H r n aethin sense, but in exp essions like these e e is

sh a u ld r [nothing] but a [shallow] be g, applied to a corn

m - rig (s all piece of corn land), where the soil is very shallow and hard rock benpath he has a berg on de ” nose (N Roe) he has a big hu mp (literally : a crag) on

ber a l ti ber il t or ber il tzlé . the nose. De g y ( g g ), Norw ber l ta ber a l t fish m ggy or gg , is a belonging to the sa e family as the Norway haddock ” (its English name is

ber wrasse) . The word is compounded of g , rock, crag ,

l ta a l ti and g , a sow (Shetlandic g y , pig, The m m fish is so called , because it is a so ewhat clu sy fish,

’ having a mouth which r esembles a pig s snout or grice

” tr n i o , and because it is always found close to the shore

” B m m r r rocks. The name erg so eti es occu s in the fo m

B r r . e y There is a rocky elevation in Tingwall , from

” which the township Berry takes its name Oll a ber ry

’ (Olaf s township in N orthmavin e There are three townships in Shetland by the name of S kelber ry

” r ska l N m L . Skel ber or w . (in , in and in Du) y is N

“ ” ber - : fleec r s . g , shell rock y rock , rock ve y easily plit The townships of course have derived their names from the nature of the ground in the immediate neighbour

‘

h od er r i . N li l a dber m L b O . ood . The name is g , eaning 91 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

loading- rock a rock at which boats usually lie to be

” l oaded and unloaded ; instance ! de Lodberries in

L * ” erwick . The word kl eber (bla iber ) [for kleberg ] is

” used in several part s of Shetland for soap-stone ;

” - literally it means clay rock . This is the origin of the

Kl eber w c s i k Un st. Ber saa d i Ber set name in ( ) or , the

” - O . N . ber sat ber old Shetland word for craig seat ( g , g

ti - sce f. i ), now only occurs in names of old craig seats, .

” ’ ” Bersets Berset H aa na lz a de (U), de o j o g cock ”

. K r a bba ber saa di Ta kka ber saa di hill ) (U), etc and (at

- . n s Skaw, U) A craig seat is in U t sometimes called a

” crai a -soa d o g , compounded of Scotch craig and N m

” ’

O . N . sa t . soad ( , seat)

K en N . ki n n e O . , , cheek, is applied to a steep place in the banks, bearing some resemblance to a cheek.

’ ”

i . K H aa mar wina n ess . There is f. de een o in S (U)

K o ka N b dlki l . . j , O j , jaw, cheek, is applied in a similar way to a piece of steep banks . There is a

” Kj olka in Tingwall .

“ " i n a B r u n a N . br O. g , g , meaning breast, is also applied to a piece of banks, bearing some resemblance to

Brun a Fetl ar . a breast. There is a g in

rd H a rd O . N . a r d a o ( ) is , which usually denotes

a heap of boulders, huddled together at the bottom of

ba r din e a steep face. I n Foula the word is appli d to

“ Laamar . 81 . Cf. p 92 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

Br ss “ big boulder. There is a place in e ay called de

" Ord n r sn s D u os e s . r , and one in called de Ords H a di

ell N orthmavine w f in is a steep rocky hill , full of do n f allen boulders.

I now turn to the var ious forms ofpr oj ection along the shore.

m H evda H evdi N Izo i O. . The na e or ( fi , derived

‘ f Iza a d - rom f , head) is applied to a head shaped headland . k f. i. Eswic H evda There is (South Nesting), Easter

” H evda F0 H evda - r a n fishin and Wester ( ). g is a g

“ - O . N r a n n r ground ( grun from . g ) between Foula m m and the mainland , so called fro its proxi ity to the

” r H vdi H evdz a r tli Mid ell headland Easte e . g ( y ) is the t name of a house, situa ed at the foot of the headland

“ ’ ” H evdi a rth called de H ead 0 g .

” De H as (Sandness) is the name of a headland

N ka a ss h s O . . . ¢ being , skull , head

“ ” De S nas is the name of a headland in Foula

” “ ” sn as being the word nose in its pure old form . I

“ sn a sbiks may in this connection mention de , a name

’ given to a small wooden frame, put on a calf s nose to prevent it from sucking the mother.

- N iv . ” denotes, like Far W, a long jutting out head

“ H n a b f.i de land , . Niv at aroldswick , U ; in Icela dic ] and nap signify nose.

94 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

‘

. N . ar a d sheep pasturing (O f , dangerous place or situa

“ tion) ; Fagla n ess or Fa l a n ess bird - ness Gr at

“ M ianes n ess D u . r s ( ) ocky ness (De, Skerries)

“ ” M ooness ma N . narrow ness (U) moory ness (O .

” n es Raeness Sa H red f ) ; ( , illswick in ness ( rom th e reddish colour of the rock); W/zey n ess (in Whiteness) :

“ ” - - cattle park ness. The nesses were generally enclosed for m s find pasturage, and in their na es we sometime the

m : E u na es of animals which pastured there, prefixed n ess B oon ess B : — - ( ) ( altasound , U) cattle farm ness or cattle N ba m ness (O . . means household , far , and is also applied

H esta to the domestic animals, especially the cattle) ;

“ n ess : - La mba ness N orwi ck (Fe) horse ness (at , U)

‘ “ ! lamb- ness ; M a r a n ess mare - ness R a ssa ness

“ (S a) z horse- ness or mare - ness S w ina n ess (at Balta

“ ” - : . sound , U) swine ness

Ka dda m is usually applied to a s all rounding point . Originally the word probably signifies bag or some

” - Izod O . N thing bag shaped , and is akin to the word ( .

