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THE DIALECT AND PLACE NAMES 
 OF SHETLAND." 
 
Pnnted hi T. <fc J. MAN SON, Lmmck. 
 
Dr. JAKOBSEN. 
 
THE DIALECT 
 
 AND 
 
 PLACE NAMES 
 
 OF 
 
 SHETLAND 
 
 TIVO POPULAR LECTURES 
 
 BY 
 
 JAKOB JAKOBSEN 
 
 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN 
 
 T. & J. MANSON 
 1897 
 
PUBLISHERS' NOTE. 
 
 During the years 1893-94-95, Mr Jakob Jakobsen, 
 Cand. Mag. of the University of Copenhagen, conducted 
 an exhaustive series of investigations into the remains of 
 the old Norse language in Shetland. Some of the re- 
 sults of his enquiries are embodied in these two Lectures, 
 which were cast in a popular form, and were delivered 
 at Lerwick and other places in Shetland before the 
 author's return to Denmark. Other results of his in- 
 vestigations are contained in his Thesis entitled, " Det 
 Noronne Sprog paa Shetland," which was accepted by 
 the University of Copenhagen as entitling him to the 
 degree of Doctor of Philosophy. 
 
 Lerwick, September, 1897. 
 
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. 
 
 -Shetland localities (quoted in parenthesis afterwords, 
 which are — or have been — in use there) : — 
 
 Aithst., Aithsting. 
 
 Br., Bressay. 
 
 C. (Conn.), Conningsburg. 
 
 De. (Delt.), Belting. 
 
 Du., Dunrossness. 
 
 Fe., Fetlar. 
 
 Fc, Foula. 
 
 L., Lunnasting. 
 
 N.I., The North Isles. 
 
 N. Roe, North Roe. 
 
 Nest, Nesting. 
 
 Nm., Northmavine. 
 
 II. 
 
 cf., confer. 
 Engl., English, 
 esp., especially. 
 Far., Faroese. 
 f i., for instance. 
 
 P., Papa Stoor. 
 
 Sa., Sandsting. 
 
 Sandw., Sandwick parish. 
 
 U., Unst. 
 
 W., Walls. 
 
 Wests., The westside (Aith- 
 sting, Sandsting, Sand- 
 ness. Walls). 
 
 Wh., Whalsay. 
 
 Y., Yell. 
 
 Ym., Mid Yell. 
 
 Yh., " de Herra " in Yell. 
 
 Icel., Icelandic. 
 Norw., Norwegian. 
 O.N., Old Northern. 
 Sco., Scottish. 
 Shetl., Shetlandic. 
 
 In the combinations "bj, fj, gj, hj, kj, and nj " the 
 
letter " j " (as in Scandinavian) has the value of an 
 English consonantal "y" (as in "yard"). 
 
 The sound of the letter " " in Shetlandic (as f i. in 
 kr0, sheep-fold) is similar to that of "eu" in French 
 words as 6/eu, blue,^«, fire, etc., German "o" in scMn, 
 beautiful, etc. 
 
 As I have been prevented from the use of special 
 phonetic letters in a book of this kind, it has sometimes 
 proved very difficult to convey a proper idea of the pro- 
 nunciation of a Shetlandic word by the spelling. The 
 greatest difficulty has been the rendering of the liquid 
 sound of some of the consonants (an accompanying "i" 
 sound), especially of 1 and n. This liquid sound is some- 
 times (although imperfectly) indicated by a prefixed or 
 suffixed "y." (fi. " Hellya," " Venll" and " Vellyins," 
 "kollyet," " traaylfangin "— " haayn," " buyn," " annya- 
 whart,'' " tannyiks," etc.). 
 
 The terminating " -r " (preceded by a hyphen) in 
 Old Northern words quoted is the mark of the 
 nominative singular form in words of the masculine 
 gender, as fi. koll-v=kollr, stert-r=stertr, etc. 
 
 Copenhagen 1897. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 «5®YNLY 7CX) years ago a language called " Donsk 
 tunga," or " Danish tongue " was spread over 
 nearly the whole north of Europe. It was 
 not at all confined to Denmark : it was spoken in 
 Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden), whose 
 centre it was ; it was spoken in Iceland, Faroe, 
 Shetland, Orkney, to a great extent in the western 
 Scottish Isles, the Isle of Man, and also to some 
 extent in Britain itself — in part of Scotland, especially 
 in the north and along the coast, in the north of 
 England and part of Ireland, and finally along the 
 south and east border of the Baltic Sea. It was the 
 Scandinavian vikings who carried the Danish tongue 
 so far : the Norwegians and Danes went west, the 
 Norwegians taking a more northerly, the Danes a 
 more southerly direction (in Scotland, and especially 
 
2 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 the islands north of Scotland, it was chiefly the Nor- 
 wegians who settled ; in England it was the Danes) ; 
 the Swedes went more to the eastward and occupied 
 f. i. the east border of the Baltic Sea, and even formed 
 a little kingdom in the heart of Russia. 
 
