tak

From Middle Scots tak, tacke, from Early Scots tak, from Middle English taken (“to take”), from Old English tacan (“to grasp, touch”), a borrowing from Old Norse taka (“to touch, take”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tēkaną (“to touch”). Tak gradually displaced the native Middle English nimen (“to take”). Cognates include English take and Norn taka. The noun is partly from the verb and partly from Old Norse tak (“grip”) and/or taka (“taking, seizure”), via Middle English tak, take.


admonish

head

admonish (third-person singular simple present admonishes, present participle admonishin, simple past admonisht, past participle admonisht)

admonishes (present singular third-person)
admonishin (participle present)
admonisht (past)
admonisht (participle past)


hail

hail (third-person singular simple present hails, present participle hailin, simple past hailt, past participle hailt)

hails (present singular third-person)
hailin (participle present)
hailt (past)
hailt (participle past)

(sports) to drive the ball through the goal, etc.


hail

(sports) goal, the shout when a goal is scored, the goal area


yill

From Middle English ale, from Old English ealu, ealo, from Proto-West Germanic *alu, from Proto-Germanic *alu; cognate with English ale.


haaf

From Old Norse haf (“the sea”). Cognate with Danish hav, Old English hæf (Etymology 2).

(fishing, Shetland) the deep-sea fishing carried out 30-40 miles offshore in open boats

(fishing, Northern Isles) deep-sea fishing, especially for cod, ling, tusk, etc.


aitch

Orthographically from English aitch, but phonetically a regular reflex of Middle English ache, from Old French ache, from Vulgar Latin *acca, probably an extension of earlier ha, from an unindentified source.

The name of the Latin-script letter H/h.


poem

From Middle French poème, from Latin poēma, from Ancient Greek ποίημα (poíēma), from ποιέω (poiéō, “I make”).

1985, John J. Graham, "E Wir ain aald language. Writin ida Shetland dialect", in Manfred Görlach, Focus on Scotland, John Benjamins Publishing Company, page 193.
Hit wisna till weel trowe da nineteent century at Shetlanders tried der haand at writin ida dialect — maistly poems, wi a antrin story noo an dan.

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

And Hugh MacDiarmid was and is A Brawli Makar, for as siccan folk hand tae 't as thrugaun as a poem itsel, he daes, an daes he no.

The pseudonym TSL first thocht on uisin stertin oot ti publish his wark wis Thrawn, an he uised this for whit we think micht be his first published poem in a Sooth African paper at haes (for nou) hidden itsel ower again amang the files.


aw

The name of the Latin-script letter A/a.


scone

Possibly from Middle Low German schö̂ne (“fine flour bread”), or from Greek σκόνη (skóni, “dust”) or Middle Dutch schoonbroot (“fine bread; a kind of flat angular loaf”), from schoon (“fine”) + broot (“bread”); alternatively, Scottish Gaelic sgonn (“lump, mouthful”).

scaudit scone

a scone of barley or wheat mixed with hot milk or water

a semisweet cake made of wheat or barley flour, usually large and round


fermer

From Middle English fermour; compare English farmer.


Abraham

From Middle English Abraham, from Old English Abraham, from Late Latin Ābrahām.


tae

From Middle English to, from Old English tā, from Proto-West Germanic *taihā. Cognates include English toe and Faroese tá.


tae

head

tae (third-person singular simple present taes, present participle taein, simple past taet, past participle taet)

taes (present singular third-person)
taein (participle present)
taet (past)
taet (participle past)


brose

Unclear, but possibly deriving from Early Scots bruis, cognate with Middle English browes, possibly from Old French broez, nominative of broet (“stew, soup made from meat broth”) (modern French brouet) diminutive of breu, from Medieval Latin brodium, from Frankish *broþ. See English broth.

