Glossary

abune: above

ae: one

afore: before

aiblins: maybe

arrant: errand

attowre: above

atween: between

ava: at all, of all

ayont: beyond

bairn: child

bane: bone

big: build

biggit: built

blin: blind person

bluid: blood

bonnie: pretty

bore: a hole

brattle: clatter

braw: fine

brent: unwrinkled

brig: bridge

broukit: neglected

carlacue: curlicue

cantie: happy

ceinture: girdle, belt

chevalier: a chivalrous man

clinty: flinty, hard

core: group

coulter: blade

cracker: a white man

crammasy: crimson

clanjamfrie: collection, rabble

daffin: merriment

daimen icker in a thrave: one ear of corn in twenty-four sheaves

dart: punch

décédé: deceased

dibble: planting stick

dight: sifted

dominie: pastor, schoolmaster

donsie: hapless

douce: sober

doverin: dozing

dow: dove

dowie: dismal, melancholy

duds: clothes

een: eyes

faucon, faukun: falcon

fause limmer: false scoundrel, prostitute

feisant: pheasant

fleet: floor

frae ilkae: from alike

gang aft agley: go often awry

gare: a skirt seam

gars: makes, causes

gennel: a covered alleyway connecting terraced houses

gied: gave, made

gill: a small measure of liquor

gin: if

girt: prepared for action

glaikit: stupid

glamourie: spell

glent: glinted

glims: candles

gob: mouth

gowden: golden

gralloch: disembowel

greet: weep

guid: good

hald: holding

heapet happer: heaped hopper

heuch: crag

hosen and shoon: hose and shoes

hussyfskap: household chores

inby: toward, into

ingenerit: begotten, engendered

jo: darling, love

a kennin wrang: a little wrong

kens: knows

kine: cows (collectively)

kirk: church

lane: lonely

lamer: amber

lave: remainder

lichter: boat, barge

limmer: wretch

lug: ear

maun: shall, must

Miltown: a tranquilizer

mirk: murk

nane: none

napper: head

niffer: comparison

nostos: homecoming

ocht: ought

owre: over

owrhailit: overthrown, overpowered

paction: agreement, contract

pattle: part of a plough

philters: love potions

pismire: ant

pow: head

pudding-broo: hot pudding

punctilio: observance of form, attention to detail

reemlin: tremulous

rin: run

sall: shall

scad: scald

scud: move fast

semmit: undershirt

sith: since

slaw: slow

sleekit: sly, sleek

sneezer: a drink

snell: bitter

shuther: shoulder

squeezer: gallows, rope

stane: stone

stare: starling

swees: sways

t.b.: tuberculosis

thochtie: thought

tousie: tangled

twa: two

unco: uncommon

wantonnesse: recklessness

weel-faur’d: good-looking, handsome

wheen: a few

wheen o’ blethers: pack of nonsense

whinnes: whins, thorns

Whinny-muir: Thorny Moor

wunds: winds

Ach, du: Oh, you

Ich, Ich, Ich, Ich: I, I, I, I

liebling, liebchen, mein liebe, mein kleine liebe!

  darling, darling, my love, my little love!

Noli me Tangere: don’t touch me

S’io credessi che mia risposta fosse …

  If I believed that my answer would be

  Given to someone who would ever return to earth,

  This flame would move no more,

  But because no one from this gulf

  Has ever returned alive, if what I hear is true,

  I can reply with no fear of infamy.

    (from Canto 27 of Dante’s Inferno)