 I need not here say much about how Shetland 
 was peopled, first by Picts, who came from Scotland, 
 and then by Norwegians, especially those who at the 
 close of the 9th century crossed the North Sea, fly- 
 ing from the tyranny of King Harald Haarfager and 
 trying to find new homes. It is a general belief that 
 the Norsemen extinguished the Picts in Shetland. 
 But it was not the custom of the Norsemen to kill 
 those who did not oppose them sword in hand — at 
 any rate, they would never have killed the women. 
 And besides, we are not told anything about the 
 Picts having fled anywhere from Shetland. There 
 would be far more sense in tracing the un-Norse- 
 looking people in some of the more secluded districts 
 of Shetland back to the original or aboriginal inhabi- 
 tants, whether Picts or not, than to Spaniards, wrecked 
 there at the time of the Spanish Armada. And among 
 these first inhabitants we may include Laps and 
 Fins, who play such an important part in the old 
 Shetland legends. They were the original inhabitants 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 3 
 
 of Norway and Sweden, till the Norsemen conquered 
 them, and now they only occupy the north end of 
 the Scandinavian peninsula. Even if one or two 
 ships of the Spanish Armada should have been 
 wrecked on the Shetland coast, and even if a case 
 or two of intermarriage should have taken place, it 
 would not have affected whole communities. 
 
 Shetland originally belonged to Norway up till 
 the end of the 14th century, when Norway entered 
 into a union with Denmark under a Danish sovereign, 
 and Shetland as part of Norway passed over into 
 this union. As Denmark became the leading country 
 of the two, the fact that Shetland people now-a-days 
 always speak of the islands as formerly belonging to 
 Denmark, is to be accounted for in this way. 
 
 But hardly a century after the union was com- 
 pleted, the islands were handed over to Scotland, 
 pledged for a certain sum of money, which formed 
 the dowry of the Princess Margaret oi Denmark, 
 who was married to King James the Third of Scot- 
 land. 
 
 Time will not allow me to enter upon the political 
 state of Shetland during the Norse or Danish period. 
 It may be sufficient to state, that the form of govern- 
 ment was democratic. The highest power lay with 
 
4 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 the Law Ting, which was a general assembly of the 
 people, forming the Law Court and Parliament of 
 the time and held on the plain of Tingwall. The 
 land was held originally according to the Norse 
 "udal" system, or system of absolute property and 
 free transmission from father to son without deed of 
 inheritance. But soon after the Islands were handed 
 over to Scotland, the feudal system was more fully 
 introduced, i.e., the system of stipendiary property, by 
 which the " udallers" (udal-farmers) became tenants of 
 landlords. 
 
 To illustrate a little the spirit and customs which 
 reigned during the Norse period of government in 
 Shetland, and the close connection existing between 
 Shetland and Norway, I may mention the story of 
 Jan Tait and the Bear. It is the only historical 
 tale which has come down to us from that period, 
 and is quite in the style and spirit of the old 
 Icelandic tales or " sagas." The tale belongs to Fetlar. 
 It is this. The king of Norway sent his chamberlain 
 across to Shetland to collect the " skat" (tax) due to 
 the Crown. The chamberlain came to Fetlar, where 
 the skat was collected at Urie (" 0ri!') To Urie the 
 udallers came with the "teinds" or tithes they had to 
 pay. They brought with them their " bismers." 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 5 
 
 I'hese bismers* were, if I may be allowed the bull, 
 ancient wooden steel-yards. The chamberlain of 
 course had his own bismer, which was considered the 
 standard weight, and on which he tested the udallers' 
 bismers. An udaller by the name of Jan Tait, while 
 paying his butter teind, was accused by the chamber- 
 lain of having a false bismer. This at once led to 
 a quarrel, in which Tait denounced the chamberlain's 
 bismer as false, and being threatened by the chamber- 
 lain, Jan finally raised his bismer and struck the 
 king's representative dead on the spot This was, of 
 course, a great crime, for which he was summoned to 
 appear before the king in Norway. Arrived there, Jan 
 went in before the king bare-headed and bare-footed, 
 and carrying an axe in his hand. Jan was a strongly- 
 built man, and had big knobs on the joints of his feet. 
 So the king stared at his feet, until Jan suddenly asked 
 him, why he was staring so fixedly. The king said, 
 that he had never seen such strange feet before. Jan 
 said, that if they gave him any offence, he would 
 soon cure that, whereupon he took the axe and 
 hewed off" one of the knobs. The king said, that he 
 did not at all wonder that Jan had killed his 
 chamberlain, since he had so little regard for his own 
 * From O.N. bismari. 
 
6 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 flesh and blood. But seeing his courage he would 
 give him one chance to save his Hfe. There was a 
 bear infesting a certain place, and constantly endanger- 
 ing the lives of the inhabitants. If he could catch it 
 and bring it alive before the king, he should be 
 pardoned. Tait then went to an old woman who 
 lived near a spot the bear used to frequent, and asked 
 her all about its ways and habits. She said to him : 
 "By butter you have got into the present trouble, 
 and by butter you shall get out of it." Then she 
 advised him to take a kit-full of butter and place it 
 in an open spot in the forest, where the bear used to 
 come, watch there till the bear appeared on the scene 
 and licked the butter, and then, when it had lain 
 down to sleep, seize his opportunity and bind it with 
 ropes. Tait acted according to her advice. The 
 bear, after having licked the butter, felt heavy, lay 
 down and fell asleep, whereupon Tait, who had been 
 watching, hastened to tie the animal with strong ropes. 
 He managed to bring the bear alive before the king, 
 but the king, wanting to get rid of him, ordered him 
 out of his sight, bidding him to take the bear home 
 with him to Shetland. Tait went back to Fetlar with 
 the bear and transported it from there to the island 
 of Yelli-Linga (off the Yell coast), where there is a spot 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 7 
 
 still called " the Bear's Bait," which name is known by- 
 very few people now. There is a green circle in the 
 island said to have been made by the bear's walking 
 around the pole to which it was tethered. 
 