Ku dda s koddi . ) , pillow Some of the go by the name

a da Teva ka dda of Tava k d or , the first part of the com

“ N tba a t ue O. . pound being the word r , ef , to walk or

“ m - f. hetl . r m t i . N . r ot rock sto e c S ot rock ro Gr p s O g j , , n ( ill g , f - “ e are ma e . Gr ti n s e t Grutin Sa D e Fe which mill ston s d ) p , p l g ( , , ). ” “ - ti n r . means th e rocky place (0 . N . p j g ) 95 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

k d s shrink cloth . The Tnva ud a are places at the sea

” s r hore, whe e people used formerly to fasten wadmel ,

t s the old Shetland clo h, in order that it hould shrink and consequently grow thicker and closer by the a ction of the flowing and ebbing of the sea . The word tove is now lost in its original sense in Shetland , but is pre

“ served in the expressions : to tone (toss) a body (per

’ ’ son ) aboot and dere s a fave (commotion) i de sea.

Ta in ‘ . ta n Tan a ta n i or ta n a h g (O N . g z) and g ( g g ) bot

“ ’ i am f. . H mean a tongue of land , such as de Taing o

” Br L on t r a an a : . a e ( ), g g (Fe) the long taing, etc There

' r S b ota i n m f sk as seve al points called j g , na ed rom j , stone

m r huts, which have been standing there for e ly. A

” sb a sk a a n - j (Norw. j ) is a roughly built sto e hut with slits to admit the wind for the purpose of drying fish m ‘ m and flesh ( utton), not salted . This anner of curing is now obsolete.

dd N oddi m O (O . . ) eans point (sharp point). The extremity of the point called S taar a point the big

“ o r h d is a point) in C n ningsbu g is called de Od . There

Oddsta Fetl a r e r ed township in , nam d so f om being situat at a point .

Bla a N bl a d B O . . f lade or ( , blade, lea ) is a blade

r n shaped point, a point bea ing some resembla ce to th e

“ ’ mu o r was a The flesh ( tton) s d ied c lled w vda . 96 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

“ ’ ” of f.i . B 0 H blade a sword , such as de lade ellyer, de

’ ” B 0 Fibl ister m lade (both in N ). There is a point in

Out r a bla a the Skerries called O , which means ayre

- t blade (beach poin . ) There are a few points in Yell

S nooti Tr n i Ra a na m called , l and , all eaning snout. There are many instances of places deriving their names from resemblance to the different parts of a

a I human body or the body of lower nimals. have

of already mentioned some names this kind . To begin

“ ’ ” we Kr aon ra at the top have de o de O , about which

- 68. a lsw icb a z a l . C S O. N . b l r of see p ( ) , the top the head,

' “ 1 E n n z r tb N m : e n i . . O . N . n f see p 5 sfi ( ) , orehead , also a

f n N iv . S s . 2 steep ace of land o (nose) and , see p 9 .

Keen 1 K olka . 1 (cheek, see p . 9 j (jaw, cheek), see p . 9 .

a M i n n B r r : . 68. : N O (U) ear, see p ( ur a Isle) O. minni m a ni f ma nn - , y , mouth, inlet, arm of the sea, rom r ,

c wa r a cks M ra —N a kkasker : mouth ; f. S b m ry Nakka

. a k N i m ki . Wiza l fe i (O . ), the back of the head , l l se

ua lse a il se . Aiths : N . M t. . k (Q , Q ) (Delt , , Sandness) O ?

“ n co s ed eck (S . hal e), also appli to a slack in a hill de

”

H ak im : cf. H ol n a rtb (U) the necks, the slacks ; g

“ — Yokbe B run a . 1 . d e l okkel (Y). g (breast), see p 9 ( de y

’ ” ” : O. N . ax l M L o de hill ) (C) properly the shoulder ( ),

“ ” To a O. N . corres o s et a c : o u wu in p nd in Sh l ndi , (wi), etc.

98 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

” wick (creek) further in M aavik (L a mbh oga in Fe)

“ ” - i a r Roe V . . moor wick, and probably in g wate (N )

“ ” a r H m means ha bour. All the places called

” m a re m r Ha in Shetland co paratively good ha bours,

e at least for small craft. Th re are places by this name m Bressa Wh a l sa . in y, Foula, y, etc (now na es of town

Iza n Iza n m N . Ii a a O. ships). The word is Norwegian ( f , f

ben ka vn G m h ka vn f. i . K Danish ( in a , in er an and Englis

” wrongly called “ Copenhagen instead of

“ “ ” f. i W a English haven in . hiteh ven , Newhaven is

m r the sa e wo d . In Shetlandic as in Norwegian there is

” ” vn fn mn a change here from an original ( ) into , and

“ “ ” difli cul t th e m as the n is to pronounce after , it is

r r d opped in Shetlandic, but it appea s again , when a

H a mna voe H a mn a Voe f. i. ( vowel follows, as in , Y, P,

“ ’ r - N a a rva mn a Esh a n ess : O . . H n r H a ) ha bour voe ( f g ),

“ “ D a l e (L) H a mister (Wh) stands for H a mn ister h a r

” - r m vn fn bour seter. There is a similar change f o ( )

“ ” ” a m N li r a n mm R a O . . r a va r into in , f , Danish , No w.

“ m f. i. Ra mna r a a . , Engl raven This word occurs in

“ ’ ” “ ’ ” ber : ff Ra mna i o g the ravens cli , g the ravens gio

m Ra mnasta cks d l n e a a d . (chas , inlet), de (north of F , N

e . Ro ) the stacks, where the ravens build

- H a N . ho r ab O. is in p , applied to a small shallow bay

” H oobs f i or . . . Hoob bight There are several , de 99 THE OLD SHETLAN D DIALECT .

Hoobin s N m H oobie : of w and de in , (Fe) name a to n

ship at the head of such a bight.

I n connection with a H ooh there is generally a

” ‘ il l a a - Va dil l a ddle O . N . va d or V , , w ding place,

w e of f of n shallo piec water, orming the mouth a bur

running out into the bight.

m o - P ! P a ll is O.N . ol l r l ( y ) a s all r unding bight, p

a l (sa me word as Engl . pool There is a S al t pa

“ " s - H e e ( alt pool ) at aroldswick ( U), so call d , b cause

f r o s ft the o merly pe ple used to gather alt there, le in

o f - eva r small holl ws in the rock, a ter the sea water had po

for a ted . This salt was gathered chiefly the purpose of

putting it into butter. The name S a l tness is probably

for w a to be accounted in a similar y .

i ni M inn M ine . m a n i M n O. N , , , is the y , mouth, bight,

entrance of the sea. The old name of the bight now

’ ” “ ” a e M o Fun n ie in Fetlar M n c ll d de o th o is de i ni .

