Celtic Glossary - Scots and Irish

This vocabulary is used by celtic characters of either limited education (didn't learn "the Queen's English"), strong nationalist pride (trying to make a point of their origin as distinct from England), or romantic trademark (living down that celtic poet image). Much of the following looks like Robert Burns clippings more than Gaelic vocabulary, but it may still be useful for appropriate characters. (My great-grandmother is probably spinning in her grave, seeing how her language is being mangled.)

Please see at the bottom for sources and copyright information.

Scots Gaelic

Aboot: About.
Auld: Old.

Bairn: Baby, young child.
Big baggits: Large stomach(ed).
Brae: Hill.

Claes: Clothes.
Crackin': Conversing.
Cratur: Creature.

Danners: Strolls ("Yon auld big baggits were fair dannering aboot.")

Forrit: Forward.

Gaun: Going.
Ged, geddie: Young man.
Gie: Give.
Glamourie: Magic.
Gloamin: Dusk.
Grun: Ground.

Ken: Know.
Kirk: Church.
Kye: Cattle.

Lour: Money.
Lug: Ear.

Neep: Turnip or parsnip (as in "tatties and neep").

Puddens: Guts.

Reek: Smoke.

Sassenach: Englishman.
Shan: Bad.
Siller: Silver, money.
Skean dhu: Small knife or dagger strapped to the leg of a highlander.
Skirlin': Screeching, shouting. (Also applies to bagpipes.)
Stardie: Prison.
Strae: Straw.

Tatties: Potatoes.
Totie: Very small.

Wastin': Ruin.
Wee: Small.
Wyce: Sensible, sane, wise.

Ye: You.

Irish

Auld: Old, but also something use.

Ballyhooley: A telling-off
Bejasus: Common oath

Caution: A reckless, carefree individual. ("He's a right caution, yer man.")
Chawin' the rag: Arguing.
Chick: Child.
Clever: Appropriate, neat, in place.

Doley little fella: Nice (male) person (affectionate).

Fern: Foreign.
Fierce: Unacceptable, extreme, too much. ("That's fierce expensive!")

Geg: Person ("He's a righ quare geg to be sure!")

Jar: One or more drinks.

Lashins: Plenty (esp. of food.)

Mizzlin': Raining gently.

Not the full shillin': Half-witted.

Oul: Old (see "auld").
Owlip: Verbal abuse.

Paraletic: Very, very drunk.

Quare: Strange, unusual, very memorable (queer).

Rare turn: Peculiar, eccentric, unusual person.
Right one: Foolish person ("We've got a right one here"). This has many local variants (e.g., "a right quilt", "a right gulpin'", etc.)

Skedaddle: Run away.
Spalpeen: Agricultural worker.
Spucketin': Raining heavily.

Terrible: Synonymous with "fierce" (q.v.)

Wain: Child.

Yer man (there): Person (that person).

Sources and Copyright Information:

Much of this material comes from the celtic glossaries included in For Faerie, Queen, & Country, by David Cook, Carl Sargent and Karen Boomgarden, the first Amazing Engine "universe book" from TSR, Inc. (1993).

The picture of the good-looking lad up there comes from Scottish Selection - Kilts, Highland Dress, Knitwear, Optics.

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