 Less than 200 years ago there was a number of 
 Norn ballads in Shetland. But they are all lost except 
 one, which relates a strife between one of the earls of 
 Orkney and the king of Norway. Robert Sibbald, 
 writing in the beginning of last century, says : — " The 
 Shetlanders' laws were those of St. Ola, whom the 
 natives have in great esteem. He was one of the kings 
 of Norway, of whom strange things are reported in the 
 songs they have of him, called Vissiks." These 
 ballads or "vissiks" (from O.N. visa, song) were kept 
 up for centuries to a great extent as accompaniment 
 to dance, an old mediasval dance, in which all the 
 persons taking part joined hands and formed a compact 
 circle on the floor, moving forward and keeping a 
 certain time with the feet. There was no need of any 
 musical instrument. A foresinger or precentor began 
 every verse, and the others joined in, singing the chorus. 
 This dance was not extinct in Shetland till the middle 
 of last century, about the same time that the Norn 
 language in Shetland had got corrupted and began to 
 get lost. And when the language got lost, the ballads 
 
8 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 were bound to get lost too. In Faroe this is almost 
 the only amusement of the people at the present day, 
 and it is through this ancient kind of dance, that the 
 old Faroese ballads have been kept alive. 
 
 I now turn to the principal object of this lecture, 
 the history of the Norn or Norse language in Shetland. 
 Up till the year looo, or little more than a century 
 after Shetland had been peopled from Norway, _ the 
 whole of Scandinavia — Denmark, Norway and Sweden, 
 and also the Norwegian colonies : Iceland, Faroe, 
 Shetland and Orkney — had still one language : the 
 Danish tongue. But during the eleventh century it 
 begins to divide, and at the beginning of the thirteenth 
 century there are two distinct groups of dialects — the 
 East Scandinavian, including Danish and Swedish ; and 
 the West Scandinavian, including the Norwegian and 
 its island branches : Icelandic, Faroese, Shetlandic and 
 Orcadian. But still the name Danish tongue lingered, 
 applied to the language of all Scandinavia. In the 
 twelfth century we find an Icelandic writer applying 
 this name (Danish tongue) to the Icelandic language. 
 The first writer who uses the name Norroena (that is 
 Northern), of which " Norn " is a contraction, is the 
 renowned Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson, who 
 applies it to the West Scandinavian, in contradistinc- 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 9 
 
 tion to the East Scandinavian : proper Danish and 
 Swedish. And after this time the name becomes 
 common. But in Norway and Iceland now-a-days 
 the name Norn is never applied to the language of 
 the present day, only to the language before the 
 Reformation, as it is represented in the ancient, chiefly 
 Icelandic, records : the remarkable Saga literature 
 (history in novelistic form), especially concerning Ice- 
 land and Norway. (In passing it is worth observing, 
 that the ancient history of Orkney and Shetland, the 
 Orkneyinga Saga, was written in Iceland during that 
 period.) This literature decays during the fourteenth 
 ceniiury, and the clergy, who had then become very 
 powerful and possessed the highest learning of the time, 
 all used the Latin language for literary purposes, and 
 allowed the mother- tongue to decay. It was not till 
 after the Reformation, that the native tongues gained 
 their proper place again. But then they presented a 
 different aspect, and the name Norn was not applied to 
 them. It was Norwegian (Norsk) in Norway, Icelandic 
 in Iceland, and Faroese in Faroe. In Faroe the name 
 Norn is not remembered as having been applied to the 
 Faroese dialect. Only in Shetland this old name has 
 been carried down to our own time, applied to the 
 old Shetland language during its whole lifetime. The 
 
10 THE OLD SHETLANB DIALECT. 
 
 Norn dialect lived in Shetland till the middle of last 
 century, and even in the beginning of this century a 
 dialect called Norn, although improperly (as the gram- 
 matical feature of the Norn had been quite superseded 
 by that of the Lowland Scotch), was spoken in outlying 
 places — such as the North Isles (especially the north 
 of Unst), but longest in Foula. The part of Shetland 
 where the greatest number of Norn words at the present 
 day survive is beyond all question the North Isles. 
 
 The common dialect at the present day in 
 Shetland resembles the Lowland Scotch, but is 
 interspersed with a great many Norn words and 
 phrases, and has a distinctly Scandinavian accentua- 
 tion and pronunciation. It is just now leaving a 
 stage, the prominent feature of which is Scotch, and 
 is entering a stage, the prominent feature of which is 
 English, but still carrying along with it from the first 
 or Norn period not only a number of words, although 
 this number is rapidly diminishing, but also a pro- 
 nunciation and accentuation which are distinctly 
 Scandinavian. 
 
 The fact that about ten thousand words, derived 
 from the Norn, still linger in Shetland — although a 
 great number of them are not actually in daily use 
 and only remembered by old people — is sufficient to 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 11 
 
 show that it cannot be very long since the real Norn 
 speech died. In several parts of Shetland, especially 
 Foula and the North Isles, the present generation of 
 old people remember their grand-parents speaking a 
 language that they could hardly understand, and which 
 was called Norn or Norse. But it must have been 
 greatly intermixed with Scotch, for many of the old 
 words now dying out and being supplanted by 
 English, are really Scotch, although they are believed 
 by many to be Norn. 
 