“ S wa r ba ks M inn (M ine) : the black gu ll mouth (bight)

the r een M Roe Aithsti n is ent ance betw uckle and g.

f. Vo M n . C g i n p. 97

G o Gio O. N . d j ( ) is the gj , chasm, big rift in a fell or cra t r g. I n She land the wo d is a lways a pplied to a narrow litt le inlet of the sea with steep rocks on both i s . are th e Gorsendz b des There several gios by name g/ ,

w i - o a h ch means dyke end gj , that is, gjo where 100 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

- Ra mna o an old dyke (wall) stead terminates ; gf (U,

’ “ Hascusa the o Ta r z o - y, ravens gj ; gj = sea weed

” - o o - gj (gj where sea weed gathers. )

- Gl oo . N l a r p (O . g p ) means throat or gullet. The place called Gloop in North Yell is a very long and

r f u nar ow inlet of the sea, ormed something like a g llet.

l r m a H el e . kell i r Gal O N . y is the na e for a cave, ;

H el ly er s (P) the yellow caves (from yellowish colour of the rock). There are several caves as well as points

‘ Tr a mba Tr omba called , , which means the drumming

f . noise, made by the sur in such places

r for a The old Norn wo d an island is oy (oyj ). This

- m word survives in Shetland in several place na es. The

f of of U a full orm it occurs in the name the island y ,

ea r a Unst Uy (p onounced Oy near the coast, which

” simply means the isle. This name has been given to

- n st e it by the South U people, who still often sp ak of

” U ea h a s going to the isle, meaning y , because this always been the principal isle near their shore with

m m r which they had co munication , and co pa ed with

Uyea Un st was to them the mainland . There is an old township Uyea and opposite to it th e isle of Uyea

” N o hm in e a rt av . (pron . Oy ) in The sound between

Un st ea U e asoand and Uy is called y( ) , by the older people

“ “ “ ” so n soon - pronounced Oya o d or Oa d island sound .

102 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

’ ’ ” - m R Vema nd r are en s names) . a in the name of the

M Roe R island uckle , pronounced a, is a contraction of

“ ” - R m N . a n d R O . a a, ap , meaning red isle (fro the red

” “ ” We colour of the rock). find the word n or isle applied not only to an island in the proper sense of the l ” N f. i u ss m . G word , but also to a peninsula, isle ( ) and

“ ’ ” N o t/z Roe Rin an s . r St . g isle (Du) , both peninsulas

(Re) is the north- part of the district formerly called Roe

” ” R R - — s a being a a, red isle and thi district has cnmprised the part of N orthmavin e parish which is north

“ ” “ of Ranis voe and Q uh eyfirth voe and forms a penin

" “ R r w a ter sula . There is a loch called a the loch

” (water) of Re besouth North Roe on

“ ' " B or s the top of de j g .

' li l m- N . a r . H ol m denotes a small island (like O . )

ma w a ter m f. i H ol o . o The older for f. the word survives in

“ ” ” a - H oal ma l ees Lee (S ) holm loch, and de (see

“ ” 80 H oolma water . p. ) above

ker r N sker r S y (O . . ) denotes a ock in the sea above water there are several such rocks called S wa r ta sker iy :

“ ” black skerry Fagl asker i y ( bird - skerry ) and Leer a sker ry (sea- bird both at Papa Stoor ; Skipta

" k : - m N skz ti s er r ) f O . . y ) (Fe) division (bound skerry, ro p , division .

ir i Puffinus An l orum 0 . N. l g . THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . 103

Ba a N . ba (O . di) denotes a rock in the sea under

water.

Fl es “ N . (O. fi es) denotes a flat skerry ; de Fl es/zi ns

’ fleses h (the o Sandwick (W ) .

ta k - N . st S k (O. a kk r ) denotes a high pointed rock

’“ in the sea there are a few stacks called W/zeeda sta kk

“ white stack Gr osta kk : gray stack ; Gr anasta kk

“ ” Gr an a 6 H oosta kk : ( see p. 3 ; high stack . Some

stacks are from their shape called Spindles ' ther e is

“ ” ” r n da : S ol i .e. a stack at Papa Stoo called spindle,

- N . sna elda N . O . . In O. the word dr a ng r is syn ony

“ mous with sta kk- r ; it survives in the names of the two

” s off H N m D r an s tacks illswick ness ( ), called de g .

I now leave this subject the natur al features of the

settl ements encl osu r es m land , and pass to the and , ade by

r the N o se inhabitants .

In the Shetland place -names more than half a score

” or of words occur, which all mean enclosure a piece ” f of enclosed land . Dif erent names have been used according to the different purposes for which the m enclosures have been made. The ajority of them have been for animals . In a great many cases the

- old dyke steads can still be traced , in other cases they m f have disappeared , and only the na es have been le t, 104 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . applied to the places where these ancient enclosures h ave been .

The name Ga r tk or Gar d ( Goa rd) occurs pretty ft c m “ ” f quently, especially in na es of old toons, arms and

- m N . a r b r ( . . O . crofts . It is g , dyke (wall) or yard ety Engl

yard), also applied to a piece of ground enclosed by

i ed such a dyke or yard , espec ally a cultivat piece of

H of ground with a house on it . ence the many names

” - n h ouses and crofts ending in garth , usually p ronou ced

” “ - s i a lz vr i a r tk a f. . Bessz r t E girt, g g (P) the u r E stz a r t/z : pper yard or fa m , j g (Y) the uppermost

Fo r z a r tlz th e yard or farm , g g beautiful

” Ka rkz a rtk Weisda le : — L in a r tlz yard , g ( ) church yard , gg

m L in r O . N . (Du), na ed from the heathe y ground ( g is

” k k ker i l n S er a r t S . y g , heather), n (Fe) p , akin to Engl

” r Smi r a r tb sha p, denotes the hard and dry soil), g (U)

' - f N sma — O. . r r butter arm ( , butte ) the name is derived

- r m from good pasture g ound . The old Norse na e for the

“ " M kl z a r dr city of Constantinople is y g , Shetlandic

“ ” M u kli a r h - g t girt) t he big yard or enclosure .

