P E F R ACE . I N offering these pages to the kin d forbearance of his i the ub lic fr ends and p , the author is aware of their m any imperfections . He gratefully a cknowledges his indebtedn ess to those friends who take a warm interest in t he pre of the di th e servation alect peculiar to far north, and wh o have demonstrated that interest by supplying material for this work . Some four hundred of the words and phrases in this V ocabulary are to b e found ’ m s S ti D i ti r in that noble work Ja ie on s cot sh c ona y . The writer must acknowledge his special obligations m t he Mr. W G t o the MSS. e l ft by late illia rant, a S of c ic m and hetlander onsiderable linguist attain ents , A m of s of cul e mi . tivat d nd large nu ber word , which ’ had c th e m es aped author s research, were found a ong ’ th s o f t he m Mr. G e rant s papers , and derivation na es r in m m of i c et c . a e c slands, pla es , , any ases also fro V c has his pen . aluable assistan e also been received T m s B D m Re . P he D . in t v . fro very ho a arclay, , r cipal — of t he College of G lasgow assistance which is here most gratefully a cknowledged . PR E FA CE . Some of the words that will be found in the fol lowing pages are no doubt in use in other part s o f S S co tch . cotland, and are generally accepted as words As the S m m e hetlander e ploys the , howev r, it has been n ot c m thought right to ex lude the , since that alone is f and ma b e o f t o the . O interesting, y value philologist such words not a few are unquestionably of N orse origin and in thes e c ases it is as likely that Sc otland c m m as h as m has re eived the fro , that it given the t o, I t t o b are so few Shetland . is e regretted that there s A w as Orkney word in this c olle ction . pplication m e t o s m s ad everal gentle en resident in those island , but unfortunately none of them had preserved the m words that are now displa c ed by s outhern i portations. Mo st of t h e Shetland words in this book are e m or are the old N deriv d fro nearly related to orse , and are still more or less us ed throughout the islands e s are the mi i — wit but th ir stronghold in extre t es to , r n H l i Dun oss ess s c and Unst . , i l w k, From more frequent busines s and social intercourse the of S with their southern neighbours , people hetland are o r l rapidly losing, rather have a ready lost, a dis t inctive diale ct and when the present old inhabitants m of th e old N am i b e have passed away, ost w ll buried m with the . The has on e n d m it author , thes grou ds, ee ed useful now to gather , for preservation , what would otherwise m in a very short ti e be irrecoverably lost . PR E FA CE . vii The e m m d rivations of the na es of so e of the islands , h i et i t e m e e c . n and of na es of places , private r s denc s , , m ma the , y not be thought uninteresting, and are there fore appended . J EDI N BUR H une 18 6 6 . G , RUBBlNG FROMMAESHOW TUMULUS. G L O S S A RY SHE TLAND AND ORKNE Y WORDS . AABER S is fr l. ae , eager, anxious to obtain a thing, . ; ; g. i r da . o. e fer p abre, id AAI RVHOUS l i n , the p ace of meet ng appoi ted by the Foud l h genera or c ief governor, S . AAEM lin da arm defi i n as . c e s. , the end, of a e, S . , AB ERZ T t EAN e . , cetera, S ABLN l in 0. , to thresh ha f a sheaf for giv g horses, ABI R so . , a sheaf threshed, O “ AB l A UNE all . , out of character, unreasonab e, S bune AB UNE . , above, S A MY CA dim . , inutive, O A CE ll i i i i i l l , the sma est d v s on of anyth ng, a s ng e partic e, a un da. s. 0 . a it, aa ib A i . 0. a I CHT, possess on, property, S to own ; g , i da . a s. s. ae a . have . agan g g and e gen, to possess l ll l A CKADUR . , to endeavour (accent on ast sy ab e), S AE- B EAS —REE i l - i in T T , a sw ng e tree by wh ch one horse draws l . p oughing, O and S - i i i in f l A E FALD m l n . a e a , si p e, not cu n ng, upr ght, S ; 9 e nf ch, f ald s enf ldi n a . lt a s. a e . ti a nfa . o . e g . g ; ; g “ AER a m . , a s ndbank or beach ; someti es a stone aer, O and h r isl su . ot . e . S . g y ; eyre 9 oer, id B G L OSSAR Y OF SHE TLAND S I E T il l AE S PA TLE l . , a neg ected ch d, S . g. aschenputte A TH— n udk nd E KE N ll l . o. a e T, we known, easi y known, S j isl k n dr aud e . , id A FFBEND i - , to remove the furn ture from a peat pony, S . AFFLUDE l (to) , to injure the ooks or appearance of anything, ” d . do . ro aflo S p . , id — AFFRUG affrug of the sea a spent wave receding from the shore, S. AFFSET i l , an mpu se, S . AFRO di h l fro a ab rat en . is . a d , to ssuade, S g. AFTAK i : x , a mockery or jeer ng the verb separates the prefi , 1st 2d li and means, , to scoff or jeer , app ed to weather, to l ll abate, to u , S . AFT-HANKS , that part of a boat where the bands come together m at the stem and ste , S . A G AI NCALIII NG ll , reca , revocation, O . ’ - — — A G AAI RY ; to go a gaairy to leave one s service before the - term day, O . A G G sea . no. a . , a short breach of the , S g AG G L l l , to soi , to defi e, S . A G G UCKS as awmucks . , a kind of fish, the same , S AI R infini isl. S. , a peerie air, a mere tasting, O . and ; aur, t imal es . AI R ll i 0. , a very sma quant ty, and S A I R 0 . , to taste, and S . A ITTRI E l l isl tr t i no. o . 3. ci . e d , co d b eak weather, S , id . AIVALOUS l u , doubtfu , ncertain , S . AIVI NG in , being doubt, S . A RLIN ll bcl l- i l l l , a su en person, S . g. ake g, g oomy ; me ancho y ; i m l d s a . A LAMOTTI - finch l Procellaria ela ica , the storm , a fow ( p g ) , O ; ital al . a , a wing, and moto, motion, id . “ ” A LI E l - l l . is Al a S . , a pet, a favourite ; an a ie amb, ; , to l l l at. a o pet ; , a ere . AND ORK N E Y WORDS . ALI E i l , to cher sh, to nurse, to pet a sounded ong, S . ’ ALI t n i N wl . en t ls e d SO a . ae e , a shoemaker s , S , A LMARK l i n i , an anima add cted to breaki g fences or trespass ng l l c a l l isl. a a l . on arab e and, S . , to rear, and mark, an enc osed l u n l fie d q . feedi g on enc osed ground. l AL O . T , a though, S i MP n a d. A . o. , fear, S mpe, See . AN. in R i l E S. is . nd AND n o . , a k d of porch , ; , porticus AN D OO i n l i , to keep a boat in pos tion by rowi g gent y aga nst no . wind or tide, S . andou mi n eluk mis ANG ALUOK S. bel . a , an accident, a sfortune, ; g g , da an aa—e l kk- e fortune ; . g , to concern, to affect, and y , l . uck, fortune ANKER - hi , a dry measure, as an anker of potatoes, one t rd of l l li u ni da. 38 a barre a so a q id measure, S . anker, Da sh quarts, id.