 Another proof of the Scotch intermixture is the 
 fact, that the old Foula man who repeated the only 
 preserved Norn ballad to Mr Low in 1774 could not 
 give him a translation in full of it, but only related 
 the general content If the Norn language had been 
 pure, or nearly so, at that time — the end of last 
 century — the man would certainly have been able to 
 give a proper translation of the ballad. What was 
 the chief cause of the disappearance of the Norn 
 dialect in Shetland ? There was never any law passed 
 prohibiting the general use of it, and the people were 
 quite at liberty to retain their forefathers' speech. In 
 Faroe, where Danish is and has been for long the 
 official language, used in the schools, in the churches, 
 and in the law courts, the people still speak a branch 
 
12 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 of the old Norwegian which is quite different from 
 modem Danish. But in Shetland the people, through 
 oppression and consequent ignorance, came to look 
 down upon their old dialect, and to consider it far 
 inferior to Scotch or English. The great number of 
 Scotch settlers who overspread the country, carrying 
 what the people deemed to be the higher language 
 with them, very probably would despise the native 
 dialect, which they did not understand, and would 
 influence the people to imitate them in the use of 
 Scotch, which would certainly have been found often 
 necessary in trade and general intercourse. A little 
 fragment of a rhyme in Norn is preserved from last 
 century about a Shetland lad who went south to 
 Caithness, and on his return home was thought a great 
 deal of, because he could make use of some Scotch 
 words, apparently not current in his native place at 
 the time. The verse, which is said to belong to Unst, 
 is intended to show the parents' pride in their son on 
 
 this account : 
 
 De vaar e (vera) gooa tee, 
 " when " sona min " guid to " Kaadanes : 
 haayn kaayn ca' russa " mare," 
 „ bigg "here," 
 „ „ ^/^"fire," 
 „ „ „ klovandi "taings." 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DLVLECT. 13 
 
 This is translated: It was in a good hour (time), 
 when my son went to Caithness : he can call " russa " 
 mare, etc. 
 
 That so great a number of Norn words still 
 survive in Shetland can be partly accounted for by 
 the fact, that some words have survived in one place 
 and other words in other places. Every district, 
 parish, or island in Shetland has a certain number of 
 old words and expressions which are peculiar to it. 
 This difference, marked as it is at the present day, 
 although the Shetland dialect is getting more and 
 more Anglified, was still more marked one generation 
 ago, when the amalgamation of the language was less 
 advanced. There are two explanations of this differ- 
 ence which exists between places. First, that the 
 Shetland Islands were not peopled from one place, 
 but from different districts in Norway. And Norway 
 with its small population scattered over a vast area, 
 and intersected by high mountain ridges, dividing one 
 district from another, contains many distinct dialects.* 
 But as for the old Shetland words, there are not 
 many cases in which we can trace this origin. Most 
 
 * That one of the Norwegian dialects which resembles most the 
 old Shetland Norn in regard to the vocabulary is undoubtedly the 
 dialect of the south-west tract of the country (esp. Agder). 
 
14 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 often the cause of the difference is, that in some parts 
 of the country a certain number of words have been 
 kept up which have been lost in other parts of the 
 country. 
 
 Every popular dialect, whatever language it be- 
 longs to, and however deficient it may be, compared 
 with the cultured and literary language^ possesses a 
 great number of apparently superfluous names, applied 
 to various things with very minute distinctions — distinc- 
 tions often given up as unnecessary by the cultured 
 language. In the old Norn, for instance, there are 
 a great number of words applied to the different 
 parts of a living creature's body, varying according 
 to the creature it is applied to. There are five or 
 six words standing for head, and about double 
 that number standing for tail. Now, when the Scotch 
 language got a firm footing in Shetland and began 
 to conquer the Norn, the vocabulary became so 
 much increased, that a great number of the old 
 words had to be given up, but on account of the 
 just-mentioned superfluity of names, different names 
 would survive in different places for the same thing. 
 Taking first the Norn names for head, we find, that 
 the general name (O.N. hofuS) is lost and only 
 survives in place-names in the derivative form : 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 15 
 
 Hevdi or Hevda (O.N. kof&i), applied to a headland. 
 It is a very common occurrence in a dying speech, 
 that the general name for a certain thing dies first, 
 while the subordinate names, applied only to certain 
 kinds of the same thing, survive. O.N. koll-r, 
 signifying originally the hair-grown part (or upper 
 rounding) of the head, has been preserved in Shetland 
 in a few compounds and derivative words, as a " head- 
 koil" or koiltett, applied to the protecting top sheaf 
 of straw on a corn-" scroo " or hay-stack. (The words 
 are used in Northmavine). Further, in the word 
 kollyet (koillet), applied to a cow without horns : " a 
 kollyet cool' where kollyet means round-headed. The 
 name " cole, coll" (Scotch) — " a cole of hay" — for a 
 small hay-stack, is the same word. The Aithsting 
 fishermen, when at the " haaf ' or deep-sea fishing, 
 used to call the mouse the gro-koil, signifying " gray- 
 head." Skult (Faroese skoltur) and skalli (O.N. skalli), 
 efymologically the English word " skull," signify in 
 Shetland much the same as the just-mentioned koil. 
 But skalli, which is applied especially to the bare 
 top of the head, is now nearly obsolete and almost 
 only used in the derivative word skallyet, applied to 
 a hen wanting the top : " A skallyet hen]' corre- 
 sponding to the expression : " A kollyet coo!' 
 