Ga l tz a r tli There is a house called g in South Yell , which has been originally an enclosure for gauts or

: pigs. Further Gr iszga r t/z (the name of a house in

“ “ Foula) : pig ( grice - yard ; H estinsg a r tk (Du) : horse

” ” r La m a rtk : - enclosu e, and n (Du) lamb enclosure.

106 SHETLAN D THE OLD DIALECT .

“ ‘ “ ir i s l d e N . e bz n a irdie a O . r G the g ( g ), hill and

' zr da n ess D el in r Ga t . in g, and so fo th

N . t zé n r r r T0072 (O . ) is a thi d wo d denoting o iginally

m r s a . hedge, enclosure It is the sa e wo d Engl

m zi G z . N . t n . O town and er an aun , hedge In com mon l r y signifies a piece of cultivated g ound enclosed.

“ ” Instances : de H a metoon (F0) : the home the

“ original toon B zgton (Du) ton (unaccentu ated)

” “ ‘ for Bi r O . N . b a toon , ( g is p obably yg , inhabited place,

’ “ ' ’ " m a r hetl . z n b b c f. S b i f o yggy , to build , a gg o ooses , a

“ H ooston H : cluster of houses) ; ( aroldswick , U) house

” toon .

“ B O N boa- r m G ¢ ( , farm) is synony ous with ord

r D un rossn ess r and Toon . It occu s in , where the e is a

“ ” B Ez na b township called o and another close by called ¢, which latter place has originally been a gr az ing - place for W oxen . hen unaccentuated the word takes the form of

” ” -b K ur ka b - W - y. f fl py) in esting (Un st) is Kirk bra

m r the far near the chu ch . Further instances are M al by

” s : m N mel —r n N o O . . r b (Sandnes ) the sandy far , ( , sa d) , y ” r (Sandness) the north farm. The wo d also occurs in

- m W place na es in England , as hitby, Tenby, Appleby.

’ P un a (English pound is a small enclosure for

m r f. i. in r m off putting ani als into, o de to keep the from

“ ” the toon , also for putting stray animals into. It occurs SHETLAN D THE OLD DIALECT . 107

in names of places where such enclosures have been , i.i .

P unds l l d : P unshfil Unst P unda l t fi (pronounce ) in , p (name ” t D el tin : und- fl = of a house in Fir h, g) the p lot (l a n

of allotted piece ground).

Kw (sheep-fold) in place- names usually takes the

" “ - ’ f K r oo f.i . Kroaster Br : k r Kr ooa a l e orm , as ( ) ¢ seter, (Fe),

' “ S toor z Kmo (in the Conningsburgh west-cliffs) the big

” km.

n F K 18 Ret N Sy onymous with und and roo (O. .

- ré tt f . th e Ta r a r et , fold, sheep old) It occurs in names :

' L th e - N O. t/za n ( ), place at shore, where sea weed ( . )

- gathers, and where a sheep fold has been in former

- r et Wh s O. N . mud r times S ¢ ( ), o being , sheep . The

i. b l ab last word also occurs in i . S¢ e or S a] (name of two bil l s n st : h -b l b l U O. N . Ml in ) s eep fi ¢ being , co r - for uch, esting place animals (pasturing on the hills)

“ “ c K bel D u- z f. oo ( cow So (sheep) further occurs

S ober l ee F0 : S o—er - in £i. ( ) b g lee the

“ slope ( lee above the cliff berg and being used for

- sheep pasture (the name is descriptive of the place) . “ l i.i . Bo a 8 61 b¢ l also occurs in hill (Y) .

' ' Wl tee uit ee uee W/zze uit e a ze ( Q ) or Q , Q y ) or Q ,

f . etc . o O N . l wl , are variations in the pronunciation ,

a me ning an enclosure for cattle, a cattle park . Severa l h ouses and townships go by this name, because the 108 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . places where they have been built have been originally

’

: ze zn . enclosed parks . Instances d y (pron

” " Wh eein Otterswick : W G ma/ we ) ( , Y) the hee, a

“ ” “ ” Grut uo W Okr a uee (spelt q y ) the rocky hee, q

“ ” N . Fl ada bister : O . ( , C) the Quee near the cornfield (

’ - l h e a ler r fie d . u s Ca tfirth , co n ) De Q y o is the name

uh of a piece of gr ound in Ca tfirth (South Nesting). Q ey

1 2 w a t 0 . Va tslz i Wh V n s fi r th see p. ( ) stands for ( )

- hwee loch hwee .

' H o a H a N ka z u n l i O . . cu t g ( g) is g , a piece of hill or vated m land enclosed for pasture, or in a ore general

“ ” - m r ska tta ld. sense hill pastu e, in odern Shetlandic

“ ” et mo The word originally signifies enclosure, and is y “ ” ” “ h . i. a w logically akin to Engl hedge and haw in i.

” “ - H o a n thorn , haw haw (a sunk fence). Instances g

’ W H o a n 0 Fo ri arth La mb/t o a ( hiteness), de g g g g

r m H o a l cmd. (Fe). Seve al places go by the na e of g

H a l so oga occurs in a few conversational words,

“ - v m [to a l ea e f . N lza a l r a s O . scatt ld g ( ro g fiyfi ), prope ly a

”

m e. i . per ission , , liberty either to cut peats or to have animals graz ing for a certain payment in another skat

: tald, and then secondly payment for this liberty to

skatta ld c make use of another , and hen e the phrase to

n i th x r s e suffi ed definite a ticle.

