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Does anyone know if there is a book or something similer of caithness dialect?
i had a discussion a while back with some work friends aboutcdialects etc and they were quite intrested in caithness dialect and their meanings.
Its a shame its dying out
There is at least one book available (or there was)
but
http://www.caithness.org/dialect/index.htm
Does anyone know if there is a book or something similer of caithness dialect?
i had a discussion a while back with some work friends aboutcdialects etc and they were quite intrested in caithness dialect and their meanings.
Its a shame its dying out
Fluff its here
http://www.caithness.org/dialect/
A favourite of mine is Caithness Spoken by John Geddes
I've had it for a long time, maybe it's not around now, but try D R Simpson in Wick.
Does anyone know if there is a book or something similer of caithness dialect?
i had a discussion a while back with some work friends aboutcdialects etc and they were quite intrested in caithness dialect and their meanings.
Its a shame its dying out
What do you mean "dying" out? Since coming on this smashing site, I find myself rabbiting on in the dialect at work, and people saying"fit",no, that last one is probably me, but I hope you grt my drift!:D
What do you mean "dying" out? Since coming on this smashing site, I find myself rabbiting on in the dialect at work, and people saying"fit",no, that last one is probably me, but I hope you grt my drift!:D
I have been here almost a year and a half and with my hubby (a wicker) for over 8 years...I still hear people using words and phrases I don't understand. Its almost a language all of its own like Doric in Aberdeen etc.
The one that makes me smile is your Doug is your dog and your Boug is yer belly. Oh and my neice travelling down to my old house in Ross-Shire yelling about "Skorries"...
I am so ensconced in the language that I have to really try and keep my Ross-Shire accent.
Some of the words and phrases are very colourful and very descriptive. It would be a shame if it was lost altogether.
tenabowla
25-Mar-07, 12:32
Its probably phonetically spelt as dowg and bowg. interesting thing is that Thurso and Wick accents are quite different though they generally use the same dialect words.
I have been here almost a year and a half and with my hubby (a wicker) for over 8 years...I still hear people using words and phrases I don't understand. Its almost a language all of its own like Doric in Aberdeen etc.
The one that makes me smile is your Doug is your dog and your Boug is yer belly. Oh and my neice travelling down to my old house in Ross-Shire yelling about "Skorries"...
I am so ensconced in the language that I have to really try and keep my Ross-Shire accent.
I must admit I am fascinated by language as well; it is very interesting following the varying derivations froom our muliti-ancestoral roots.
Forgive me for correcting you but as you are interested in the Caithness dialect I think the relevant spellings of your examples are "dowg", "bowg" and "scorries"!
A lot of dialect would never be written down a long time ago, only spoken so I'm sure there are various ways of spelling the words. Look at how the English language has evolved even in recent times. Not all that long ago the shortened version as in words such as "don't, won't, couldn't" etc., would have been largely frowned upon in "correct" writing and dictionaries have to be kept updated as our language evolves..
Do keep your Ross-shire dialect; I like it. ;)
Oops, sorry Tenabowla! Had to answer the 'phone in the middle of concocting my post! :lol:
hehe its funny i am just reading through the caithness.org page a-z and there are so many words i reconise that i dont even think of as dialect.
oh its a funny world
I have a book called A Caithness Word Book by James Miller. It was published by North of Scotland Newspapers, 2001. So far as I recall, I got it in D.R.Simpsons in Wick, but I don't know if they still will have it available there. It is like a dictionary of the dialect words and their meanings. :)
hehe its funny i am just reading through the caithness.org page a-z and there are so many words i reconise that i dont even think of as dialect.
oh its a funny world
Me too Fluff...in my case many words I'd forgotten, but still so familiar..and some I must admit are new to me.:eek:
Glad to have the link and I must try to get one of the books mentioned.:)
Jeemag_USA
25-Mar-07, 15:30
Fit lek cully binkle, git yersel doon e seckin han book shop in Thirsa and find yersel a cheap chonnie caithniss chiels book o wurds and ye'll soon be takin like e fowk fae up e street biy!
And hiy dinna be ge'in me any lip or ah'll pit yir heid out e winda lek a sattylite dish biy! [lol]
dirdyweeker
25-Mar-07, 19:07
Does anyone know if there is a book or something similer of caithness dialect?
i had a discussion a while back with some work friends aboutcdialects etc and they were quite intrested in caithness dialect and their meanings.