16 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 The proper Shetland equivalent for the English 
 word " skull" is h0shapan or k^shapa/, derived from 
 O.N. hauss, skull, head. 
 
 But no part of the body has got so many- 
 names as the tail, varying according to the different 
 creatures. The old Norn names are hali, applied to 
 a long tail, especially on a cow; tagl, to a horse's 
 tail (etymologically the English word " tail") ; skauf 
 and skott, to a bushy tail, such as on a dog or fox ;. 
 dyrSill, to a sheep's tail ; spordr, to a fish's tail ; vel 
 or stert-r, to a bird's tail ; r6fa, mostly applied to 
 the continuation of the spine or the fleshy part of 
 the tail. Most of these names sur\'ive in Shetland, 
 but not always applied in the original way. The 
 word hali, for a cow's tail, is lost, but the fishermen, 
 when at the " haaf," used to call the cow " de haaler'' 
 or haalyin, signifying the long-tailed animal. The 
 tail of a fish (or esp. the lobe of the tail) is still com- 
 monly called " de spurd" which word was also used 
 by the Aithsting fishermen at the haaf, denoting the 
 tail of any creature. Skauf and stert-r have in the 
 Shetland dialect taken the forms sk^vi and skj'urt 
 (stjurt), both used as lucky words at the haaf, the 
 former by the Unst fishermen, the latter by the 
 Aithsting fishermen, to denote the tail of a fish. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 17 
 
 By the North Yell fishermen the tail of a turbot 
 is sometimes called " de stertV Rovi or rovak 
 (O.N. rdfd) was by the Shetland fishermen commonly 
 applied to the tail of the hoe or dog-fish. The 
 name " Rovi head," applied to the long-shaped point 
 at the north entrance of Lerwick harbour, is really 
 the same word, meaning tail ; and it is only by 
 losing knowledge of the meaning of the word rovi, 
 that the head has been added to the tail. Akin to 
 Icel. and Faroese dyrSill, sheep's tail (originally 
 signifying anything that is shaking backwards and 
 forwards), is Shetlandic derrel, sheep's tail. When a 
 person is in a hurry, or walks off showing by the 
 motion of his body that he is offended, it is some- 
 times said, " Dere's a dirrel upon him" (" dirrel" 
 differently pronounced from "derrel)." The word 
 tag/ is lost in its original meaning : tail, but when 
 a person is walking with something trailing behind 
 him, he is sometimes said to be " trailiri a tagl" 
 (Conn.) As a striking example of the recently 
 mentioned difference in words, existing between 
 different districts of Shetland, I shall mention the 
 old names for the dyke which leads out from the 
 sheep-fold or " krf and forms like a leg on it for 
 the purpose of preventing the sheep from being 
 
18 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 scattered about, when being driven into the " krf : 
 Soadm-dyke (U) — from " to soad," to drive animals 
 slowly, O.N. sa(a, to waylay, to watch an opportunity 
 for catching anything (derived from sat, ambush). 
 Rekster-dyke (Fe) — from O.N. rekstr, signifying 
 " driving (of animals)." Stilfyers-dyke (Y) — from 
 O.N. stilli, trap or enclosure to catch animals in. 
 Retta-dyke. (Nm)— from O.N. r^tt, sheep-fold. Stuggi- 
 dyke or kr^-stuggi,- stooki,- stjoogi (De, Nest, Wests.) 
 — perhaps from O.N. stMa, (i) sleeve, (2) projecting 
 part of a building. Kr$-stjaagi (Fo) — from O.N. stjaki, 
 pole (stick). And there are even more forms than 
 these. The difference seems in this case to be very 
 old and to proceed from a similar difference existing 
 in the ancient Norwegian dialects. Many more speci- 
 mens might be given, did space permit. 
 
 As the fishing has been always of prime impor- 
 tance to Shetland as the chief means of livelihood for 
 the people, I shall here say something more about the 
 customs and terms relating to this subject. The fishing 
 was done formerly in Shetland with wooden hooks. 
 These wooden hooks were pins, some of which had a 
 notch in the middle, where the tome (string) was fixed, 
 and a slack at the one end, where a loop-fashioned half- 
 hitch was passed around, by which the hook with the 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 19 
 
 bait on was kept in a hanging position up and down 
 along the end of the line. By the slightest touch this 
 half-hitch slipped off, and the pin, both ends of which 
 were pointed, stuck across the mouth of the fish. 
 These wooden hooks were not entirely done away with 
 even in the beginning of this century. Some might 
 think this scarcely credible, but an old Aithsting man 
 informed me, that he had seen fishing done with this 
 kind of hook, and described it. They were called 
 snaara-pins (U), turning pins, or snivveries or snitties 
 and sometimes bernjoggels (Fo). These names were 
 also applied to wooden pins, used instead of buttons. 
 " Bernjoggel " is the same word as varnaggel or 
 " varnaggel-pin," now most often called "de klibber- 
 pin " : a wooden pin for keeping the two parts of the 
 wooden pack-saddle or klibber (O.N. klyfberi) together 
 on the back of the horse. "Varnaggel" means 
 " guarding nail or pin " and is compounded of O.N. 
 varSa, to guard or protect, and nagli, pin — etym. Engl, 
 "nail." 
 