110 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. men in the place who in a case of dispute would be able m to swear, where the right arch was. I n this connection I may mention the old name for

e - common pasture, or a piec of pasture land held in

r common by neighbouring pr oprieto s . In Connings

r r a r n ow bu gh the e is piece of g ound , cultivated , called

' de Wu l mzn and in Yell ther e is a piece of

' sk atta ld or hill - pasture called Wu l l a mzn a ( Wil l a

’ mzn a ) skattald the older for m of which name is H ol

’ o m m mmms H g a . The na es mentioned are derived fro

' “ - - N . a l men mn r r : O . g , common pastu e (literally land for all the men

' ' S till or S stzl l z r r , t ap, enclosu e for catching

” ” m m s Km Pu n d Ret ani als in) is synony ou with , ,

106- s (see pp . 7) There are two toon (in Fe and U) “ N m called Still . At Nibon ( ) there is a piece of

’ ” gr ound called de Stilli 0 Nibon .

N . setr r e S eter (O . ) occu s fr quently in Shetland place

m m s na es (na e of pieces of ground , of crofts and town

I t s m - ships). signifies originally um er pasture and is in Nor way still commonly applied to a pasturing place n m s th e i the ountains, where people top in huts during summer- time to tend and milk the cattle and to make

r a r e butter and cheese. In Tingwall the e three crofts in

“ r ow r m G r s r : r M id a f o i ta towa ds Scalloway No th, , 111 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT .

s and South Seter. South past these eters are three

”

Mid G . r crofts, called North, , and South arth The th ee Seters mentioned have evidently been the places where the Gar th people have had their animals graz ing during

“ ” - summ . Bressa the er season There is a Seter in y,

“ ’ ” r s Enn isfir th anothe in No s. Further : de Seter o

' m B a kka seter Gzoseter (N ), , (Du), etc . In compounds,

- t f. i. Bit er seter is generally abbreviated to ster,

" ' Sa B - bz r bz zn = a u r ( ) z igg seter ( gg , zgg cl ste of houses),

- B bst or Br B r ooster Br - r - i ( ), (for oo sete bridge seter

' B W H el l zster Weisda l e near the ridge of alls, ( ) (see

l ter Aith s H ell a . H ooster Ko l as y p (Aith, ( K K . ul rter . C ting) (reg oll see p 77, and (De) : oll

” Re a tster ox t see V er . 86 . . . V seter g and , pp and 97

Many seters derive their names fromthe different ‘

kinds of m f. i Booster ani als which pastured there, as .

'

B oo N . st et r a . 622 H e zm e O. . S (Y) (reg , , see p 94 ; ( ) horse

” ' ” ' Yokmster N m - Kol w ster Cal vi seter, ( ) oxen seter, (

” ' ’ ster - c ol a a l - f f. C w e : ) (Y) : cal seter, ( (U) calf valley

” ' ' M a r in er Wh m - S w zmster m Tin w ( ) are seter, (N , De , g ,

” W - alls) swine seter.

” - bister (in compounds) is probably a contraction

‘ f N a - - o O . . bolst dr , dwelling place (occuring in place names ;

' ’ - Fl a a a zster : w . i . b modern Nor bust f. the flat ground

[sh ifter N m Wh S mbzkter Wh s m dwelling, ( , ), y ( ) y 1 12 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

’ sum m r probably in Su bu gh, see p. Tr ebzster

” “ ” L for Utrebister ( erwick parish) the outer dwelling,

&c.

- N . sel r . O. means sete hut This word is possibly

’ m as S ell a r tlz S el zvoe Gru in contained in na es fi (Y), ( t g voe,

But r Sa). in seve al cases the prefix Seli in place

m - n N . sol r l ames is to be derived fro O. , sea . Names of houses and townships are most often s - m econd hand na es, that is, in most cases the places w a r here the habit tions a ose had their names, before houses were built on or at them , and then the houses m (townships) si ply borrowed these names. Several i f nstances have been given of this in the oregoing pages .

e i k - L r w c means clay creek, and has originally been

“ ” o " applied only to the creek itself. V e and Firth

l in m Bu mvoe in D e t g are now na es of townships. r (Y)

1 2 . ound is , the bay, , the township The village of S (pronounced Soon d is named from its being situated

a Bressa . r t y Sound P epositions (at, in , on, under, m etc. ) were prefixed to na es of places to indicate the

w bu t s sites of the houses and to nships, now the e pre

Got in d. T w positions have been droppe (Conn , g ) is * . N . a l a al a s s e O g , (g ), pathway ; the hou e have be n called

moder et a c ate s es wa a t r In n Sh l ndi g ignifi y, p h, while g i nd “ ” N . r nd ex r sses s a te. (O. g i ) p e Engli h g

114 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

N m e I n mirtova u ea . are two ho ses in Uy , , call d and

' ’ ’ ' ‘ : N u m z 51 u z l st u 1 i.e. a . z Uppzlrtov (O . q and pp qf in), , a in the inner house , b in the upper house.

Baths and ba throoms are often mentioned in the

Ba dsto a O. N . old Icelandic sagas. f in denotes bath ” - room or ba th house. There is a patch of ground in

’ Fetl ar called de Bastiw a tegs the bath-house rigs

“ - r 1 (corn rigs). In Faroe the e is a township called

- Ba dstovu from some ancient bath house on the place.

' l a i. Skol n c . S kdl z occurs in i . (name of a house in

“ ” Du), meaning the house or properly in the house

“ N l skdlc mu m -n Skoll an suffix ed (O. . ; in is the

f L ees/eol Eshaness N m definite article) urther ( , ) the

" ” ” " Fr a m house skol ) on the slope lee, see p.