A dish of meal (usually oatmeal, sometimes peasemeal, beremeal, or a combination of meals) made with boiling water or hot milk, which sometimes includes additions such as salt, skimmed fat from broth, or kail.

birse-brose

brose with whisky added as an ingredient


nieve

nieve (third-person singular simple present nieves, present participle nievin, simple past nievit, past participle nievit)

nieves (present singular third-person)
nievin (participle present)
nievit (past)
nievit (participle past)

Borrowed from Old Norse hnefi, nefi, of unknown origin.


acker

From Middle English actour, from Latin āctōr; equivalent to ack + -er.


chapman

Inherited from Middle English chapman, from Old English cēapmann (“dealer”) (cognate with synonymous German Kaufmann), from cēap (“barter, business, dealing”).

When chapman billies leave the street, / And drouthy neibors, neibors, meet


breid

From Middle English bred, from Old English bread, from Proto-Germanic *braudą.


buik

Inherited from Northern Middle English buk, buke (southern bok, book), from Old English bōc. See book for more.

inh+

Heir endis this buik, writtin in tyme of pest / Quhen we fra labor was compeld to rest

1568, “The Wryttar to the Redare”, in George Bannatyne, editor, Bannatyne Manuscript:

Here ends this book, written in time of plague, / When we from labour were compelled to rest

His Lordship was lollin' in his easy chair afore the fire, tho' it was a fine June mornin'; and a puir, shrivelled, pock-pitted, black-coated chiel was reading to him frae some buik or ither.

1830, “The Aucht Years' Plea”, in The Glasgow University Album: A Selection of Original Pieces, page 168:

His Lordship was lolling in his easy chair in front of the fire, though it was a fine June morning; and a poor, shrivelled, pock-pitted, black-coated fellow was reading to him from some book or other.

But introduce Scots, even jist a wee bit o it, intae a wean’s learnin and mair aften than no, a licht goes on. Bairns that hadnae opened a buik afore want tae ken whaur the library is.

2016 April 20, Matthew Fitt, “Attainment o oor weans: Let me spell it oot in Scots”, in The National:

But introduce Scots, even just a little bit of it, into a child's learning and more often than not, a light goes on. Children that hadn't opened a book before want to know where the library is.


crowdie

Evolution of Early Scots crud, cognate with Early Modern English and Middle English crud or crudde (“coagulated milk; curd; any coagulated or thickened substance; dregs”), without undergoing the metathesis of Modern English curd. Derives from Old English crūdan (“to press”), itself from the earlier Proto-Germanic *krūdaną, *kreudaną, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *grewt- (“to push; press”).

der

(especially North Northern Scots) A soft fresh cheese, similar to the English cottage cheese, which is traditionally produced from naturally soured milk. In some modern preparations it is rolled in oats, or mixed with herbs or spices such as peppercorns.


tattie scone

From tattie (“potato”) + scone (“large circular cake baked on a griddle; a slice of such a cake”).


bool

(Doric Scots) A single marble used in the game bools rolled into a kypie (a hollow made by the heel of the foot).


spaeman

spae (“to prophesy, foretell, predict, tell fortunes”) + man


brakfast

brak (“break”) + fast; compare English breakfast


brakfast

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brakfast (third-person singular simple present brakfasts, present participle brakfastin, simple past brakfastit, past participle brakfastit)

brakfasts (present singular third-person)
brakfastin (participle present)
brakfastit (past)
brakfastit (participle past)


Saurah

From Hebrew שָׂרָה (Sarah, “lady, princess”), which was originally converted from the given name שָׂרָי (saráy, “Sarai”).

Sarah, wife of patriarch Abraham, mother of Isaac

a female given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Sarah


abuise

Southern Scots, South Northern Scots, Northern Isles

From Middle English abusen, noun has s for z.


aw-bay-say

From Middle English abece, from the first three letters of the Latin alphabet, standing for the whole alphabet.


traith

Identical to Early Scots traith. Possibly evolved as a specific variant of Early Scots trad in the sense of a shipping way or navigational course; compare to Middle Low German trade.

A fishing station or fishing ground; especially for herring.


A B brod

thin board with the alphabet on it, used for teaching children


abbacee

Alternative form of aw-bay-say (“alphabet”)


aber heart cake

In traditional belief, a cure for a voracious appetite.


ackie-peevie

Evidently a hybrid formed on the model of aqua vitæ, peeve = whisky, among Gypsies of Gall., Per., Arg.