 A striking proof of the great amount of experience 
 that the Shetland fishermen had is the fact, that they 
 in misty weather, before the compass was invented, 
 could always find the land by the '' moder-dye " : an 
 under-swell in the sea, which swell always went in the 
 
20 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 direction of the land, whatever way the wind blew. 
 The Norway and Faroe fishermen are said to have had 
 the same knowledge which died out entirely when the 
 compass was introduced. 
 
 There are various names for the different sizes of 
 fish, especially of the coal fish or saithe (commonly pro- 
 nounced said; O.N. sei&-r), as this was the fish the old 
 Shetland fishermen were most familiar with. The 
 common Shetland name for the first stage of the 
 saithe is sillock, which word is etymologically the 
 Norwegian silung; but in Norway the name is 
 applied to a young trout, derived from the word sil, 
 meaning : fish-fry. In Shetland sil or site is applied 
 to the herring-fry, in Faroe always to the trout-fry. 
 What further supports this etymology, that the name 
 is transferred from one kind of fish to another, is the 
 fact that the word k^de, Norw. kj0da, is in Norway 
 applied to a young trout, but in Shetland it is some- 
 times applied to a half-grown " piltock " (coal-fish) or a 
 good fat piltock.* In Dunrossness the " liver-piltocks :" 
 piltocks roasted on the fire with the livers inside, were 
 called " \\\tx-k<^des- " or " k0thes" The word is derived 
 from O.N. kdS, fish-fry, and is etymologically akin to 
 
 * In Orkney the same word, k^the, spelt "cuithe," is commonly 
 applied to a young or half-grown saithe, Shetlandic : piltock. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 21 
 
 Engl, "cod." The cod is in Norway and Denmark 
 called torsk, while the tusk (torsk) is called brosma, 
 brostne, which name is still used in Shetland, pro- 
 nounced brismik. The common Shetland name for 
 the second stage of the saithe (from its second year 
 till it is full-grown) is piltock, which is probably the 
 same word as O.N. pilt-r or piltung-r, a boy. There 
 are several instances of such metaphorical interchange 
 of names. Pjakk and pjokk (two forms of the same 
 word) are in Norwegian applied the first to a young 
 trout, the second to a young boy. O.N. and Icelandic 
 birting-r signifies a kind of trout, Shetl. bjartin (U), 
 the same word, is a pet name for a (small) boy. (Cf 
 steevin hereafter p. 22.) The saithe had separate names 
 applied to it for almost every year of its growing- 
 time (said to last six years), most of which names 
 denote the shape of the fish. In Unst and Fetlar a 
 young piltock sometimes gets the name of a hoal- 
 piltock, probably from its long (cylindrical) shape, 
 "hoal" being either O.N. all, (i) strip or stripe, (2) eel 
 or an eel-shaped thing, or the same word as " ol-(oal-)" 
 in ol{l)ik, a young ling. "01(l)ik" is a contraction 
 of " oiling," which is Norw. vallonga {vallonge), a half- 
 grown (cylindrical) ling, "val-(vol-)" being O.N. vol-r 
 (val-), cylinder, stick. A half-grown piltock often gets 
 
22 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 the name of "a welshi piltock," "welshi" being O.N. 
 volsi, cylinder ; in the North Isles it is called a dr^lin 
 (or drollyin), from O.N. dryl-, applied to a thing of cylind- 
 rical shape. In Faroe the name drylur is commonly 
 applied to a certain kind of bread : bere-bread, baked 
 in the embers or hot ashes in the form of round sticks ; 
 in Norway dryle means a cudgel. A third name for 
 a half-grown piltock, used on the westside, is steevin 
 (a steevin piltock), which is O.N. styfing-r, derived 
 from stiif-r, meaning " stump " (Far. styvingur is a half- 
 grown halibut). In Conningsburgh " steevin " is a pet 
 name for a child. In the same district the word kelva 
 or kelvik is applied to a young ling a little bigger than 
 an "ol(l)ik." "Kelva" (O.N. kefli) refers to the 
 cylindrical shape ; cf Norw. kjevlung-seid, a half-grown 
 piltock. O.N. kefli is particularly applied to a wooden 
 stick and is the same word as Shetl. kevil {kevvle), a 
 stick put into a lamb's mouth to prevent it from 
 sucking the mother,* A piltock, fully half-grown, is 
 often called a beli (fiellyd) piltock, probably from the 
 round and thick shape (Icel. beli, belly ; O.N. belg-r, 
 bag, belly). A half-grown cod is in the south of 
 
 * Akin to kefli and kmil is the word " iav/in-tiee," applied to a 
 stick with a notch in the end of it for taking the hook out of the 
 fish's stomach. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 23 
 
 Unst called a velterin, which is the same word as 
 Norw. valtre [voltr), a cylindrical thing, a long-shaped 
 bundle. 
 
