Like most dialects, the Scottish dialect features some unique words not found in any other language. Find out what some of those words mean below:
| A'= all. A-back= behind, away. Abiegh= aloof, off. Ablins= v. aiblins. Aboon= above up. Abread= abroad. Abreed= in breadth. Ae= one. Aff= off. Aff-hand= at once. Aff-loof= offhand. A-fiel= afield. Afore= before. Aft= oft. Aften= often. Agley= awry. Ahin= behind. Aiblins= perhaps. Aidle= foul water. Aik= oak. Aiken= oaken. Ain= own. Air= early. Airle= earnest money. Airn= iron. Airt= direction. Airt= to direct. Aith= oath. Aits= oats. Aiver= an old horse. Aizle= a cinder. A-jee= ajar, to one side. Alake= alas. Alane= alone. Alang= along. Amaist= almost. Amang= among. An= if. An'= and. Ance= once. Ane= one. Aneath= beneath. Anes= ones. Anither= another. Aqua-fontis= spring water. Aqua-vitae= whiskey. Arle= v. airle. Ase= ashes. Asklent= askew, askance. Aspar= aspread. Asteer= astir. A'thegither= altogether. Athort= athwart. Atweel= in truth. Atween= between. Aught= eight. Aught= possessed of. Aughten= eighteen. Aughtlins= at all. Auld= old. Auldfarran, auldfarrant= shrewd,old-fashioned, sagacious. Auld Reekie= Edinburgh. Auld-warld= old-world. Aumous= alms. Ava= at all. Awa= away. Awald= backways and doubled up. Awauk= awake. Awauken= awaken. Awe= owe. Awkart= awkward. Awnie= bearded. Ayont= beyond. Ba'= a ball. Backet= bucket= box. Backit= backed. Backlins-comin= coming back. Back-yett= gate at the back. Bade= endured. Bade= asked. Baggie= stomach. Baig'nets= bayonets. Baillie= magistrate of a Scots burgh. Bainie= bony. Bairn= child. Bairntime= brood. Baith= both. Bakes= biscuits. Ballats= ballads. Balou= lullaby. Ban= swear. Ban'= band (of the Presbyterian clergyman). Bane= bone. Bang= an effort; a blow; a large number. Bang= to thump. Banie= v. bainie. Bannet= bonnet. Bannock, bonnock= a thick oatmeal cake. Bardie= dim. of bard. Barefit= barefooted. Barket= barked. Barley-brie or bree= barley-brew-ale or whiskey. Barm= yeast. Barmie= yeasty. Barn-yard= stackyard. Bartie= the Devil. Bashing= abashing. Batch= a number. Batts= the botts, the colic. Bauckie-bird= the bat. Baudrons, Baudrans= the cat. Bauk= cross-beam. Bauk= v. bawk. Bauk-en'= beam-end. Bauld= bold. Bauldest= boldest. Bauldly= boldly. Baumy= balmy. Bawbee= a half-penny. Bawdrons= v. baudrons. Bawk= a field path. Baws'nt= white-streaked. Bear= barley. Beas'= beasts, vermin. Beastie= dim. of beast. Beck= a curtsy. Beet= feed, kindle. Beild= v. biel. Belang= belong. Beld= bald. Bellum= assault. Bellys= bellows. Belyve= by and by. Ben= a parlor (i.e.the inner apartment); into the parlor. Benmost= inmost. Be-north= to the northward of. Be-south= to the southward of. Bethankit= grace after meat. Beuk= a book, devil's pictur'd beuks-playing-cards. Bicker= a wooden cup. Bicker= a short run. Bicker= to flow swiftly and with a slight noise. Bickerin= noisy contention. Bickering= hurrying. Bid= to ask, to wish,to offer. Bide= abide, endure. Biel, bield= a shelter, a sheltered spot. Biel= comfortable. Bien= comfortable. Bien, bienly= comfortably. Big= to build. Biggin= building. | Bike= v. byke. Bill= the bull. Billie= fellow, comrade,brother. Bings= heaps. Birdie= dim. of bird; also maidens. Birk= the birch. Birken= birchen. Birkie= a fellow. Birr= force= vigor. Birring= whirring. Birses= bristles. Birth= berth. Bit= small (e.g.