’ ' mzskolla -sw zl l a -sw all a U ea , ) ( y , Nm) (in) the house

” ” mmt kolla O . N r o S ) further out or nearer to the sea ( . f

’ ' l ka l a zs a s U kol l . ), pp (Firth, Delt ) (in) the house higher

' ’ ' N u k O. . z l skdl a . S ol N . up ( pp ) t in O . often denotes " S ca ll owa booth or hut y , by the older people pro ” nounced S ka low aa skoll s , is the voet of the a or

- booths, occupied by the ting men, assembling for the

ames a e to cor -r s or atches of cu t vate rou the In n , ppli d n ig p l i d g nd, or s to u ! it ! old and volt elt u r w d g, fl (fl ) , (f f ver y often occ r as te minations ’ - O. N . tri r cu t ate ece of rou cf. Taz m the am to g , ( l iv d) pi g nd ( g , n e of a wn ' sh in Voe -r fiat ece of rou da ld o lta d l v ip , , pi g nd, , divisi n, ve , e in a e e ece of r g, d lv d pi g ound. ” " 1 Waa mea voe a so occurs the ame fi r a , ning , l in n é wd ), 115 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

meeting of the general ting or law-court of the islands

in Tingwall .

- - m N . ta r f O . s d r , dwelling place, occu s in the or

‘ ' f. i B u t zéstvdr bolsta dr s a . . N . b sta in . (Delt ) (O or ),

’ Gr imzsta r Gr im- r is m L Gr im O . N . nea erwick , ( , , a an s

” Gr ista dd r N . r i G O . name) , (Tingwall) . If ista be g sta dr th e , place of safety (for cri minals), the picture of

Tingwall or law - cour t plain with its t ing - booths or

skol la s m t m r , already en ioned , would be re a kably m co plete .

Ta t Ta To t Tu T ot s t t t t i N . /zo O . f , f or p , p ( ar ) p , house

r t stead , site, (g ound) plot. Instances Taf house in

” Fu n n ie T ten To ten H (Fe), Toft (De), of (Fe), f ( arolds

” in - en r wick U) is the dative plu al termin a t ion l (cf.

' ” - H ool erz . Tu ta b Tz ta b e b p p y ( p y ) (F ) (reg . y see

” ' ' u tz a r t bo p . de T p g lzs (Firth in Col bzmtof t

' ’ Fe K ol be O . N . zmz m m ( ) Colbin being , a an s na e (the

' same name is contained in Cu ll zn sbr oc a township in

Bressay) .

These remar ks on place - names would be incomplete

without some allusion to such spots as have received

'

Kzr kw a l l rk e N . Ki r é r erro eous s e t O. w urt er th n ly p l (O n y), k g f h in e ” ” ame Wa a r et a a nd rk e erro eous s e t Wa l l h n in Sh l nd O n y, n ly p l s t e “ a ncient form of Waas in Orkney is Vé ga r Vdga l a nd) : (the) voes

( voeo l and).

t m o e o te O . N . I tho tu the ots etc. I T f n , T p n p , in ( ) pl 116 H THE OLD S ETLAND DIALECT .

r u h names in connection with old popula superstition , s c spots as wer e formerly believed to be inhabited or fre

n r N . tr ol l s ue ted . O . q by t olls and fairies , troll , occur in

/zoo en z - i . i. Tr u l l a cf. H y (S ) the troll knoll ( ool p.

’ ' roswi k Tr ot/{w a ter and Tr é l l zgz o (in several places) . T c

” '

r Troll swick . Wul v Wzl v (Du) is p obably , or from

' - Wul vers Wzl ver N t r f. i . s . . ol O f , elf, fairy, occurs in or

” ' Izool Mid : - Wul Wzl /tool ( Yell) elf knoll , or (Du), now commonly called de fairy-knowe

The water- spirit called de nj uggel ( = water

kr N . n kelpie, O . y , is commemorated in the

" ' l s m s f. i . u e na es of a few lochs and shun , M gg water

Tin w N uckr o r Wh a y -sou r: ( g ), wate ( ) M gg

“ - - n u el n u el . j gg loch, j gg pool

“ ’ There are a few knolls by the name of H erzkzs

” “ ” h en/bi m m k now e. The word is so eti es applied to a

ar e troll or fairy . There old legends in connection with

these knolls, that the trolls used to dance there at night,

r r m and the t olls we e always supposed to hink or li p,

“ m h en ki H . when they danced . ence the na e There

L zmk/zool is a knoll called in North Yell , about which there is a similar tradition . The trolls here were evi l m “ dent Shetl . y accusto ed to lunk, when they danced ( m to lunk to go with a li p).

The name of the place called H a l tada m (H aayl

1 18 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT.

“ or valley-ting the law- court was held at Dale ' * L u n n astzn N estin A ithstin g , g , g (see Aith, Aid p . 85)

“ S a ndstin m the and g (na ed after place Sand , where th e

- law court was held).

As to the other district or parish names I may in

m D u n r ossn ess this connection ention , which takes its

“ m r m r oost or - mm na e f o the dinning tide way, co only

“ Su mbur r - N . D n called g oost O . y r ost and Dy n r a s

' ta mer . Re . N or t/zma vzne Wa ll : 8 g and see pp. 5 and

1 1 4 (the note).

m Unst Yel l Fetl a r The na es of the North Isles ; , , , a re as yet qu ite obscure ; the explanations hither to ff o ered are useless .

Each ting had its own gallow - hill or place of execution for criminals sentenced to death . There is a

“ ” G w- r allo hill at Scalloway connected with the g eat ting,

m m a re Unst Fetl ar and hills by the sa e na e found in , ,

We D u n rossn ess and on the westside . find th e name

’ ’ r m ol a N a l G O . . z also in the fo g , which is g g , gallows .

“ ” Ther e is a hill called Golga in N orth mavine and

r Wu l a m another in Sandwick pa ish . g (na e of a hill in

n n in sbur h s s for q l a Co g g ) tand g , which is another

“ ' ’ Th e ol d form of th e na me is L u nd -ezds-tl ung ( m a being ” - - - t u is ro a . N l zmd r ro e oc urr L a nd ol d or a b b O . c i h L nd p ly , g v , ing ” - a mes ca a a and ce a L a n d i th a me in several place n in S ndin vi I l nd . s e n

f a e Unst . As to oo s et a see . 6 th e ote . o a pl c in w d in Sh l nd , p 7 ( n ) 119 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. form of Golga ; about this place there is an old t radi

- Kel Hulter Was e ion , that a sheep thief, named , hang d there.