 As is well known to all Shetlanders, the Shetland 
 fishermen before this day, like the fishermen in Faroe 
 and Norway, had a great number of lucky words, 
 words that they would use only at the haaf or deep- 
 sea fishing. Haf is the old Norn word for " ocean." 
 The origin of this custom is not easily explained, 
 but the custom itself is certainly very, very old, and 
 deeply rooted in the Pagan time. The most likely 
 explanation seems this, that before the introduction 
 and spread of Christianity, and also long after that 
 period, the people, and especially the fishermen, be- 
 lieved themselves to be surrounded by sea-spirits, 
 whom they could not see, and who watched what they 
 were doing. In the Pagan time people believed in 
 the sea-god CEgir \Aegir\ whose kingdom was the 
 mysterious ocean, and he had his attendant minor 
 spirits who watched intruders upon his element. The 
 feeling which came to prevail among the fishermen 
 towards the sea-spirits was one of mysterious dread. 
 They considered the sea a foreign element, on which 
 they were intruders, and the sea-spirits in consequence 
 hostile to them. They had therefore, when at the 
 
24 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 fishing, to take great care what they said, and it be- 
 came very important to them to have a number of 
 mystic names, to a great extent agreed upon among 
 themselves, although derived from words which were 
 common in the Norn language. But there is a certain 
 number of haaf-words, doubtlessly forming the oldest 
 portion, which seem to have been originally worship 
 words. An original worship of the sea-spirits is 
 rendered probable by the fact, that the fishermen's 
 haaf-terms were not at all confined to things in 
 immediate connection with the fishing, but extended 
 much further. All the domestic animals, for instance, 
 got separate names at the haaf Some of these words 
 are now obsolete in Scandinavia, but we find them 
 used in the old Icelandic literature, chiefly as poetical 
 terms. Lj'oag (North Isles and Aithst.), j'ube (Fo), 
 maar (Nm), are the old haaf-terms for the "ocean." 
 " Jube " is O.N. dj^p, meaning " deep." Lj'oag is O.N. 
 logr, meaning " liquid substance " and occurring in the 
 old Icelandic poetry as a name for the ocean. My 
 attention was first directed to this word as well as to 
 the word maar by Mr Laurence Williamson, Mid 
 Yell. " Maar " now only occurs in compounds, both 
 in Shetland and Scandinavia, such as " mar-bank," 
 applied to an abrupt slope of the sea bottom. Further 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 25 
 
 haaf-terms of a poetic character are : de birtik (North 
 Isles) or brennyer {de brenner, brenna) (South Shetland, 
 Lunn.) or finna (Junna) (Aithst., Fo) for the fire. 
 " Birtik " is O.N. birta, birti, brightness, from bjartr, bright ; 
 in O.N. both brennir {forbrennir, i.e., the burner) and futti 
 are poetical terms for the fire. De fdger (U) or faig{-er) 
 (Y) for the sun; from O.N. fagr, fair, beautiful. Be 
 gjonger (Westside) for the horse ; same word as Danish 
 ganger, used in poetry for a horse, and signifying ; goer, 
 runner. Ti&gloam {gloamer) for the moon ; O.N. gldm-r, 
 weak light (whence Scotch "gloaming," twilight), in 
 poetry : moon. De gro (O.N.grdffi) for the wind. 
 
 A sufficient proof, that the custom of using lucky 
 words at the haaf was rooted in the Pagan time, is to be 
 found in the fact, that the minister and the church were 
 on no account to be mentioned by their right names at 
 sea. The minister and the church represented the new 
 conquering faith which aimed at doing away ^^•ith the 
 old gods and consequently at disputing the sea-god's 
 dominion of the sea. Being thus offensive to the sea- 
 god and sea-spirits, the church had to be called " de beni- 
 hoosel' and the minister "de upstander." Benihoose 
 means prayer house, not house of bones, as the popular 
 etymology explains it, from the bones of the dead bodies 
 buried in the churchyard. It is a corruption of b^n- 
 
26 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 hoose, prayer house, which latter form still occurs in the 
 North Isles. B(j)n is an old Norn word for prayer. The 
 Papa, Sandness and Aithsting fishermen often used to 
 call the church de kl0ster (O.N. klaustr — cloister or 
 monastery.) The minister who could not be called by 
 his right name any more than the church was called " de 
 beniman" {i.e., prayer-man), but more commonly "de 
 upstander" from his standing up in the pulpit during 
 the sermon. He had many other names, such as fi. 
 de predikanter (preacher), de loader (from O.N. lata : to 
 utter sounds, to speak in a peculiar tone), de koideen (U). 
 The nature of the haaf-terms will be seen from this- 
 They were not nonsensical, merely coined words, as 
 some think, nor were they the real Norn words for the 
 persons, animals and things they were applied to. 
 They are words of a more or less poetic nature and 
 mostly figurative terms, that is to say : persons, animals 
 and things are named according to some striking 
 characteristic about them. This accounts for the great 
 variety of names used for one and the same person, 
 animal and thing. Each animate and inanimate being 
 had always many characteristics that would readily 
 afford a basis for the many names applied. The cat was, 
 for instance, called : de foodin or footer (Nm, Delt. and 
 further), de kisert, kisek (Fe, etc.), poosi, de raami (fi. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 27 
 
 Ireland in Sandwick parish), de skaavin (Nest, Br., 
 Conn., Sandw. and further) or de skavnashi (Sandw.), de 
 spjaaler (U), de venga or vengi (Fo, Aithst.), de voalex (U.), 
 I shall explain some of these names. " De foodin 
 (footer) " means the light-footed animal ; " raami " is de- 
 rived from roam = krammock, paw, esp. a cat's paw (from 
 O.N. hrammr, paw on a beast of prey, esp. a bear's paw) ; 
 de " skaavin" or " skavnashi" means " the shaver, the 
 nose-shaver," from the cat's habit of washing itself up 
 around the lugs and down over the nose ; •' de spjaaler" 
 means the player f from an old spda, to play) ; " de 
 voaler" means the wailer, from the cat's wailing cry 
 (O.N. vdla, to wail, to cry). 
 