=bit lassie). Bit= nick of time. Bitch-fou= completely drunk. Bizz= a flurry. Bizz= buzz. Bizzard= the buzzard. Bizzie= busy. Black-bonnet= the Presbyterian elder. Black-nebbit= black-beaked. Blad= v. blaud. Blae= blue= livid. Blastet= blastit= blasted. Blastie= a blasted (i.e.damned) creature, a little wretch. Blate= modest, bashful. Blather= bladder. Blaud= a large quantity. Blaud= to slap, pelt. Blaw= blow. Blaw= to brag. Blawing= blowing. Blawn= blown. Bleer= to blear. Bleer't= bleared. Bleeze= blaze. Blellum= a babble; a railer, a blusterer. Blether, blethers= nonsense. Blether= to talk nonsense. Bletherin'= talking nonsense. Blin'= blind. Blink= a glance= a moment. Blink= to glance, to shine. Blinkers= spies, oglers. Blinkin= smirking, leering. Blin't= blinded. Blitter= the snipe. Blue-gown= the livery of the licensed beggar. Bluid= blood. Bluidy= bloody. Blume= to bloom. Bluntie= a stupid. Blypes= shreds. Bobbed= curtsied. Bocked= vomited. Boddle= a farthing. Bode= look for. Bodkin= tailor's needle. Body= bodie= a person. Boggie= dim. of bog. Bogle= a bogie= a hobgoblin. Bole= a hole= or small recess in the wall. Bonie= bonnie= pretty= beautiful. Bonilie= prettily. Bonnock= v. Bannock. 'Boon= above. Boord= board= surface. Boord-en'= board-end. Boortress= elders. Boost= must needs. Boot= payment to the bargain. Bore= a chink= recess. Botch= an angry tumor. Bouk= a human trunk; bulk. Bountith= bounty. 'Bout= about. Bow-hough'd= bandy-thighed. Bow-kail= cabbage. Bow't= bent. Brachens= ferns. Brae= the slope of a hill. Braid= broad. Broad-claith= broad-cloth. Braik= a harrow. Braing't= plunged. Brak= broke. Brak's= broke his. Brankie= gay= fine. Branks= a wooden curb= a bridle. Bran'y= brandy. Brash= short attack. Brats= small pieces, rags. Brats= small children. Brattle= a scamper. Brattle= noisy onset. Braw= handsome, fine, gaily dressed. Brawlie= finely= perfectly= heartily. Braxies= sheep that have died of braxie (a disease). Breastie= dim. of breast. Breastit= sprang forward. Brechan= ferns. Breeks= breeches. Breer= brier. Brent= brand. Brent= straight= steep (i.e.= not sloping from baldness). Brie= v. barley-brie. Brief= writ. Brier= briar. Brig= bridge. Brisket= breast. Brither= brother. Brock= a badger. Brogue= a trick. Broo= soup,broth, water; liquid in which anything is cooked. Brooses= wedding races from the church to the home of the bride. Brose= a thick mixture of meal and warm water; also a synonym for porridge. Browster wives= ale wives. Brugh= a burgh. Brulzie= brulyie= a brawl. Brunstane= brimstone. Brunt= burned. Brust= burst. Buckie= dim. of buck, a smart younker. Buckle= a curl. Buckskin= Virginian: the buckskin kye,negroes. Budget= tinker's bag of tools. Buff= to bang, to thump. Bughtin= folding. Buirdly= stalwart. Bum= the buttocks. Bum= to hum. Bum-clock= beetle, cockchafer, Junebug. Bummle= a drone, a useless fellow. Bunker= a seat. Bunters= harlots. Burdies= dim. of bird or burd (a lady); maidens. Bure= bore. Burn= a rivulet. Burnewin= the blacksmith (i.e.= burn the wind). Burnie ( dim. of burn)= a rivulet. Burr-thistle= spear-thistle. Busk= to dress, to garb, to dress up, to adorn. Buss= a bush. Bussle= bustle. But= without. But,butt= in the kitchen. By= past= aside. By= beside. By himsel= beside himself. Bye attour (i.e. by and attour)= beside and at a distance. Byke= a bees' nest, a hive, a swarm, a crowd. Byre= a cow-house. |
Glossary of Scottish Words, C
Glossary of Scottish Words, D-E
Glossary of Scottish Words, F
Glossary of Scottish Words, G
Glossary of Scottish Words, H
Glossary of Scottish Words, I-K
Glossary of Scottish Words, L
Glossary of Scottish Words, M-P
Glossary of Scottish Words, Q-R
Glossary of Scottish Words, S
Glossary of Scottish Words, T
Glossary of Scottish Words, U-Y