I sha ll conclude this lecture with a few remarks on

Sketl a ml f the f m the name itsel , or rather on original or

' of b la r o the name, which was ya l t ml . The e is a p pular ra t a w t dition telling us, h t some of the Picts, hen they had o red f fled been c nque by the Scots, le t Scotland and W north. hen they had passed Orkney and got sight of

“ ” : ! — Shetland, they cried Yet land , yet land and this was the way, Shetland got its name. There is a similar

Fedel a nd R l tradition about in North oe. Fede and is

n said to have bee the last place in Shetland , where the

W r f Picts lingered . hen they we e driven rom there, their

of only place refuge was the sea, and so they cried

“ ” fa e Fae de land, de land (from the land) Fancy the Picts speaking modern Shetland English ! Fede

“ fat s land simply means land rich pa ture. N0 sure explanation has as yet been offered of the name Hj alt

” ’ h as f land. I t been explain ed rom the man s name ' — H al tz s j , occurring in the old Nor e literature but there are no insta nces of countries being named after single

. e e f O. N . lt a lt men Then it has be n deriv d rom j , hilt,

of s of the hilt a sword, but the hape the country does 120 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT . n ot r present any st iking resemblance to a hilt. Yet the

lt a l t name might contain the word j . I have in this lecture endeavoured to suggest

- m general rules, according to which the place na es have been given , and I further insist on the necessity for great caution in either forming or accepting conclu

r et mo sions in regard to names, that are of unce tain y

for logy, derivations which even a slight knowledge of the Old Nor thern language might have shown to be erroneous have occasionally been offered in regard

to these names.

122 INDE! TO PLACE NAMES.

Effi m r th 113 ar t 104 a a. Voe Ha , G h , H n , Efsti ar th 104 H mr if l l g , Gil , 83 a e , 80 E il sa 101 Gi o 9 H edl i ber 89 g (y), , Gj o, 9 g, En ni sfir h l is 1 t , 96 Gi oseter , l l l Hel t er , 1 1 E sh aness 93 G oden u ou 113 Hel l a 88 , j , (G d ) y , Evri ar th 104 oo 100 Hel l abr u n 8 g , Gl p, y , 7

Ex n abti 106 o a. Hel l ers 100 e l er 100 , G l y , H l y , ol a 118 Hel l i n a br ett a G g , y , , Fedel an d 1 19 Gé rd o r 104 105 wh eeda 88 89 , (G a d) , , , F l r 11 H n kisk n w 1 at a , 8 Gorh ool , 105 e o e, 1 tch 83 Gor sen di o 99 err a 11 Fid , Fi , gi , H , 7 P a ro a 83 Got 112 Hesta ness 94 idn g n , , , a 75 Gr a a v Gr aa vins 84 H estin seter l l l Fill , , , , Fil l a k omb 77 r a e r a e 84 H esti n s ar th 104 , G v , G v n , g , Finn i i r t Finni ord 3 r a e a 84 H evda Hevdi 92 g , g , 7 G v l nd , , , Fi vl a 70 r e 84 Ke a - r u 92 , G f, vd g n , Fi vl a ord Hevdi r h g , 69 G rimi sta , 115 ga t , 92 F ael 4 Gri si ar th 104 H oa 5 j , 7 g , j g, 7 F al sa mi res 4 rist a 115 H o a n ess 75 j , 7 G , j g , F ar da al l 9 Grosta kk 103 H e em 75 j p 7 , j g , or 97 Grost an e 35 H u kman n avor d Fj d , , j , Fl adabist er 111 Gr u n e 101 o a o a 10 , y, H g , H g n , Fl ee 103 Gr on astak k ro a 36 103 Ho a l and 108 , , G n , , g , Fl eshi ns 103 Gr oti n Gr u tin 94 th e ot e Hel m 102 , ( g) ( n ) , Fo rada al 83 Gr otn ess 94 H ol men n is o a g , , H g

‘ Fo ri ar th 104 Gr otwh ee Gr ut uo 108 ooh 98 g g , ( q y) H , For aness 93 Gu l ah amar o a 36 Hoobi e 99 , (G l , orse 87 H oobi n s 99 F , ,

Forso, 87 Ha amar , 80 H oofil , 75 ou a Fool a 101 H a amarn ess 80 oo Koo eh 5 F l ( ) , , H l , l , 7 Fra m ord 105 Ha a n a h oa 91 H ool i n br e a g , j g, , nd , Fr a mmisk ol l a 114 Ha d el d 109 stoor a 6 , g j , , 7 Fu l an ess Fu l aness 94 H a mark 109 Hool mal ees 1 2 g , g , , 0 Fu l ask er r 1 H a mar k s io 109 H ool ma wa r 1 g y, 02 g ( ) g , t e , Haa l t adans 116 Hool n a oo e 6 y , , h l , 7 i r d n ss 1 m H Ga a e , 06 Ha , 98 ooru n , 80 G ai rdi 1 m on 1 Hoos e, 05 Ha eto , 06 ter , 111 i 8 Ga rdi n , 105 Hamist er , 9 Hoost on , 106

Gal ti arth 104 am a. a e 98 Hoosta kk 1 g , H n D l , , 03 DE! TO PL MES IN ACE NA .

ur 91 K n in 1 H d , op. 84 Lu n ast g, 1 8 - II urdifel l 92 Ko a 84 Mar aness 94 , pp , , H wammaroni 9 K 4 , 7 oppister , 8 M a rister , 111 1163 92 Kr abbabersoadi 91 a s ri 85 , , M vi G nd , Kr o aroni 9 e 106 g , 7 M lby , m 1 Kr oo R 0 Mil l a. Ge r da 106 , , 7 y , Kroodal e 10 Mil l a Hel l a 89 , 7 y y ,

