Shaetlan Wird o' Da Day

[crofter]

spret.

[Njugle]

spret.

To tear, burst or open up.

 

"He spret ees breeks climmin ower da waa"

[Trønder]

fleegit...

This doesn't really ring any bells, but it does look like it might have evolved from the past tense of an Old Norse verb. Dagfinn might have a suggestion.

 

"Rive" to tare "Riven" torn

We have these in Norwegian as "å riva/rive" (Old Norse "at (h)rífa") and "riven" (adjective form).

 

spret.

To tear, burst or open up.

 

"He spret ees breeks climmin ower da waa"

That is also a verb we have in Norwegian with the root "sprett", å spretta/sprette (Old Norse "at spretta").

 

Does "breeks" mean trousers? Is it a Scots word? We have a very similar word in Norwegian, "brok" (Old Norse "brók"), meaning trousers.

[Ghostrider]

fleegit...

This doesn't really ring any bells, but it does look like it might have evolved from the past tense of an Old Norse verb. Dagfinn might have a suggestion...

 

The version I'd use would be 'afflikit', which I've always assumed (probably wrongly) was derived from the same source as the English 'afflicted'. The commonest usage though would be as 'afflikit laek' = 'afflicted looking'.

 

It was common in past times for someone who was suffering from issues of mental health or insanity, which were obvious in their behaviours and/or appearance, to be referred to as being 'afflicted'. The nervous fidgeting and restlessness, along with the staring wild eyed look created by feeling fear is exactly the same look as helped persuade people to diagnose someone as 'afflicted' due to mental health or sanity issues, hence with fear, as the cause was different and the effects non-permanent, the label was 'afflicted looking'.

 

Purely my own supposition, so don't believe a word of it though, unless backed up by other info.

[Trønder]

The version I'd use would be 'afflikit', which I've always assumed (probably wrongly) was derived from the same source as the English 'afflicted'. The commonest usage though would be as 'afflikit laek' = 'afflicted looking'.

No, your guess is probably better than mine. Is the ending -it for -ed, compared to English, typical of Scots in general or only Shaetlan? If it is the latter then I suppose it could be a dialect feature remnant from the Old Norse->Norn.

[thekid]

Im come to the conclusion that "fleegit" most be a whalsay thing,

 

we would speak about being "fleegit oot o me wits" if one was scared of something.

[Njugle]

Does "breeks" mean trousers? Is it a Scots word? We have a very similar word in Norwegian, "brok" (Old Norse "brók"), meaning trousers.

 

One of many similar words meaning trousers, very much regionally variable in Scotland;

 

From the Dictionary of the Scottish language:

Brekis, Breikis, n. pl. Also: brecis, breks, brex; breik(e)s, breikk(i)s, breick(i)s; breeks . [Pl. of Breke n., corresp. to e.m.E. breeches, brieches, ME. brechis.] Breeches, trousers.

 

Also seems to mean underpants in some variations.

 

But here breeks are trousers

 

An interesting offshoot of that is that here and perhaps elsewhere small haddock roe is referred to as breeks or peerie breeks, due to trouser like appearance.

[Ghostrider]

The version I'd use would be 'afflikit', which I've always assumed (probably wrongly) was derived from the same source as the English 'afflicted'. The commonest usage though would be as 'afflikit laek' = 'afflicted looking'.

No, your guess is probably better than mine. Is the ending -it for -ed, compared to English, typical of Scots in general or only Shaetlan? If it is the latter then I suppose it could be a dialect feature remnant from the Old Norse->Norn.

 

I'm not familar enough with Scots to know the answer to this one, perhaps someone else can help out. The use of 'it' and in some cases 'et' to replace English 'ed' or 'id' endings though, applies to virtually all Shaetlan pronoucing, of the Shaetlan I'm familar with speaking anyway. The only possible exception I can think of offhand would be the English 'poured', which is pronounced in such a way as to be very difficult to tell, especially when the Shaetlan accent is factored in, whether it's actually 'poorid' or 'poorit' that is being said.

 

The older generation though pronounced the English 'lurid' as 'loorit', so I suspect 'poured' very probably follows the same rule and is 'poorit'.

[Medziotojas]

^Click on page three of this thread and look at Depooperit's post (six up fae da boddam) for an explanation of verb endings.

 

 

wird o' da day--missanter (problem/unfortunate incident)

[Dagfinn]

fleegit...

 

This doesn't really ring any bells, but it does look like it might have evolved from the past tense of an Old Norse verb. Dagfinn might have a suggestion.

Yes, you´re right, it looks like an Old Norse origin, but I didn´t find it in the Shetlopedia Dictionary: http://sh.shetlanddictionary.com/index.php?title=Shetland_Words:F

 

What did "fleegit" mean in English?

 

The version I'd use would be 'afflikit', which I've always assumed (probably wrongly) was derived from the same source as the English 'afflicted'. The commonest usage though would be as 'afflikit laek' = 'afflicted looking'.

O.K. So maybe what we have here, is a Scots version of an English word?

[thekid]

"Traep" to argue.

[Medziotojas]

swittle--swill

[DePooperit]

Twartree comments:

 

'Spret' an 'trivvle' is Norse wirds - dat's alreddy been pointit oot.

 

Flaeg, as I wid spell him, is a Scots wird. He's coamon here i da Nort Aest, as 'fleg', wi da sam meanin as in pairts o Shaetlan. I never heard him in Shaetlan afore I heard him doon here, bit mi Faider wis heard him, an I'm seen him written in Shaetlan writin.

 

Da Whaalsa pronunciation 'fleeg' shaas at dis is a AE wird in Shaetlan - dat is, he belangs tae dat class o wirds wi da vowel at I spell AE, an at's pronounced 'ee', 'ey' an 'ai' in different pairts o Shaetlan - laek baen, haem, laeg, an sae trowe.

 

Da origin o dis wird is no kent. I dunna tink he wid be sib ta 'afflickit' - dat's a wird at I'm wint wi tui.

 

'Gluff' is da wird at I'm maest wint wi. He's anidder Scots wird - aften as 'gliff' wi varous meanins, tocht ta be sib ta Norw. 'glufs', meanin whit we wid caa, or wid eence a caad, a flan.

 

I see somebody is alreddy pointit oot my explanation o Shaetlan verb endins. Shaetlan verb endins is Scots in form; dey'r determined wi da consonant at da end o da verb; an dey offer nae clue aboot da origin o wirds caase Shaetlan traets aa waik verbs da sam whidder dey be Norse, Scots, English or whitever.

[thekid]

"Haelig" a rock.

[DePooperit]

"Haelig" a rock.

 

Oh? New ene ta me. Whit kind o a rock?