Its a shame its dying out
I bought one as a Christmas pressie for someone. It is a hardbackked book, £8 if I remember from DR Simpsons in Wick. It is Caithness dictionary by Ian Sutherland, a well known Wick man.
tenabowla
25-Mar-07, 20:29
Fit lek cully binkle, git yersel doon e seckin han book shop in Thirsa and find yersel a cheap chonnie caithniss chiels book o wurds and ye'll soon be takin like e fowk fae up e street biy!
And hiy dinna be ge'in me any lip or ah'll pit yir heid out e winda lek a sattylite dish biy! [lol]
Hate to say it Jeemag but you seem to be manging the cant a bit in there, it was Fashionable in the school grounds in the 70s and 80s in Thurso schools. "cully cove"
Jeemag_USA
25-Mar-07, 21:08
Hate to say it Jeemag but you seem to be manging the cant a bit in there, it was Fashionable in the school grounds in the 70s and 80s in Thurso schools. "cully cove"
Aye you can't beat Old Skool [lol]
©Amethyst
25-Mar-07, 21:22
There is definately a book out - bought it for Mr A's auntie's Christmas pressie as she is also an ex-caithnesian.
She thought it was great!
I bought it from Bews book shop. Only cost £8 or so.
A favourite of mine is Caithness Spoken by John Geddes
I've had it for a long time, maybe it's not around now, but try D R Simpson in Wick.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f244/Rheghead/dialect.jpg
I bought it 25 years ago in Thurso and I have treasured it ever since. It comes complete with hand written corrections. Daft really, it must have been a sign of things to come!:lol:
Lavenderblue2
26-Mar-07, 13:05
Another good place to find Caithness wordies is chapter 28 of 'The Caithness Book' edited by Donald Omand. There are nineteen pages in all so there's a right good selection of dialect.
Mind you, looking at the first page one of the words is Ammel and the definition is a swingletree - I'm still none the wiser - I mean, what's a swingletree? Maybe I'm just a 'trosk'...or a 'paiferal' :lol:
LB
A Swingletree:- A crossbar pivoted in the middle, to which the traces are attached to a horse-drawn cart or plough. We live and learn... I looked it up in the dictionary.
George Brims
26-Mar-07, 21:43
A singletree or swingletree is called a whiffletree in the US (it just took me ten minutes of banging my forehead on the desk to recall that).
Also (from the OED) Swingle-tree,..in Scotland the striking end of a flail.
Now maybe someone can tell us which of those an Ammel is?
Now maybe someone can tell us which of those an Ammel is?
From Caithness Spoken
AMMEL: a single tree yoke.
By jove I think I've got it!
The Pepsi Challenge
27-Mar-07, 00:36
Wraxed: my favourite Caithness word. Ever.
Jeemag_USA
27-Mar-07, 02:06
Wraxed: my favourite Caithness word. Ever.
HA HA HA that brings back so many memories! I have been on many's a Wraxer in my time....
hmm favorite caithness words. For me it has to be "Cheap Chonnie", just because it is so stuck in my psyche I even have said it over in the USA several times and got funy looks. I love it because I know the history behind it and love the old world feel of it!
Can you put that in a sentence young lad says the teacher!
"I bought a Thunder Clap e ither day, after three snaps it was burst, thats the last time I buy any cheap chonnie rubbish fae woollies! Five meenits and it was wraxed!"
HA HA HA [lol]
Can anyone tell me what a Thunder Clap was ;)
The Pepsi Challenge
27-Mar-07, 05:10
HA HA HA that brings back so many memories! I have been on many's a Wraxer in my time....
hmm favorite caithness words. For me it has to be "Cheap Chonnie", just because it is so stuck in my psyche I even have said it over in the USA several times and got funy looks. I love it because I know the history behind it and love the old world feel of it!
Can you put that in a sentence young lad says the teacher!
"I bought a Thunder Clap e ither day, after three snaps it was burst, thats the last time I buy any cheap chonnie rubbish fae woollies! Five meenits and it was wraxed!"
HA HA HA [lol]
Can anyone tell me what a Thunder Clap was ;)
It was a piece of folded cardboard that made a huge whacking noise when you flicked it open. Yes? No? I'm sure they used to be quite easy to make, too.
Now maybe someone can tell us which of those an Ammel is?
Aml, ammel, and ambel, fumbling attempt to carry out a task; . . . fumbling attempt to walk.
From the Dictionary of Scots Language
http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/index.html
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