Kr oo 96 Mil l a. a t a 86 n , y V n , Krooster 10 96 99 , 7 Minn , , J u ba J u a see u a Ku a 94 e 99 , p , Dj b , dd , Minni , Min ,

u a . Ku m e Kuml 81 Mi oness 94 Dj p b l , , ,

Ku mli n s, 75 M00] , 93 Kam 77 Kur ki ar th 104 oo a 93 b , g , M l , Ka i e 77 M ooness 94 n , , R a 84 Laa mar 81 vik 98 p, , M oo , s 6 La m n Kat tismog , 7 ba ess, 94 M ou se. (Moose) , 1 Kee 91 Lambho a 108 Mu ck l a too 81 n , g , , Kel a 87 La mmi ar th 104 Mai 87 d , g , , Kir kwa a K r a 114 ax o 86 M orister 8 , i kw ll , L , , 7 '

th e ote . Lee 80 er 87 ( n ) , M n , K l ka 91 Leea bak k a 89 M orsete r 8 j o , , , 7 b - 106 Leean 80 Kj u rk a y, py) ,

Kl eberswick , 91 Leefell , 80 N ab , 78 l 88 Leer ask er r 102 N ak kas ke 96 K ett , y, rry , r w Kl et tin , t o, 88 Lee u l (Leerhool ), 76 N ebb, 97 K a 81 Leesk o] 114 ee 93 l di , , N p , K u 8 er c 112 es 93 l b , 7 L wi k , N hin , K a 78 Li k vel l in s 83 ess 93 n b , (y) , N , n is 8 n a e 101 est 118 K app , 7 Li g , Ling y , N ing, dl if ll Lin a r th 104 92 Ko e , 77 gg , Niv , K l ra ve Kol r ef 84 Litl a too 81 N u el s a ter 1 o g , g , , j gg w , Ko aster 111 L oa 87 u er -s u 11 ll , j g, Nj gg h n , n 80 Lodberri 90 N oonsvord 82 Kollya r u . , , Lon a ber 89 N oo 93 Kol vi ste r , 111 g g, p, o a ro 79 or 106 Komba , 77 L ng ni , N by , m s Kom s Lon a ton a 95 N ort hma vine 85 Ro pi ( bi ), 77 g g , ,

K obel 10 L a nd 118 th e ote. oss 93 o , 7 , ( n ) N , Koo 77 Lu n k hool 1 16 N u ck ro ater 11 l , , w ,

Koo in s 84 th e ote . Ln n n a 118 the ote . p , ( n ) , ( n ) 124 I DE! TO P ACE N AME N L S.

95 Roe Booe uc e R. Sk raefil 5 Odd , , , (M kl , 7

Oddsta 95 or t R. 102 Sl a i n 84 , N h ) g , k ra u 1 O q ee, 08 Roe, see R6 Sl oag , 84 a err 90 Roen ess 94 Smi r a r th 104 Oll b y , , g , Oodhoose 113 Roeni s see R6nis Smor k el da 87 , Hill , , Ootn abrek 80 Ro i 97 Sn oo Sn oo i 7 , v , j g, j g , Ord 91 u ssan ss 4 h ol 6 , R e , 9 Snj ooga o , 7 Or bister 86 Rus hik a s 4 n l da 1 , s p , 8 S o . 03 r a e 86 R6 see Roe Snooti 96 O d l , , , r 83 Rdu R6ni 9 $116 5 92 O gil , , , 7 , rw ck 86 Rii ni fo ra 9 o e 107 O i , g , 7 S b l ,

R6ni n s, 79 Soberl ee, 107 P a a P a a t oor 64 Rfinis 79 ou Soond l l p , p S , , S nd ( ), P a il 64 Ron i s 9 Stakk 103 p , Hill , 7 , Pettasmo Ror wa t er 1 t a k k aber 89 g, 67 , 02 S g, P ett awa ter 66 Rostak k 36 t t 110 , , S ill , S illi ,

P ettidal e, 66 Sti vva , 113

P et ti ar thsfel l 6 Sal ta ol 99 Stoora l oa 8 g , 7 p , j g , 7 P ett a Shai o 71 a t ess 99 Stoora oi n t 95 in g , S l n , p , ’ P o ll 99 Sandstin 11 toor hool Stoor ul y , g, 8 S , Fu d 106 a a t 86 Stoori Kroo 107 n , S ndv n , , P nn dal ot 107 Sa x a vord 82 t o e 113 , , S v , P u n dsfel l 107 ca o a Sk al owa 114 a mbu r 71 , S ll w y ( ), S g, P61 99 Sel i voe 112 Swa r ba k s i , , M nn l l h r k r r Se afir t , 112 Swa t as e y , 3 6, uart 84-85 eter 110 Sw ar thool 76 Q , S , , uee 107 het a 119 Swar ti il 83 Q , S l nd , g , ueeda r u ns 80 hu 86 Swinaness 94 Q , S n , , d l Q uen a e, 87 Sk a ll ifil , 75 Swi ni eter , 111 uh ee uhe uhi 10 Sk el be r 9 S mbister 111 Q , Q y, Q e, 7 r y, 0 y , e i n 108 Sk erh l l S6b 1 1 t y , e ya , 88 e , 07 uil se u a l se 96 Sk er i ar th 104 oret 107 Q , Q , p g , S , err 102 Sk y , Ra a a 96 Skibber wnl Skibber hool a t 115 n , ( ), T f , Ra mna her 89 98 6 T i n 114 h n g, , 7 a ge , (t e r Ra mna i o 98 100 Ski otain 95 a 95 g , , g, T ing, Ra mn ast ac k s 98 Ski task err 102 ami 8 , p y, T , 7

Be t , 107 Skol l a n , 1 14 Ta r ar et , 107 ’ St R a e s e 65 Sk ooi n re a 6 th e ote Tari io 100 ( ) ing n I l , b nd , 7 ( n ) g ,