Greetings to readers in (or from) Scotland! We reserve this extra welcome for Scots in particular since today is St Andrew’s Day, the feast day of Scotland’s patron saint and a time for celebrating everything Scottish.
And since we’re always looking for an excuse to delve into etymology here at Proofed, what better time is there to examine some interesting words of Scottish origin? How many of the following do you know?
These days, a ‘bard’ is usually an esteemed author or poet, making ‘bard’ a term of praise. But the Scottish Gaelic word that ‘bard’ comes from was an insult for an itinerant musician, typically a troublemaker.
This appeals to us, as we like to think of Shakespeare, often known as the Bard of Avon, as a more mischievous soul than he probably was.
‘Gloaming’ means ‘dusk’ or ‘twilight’. Pleasingly, it also sounds exactly how we imagine the setting sun would sound if the sun setting made a sound.
A version of this word (‘glomung’) was used in Old English. But it fell out of use in England before being reintroduced by Robert Burns, among other Scottish writers, after 1785. And that makes it Scottish enough for us!
‘Pernickety’ (or ‘persnickety’ in American English) is a fun word that means ‘precise or fastidious over details’. In addition, this term is a variation of the Scots ‘pernicky’, the origins of which are unknown.
A ‘shindig’ is a raucous party and a modification of the older term ‘shindy’, which referred more generally to a ruckus or brawl.
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The origins of ‘shindy’ are more obscure, but could lie in the traditional Scots sport of shinty, which is little like a cross between hockey and hurling.
Incidentally, if you suspect the stereotypes of Scottish people being hardy are false, we suggest watching this video of a shinty goalkeeper saving a shot with his head. You will never doubt the toughness of Scots again.
Probably the most obscure words in this list, ‘tattie-bogle’ and ‘bodach-rocais’ are both Scottish terms for a scarecrow. In fact, ‘bodach-rocais’ literally translates as ‘old man of the rooks’.
‘Tattie-bogle’, meanwhile, combines two words: ‘tattie’ (meaning ‘potato’, since potato farming was common in Scotland) and ‘bogle’ (meaning ‘ghost’). However, we’re not sure if the second term is because tattie-bogles are scary or because they stop spirits from stealing the potatoes.
Although it is now a common word in English, ‘trousers’ has origins in the Scottish and Irish Gaelic word ‘triubhas’, which meant ‘close-fitting shorts’. This later became ‘trouze’, and then ‘trousers’.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, these were considered a peculiarly Celtic item of clothing. This might seem odd to modern readers, as the Scottish are now far more widely associated with kilts than trousers!
That’s all of our Scottish words for now. But if you have a favourite term with Scottish roots, let us know in the comments below. And if you’d like any help proofreading a document, give our services a try for free today.
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