 The cow was called in the North Isles " de boorik" 
 which means : the bellowing animal ; cf Norw. bura, 
 to bellow, Dan. br^le, Shetl. to br$le. Other names were 
 used in other places. The otter was called tek or dratsi 
 or dafi. " Tek " is the same word as Scotch " tyke," 
 O.N. tik, a bitch. " Dratsi," the otter is called from its 
 manner of dragging its tail ; cf O.N. dratta, to walk slowly 
 and heavily (in Icelandic dratt halt is a nick-name to the 
 fox, corresponding to Shetlandic " dring-tail " as a sea 
 name for the cat). Quite similar is the origin of the 
 name " dafi " (cf. Norw. dava, to saunter). The seal was 
 * Sco. : to dring — to be slow ; dring — dilatory. 
 
28 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 in the North Isles and Foula called " de hoarin (or 
 woarin)," which means " the hairy one," " the hair-fish," 
 from O.N. hdr, hair. The whale, was in Unst called "de 
 fjaedin " : the fat animal, from O.N. feit-r, fat. — The 
 common name for " wife '' was haimelt or hjaimelt 
 (Scotch : ha(i)mald etc., domestic), because she sat at 
 home, while her husband was at the haaf The limpet- 
 bait was in Foula called " de fjora" which is properly : 
 the ebb, O.N. fjara (cf the expression : " to geng to de, 
 limpet ebb," or simply " ebb"). De huggistaff: the staff 
 which the fisherman strikes into the fish, was called at 
 the haaf by the North Isles fishermen " de h^dik {hoodik) 
 or h^derl' meaning : the threatener (Norw. and Far. h(pta, 
 hdta, h^tta : to raise the arm in a threatening way). The 
 proper name " huggi-staff" is also a Norn word, from 
 hoggva, to strike. The boat was called " defaar" (O.N. 
 far, conveyance). The mast of the boat was called " de 
 stong or steng " : the stick (O.N. stong). The sail was 
 called "de cloot" or " de skegga ■" the latter is O.N. skeki' 
 patch, rag, clout. The ouskerri or boat-scoop was called 
 by the Unst fishermen " de switik or swattyek" from the 
 word " to swite " (O.N. skvettd), meaning : to pour out 
 water in a splashing way. 
 
 Other haaf-terms are : to snee or snae de neburd 
 (North Shetland) : to cut (O.N. sniSa, sneiSd) the fish- 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 29 
 
 bait ; " neburd " is Icelandic niSurburSur, a quantity of 
 bait, properly : what is borne or let down into the sea 
 (^«r^«;'= bearing; m'dur=(iovfn, Old Shetlandic : "ned"); 
 further : to g/aan de sk^ni : to sharpen the knife (Gaelic : 
 sgian). The sharpening-stone was called " de glaan or 
 glaani " (originally same word as Icel. glan, " smoothness 
 and brightness of something polished "). 
 
 The halibut was in the North Isles called " de baldin " 
 at the haaf, probably from O.N. baldinn, meaning : ob- 
 stinate, intractable, unruly (akin to Engl. bold). The 
 halibut was a very difficult fish to deal with ; when it had 
 taken the bait and started running, a part of the line was 
 given out, that the fish might spend its strength a little, 
 before the fisherman began to haul. When the halibut was 
 running with such force, that it was to be feared that it 
 might break the line, the Unst fishermen would cry after 
 it : " Haltagongi " or " altagongi" which means : stop 
 running (going) (O.N. halt gongu) ! Said in English this 
 would have had no effect on the fish at all, but said in 
 Norn it was thought to be effectual and to stop the fish. 
 The ling, of course, could not be called ling. The 
 general name was " white." When the fisherman was 
 hauling the line, and the first ling came in sight, he 
 would sing out : " White," or : " Light in the lum." See- 
 ing the second one : " White again " f i. or : " White 
 
30 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 inunder white." " For the third one sometimes : " White 
 inunder dat," or : " White inunder ' wheedo ' !" Catching 
 sight of the fourth Hng, the Unst fishermen would some- 
 times say : " Wheeda ligger a wheedo" which is Norn, and 
 means : " White lies on white." 
 
 The fishing-lodge was called " de hoyd" or " bigg" and 
 almost everything in the lodge would have a separate 
 name too. The kettle was called " de ring(a)loadi " or 
 " honger." " Ring(a)loadi " means : " that which hangs 
 by the ring " and is compounded of " ring " (in O.N.) 
 [kring-r] occasionally applied to the bool of the " kettle") 
 and O.N. ioffa, to hang loose, dangling. " De honger " 
 simply means : " the hanger." 
 
 Finally, there is a third class of haaf names, con- 
 sisting of ordinary Norn words which, having become 
 obsolete in the daily conversational language, were 
 retained at the haaf as lucky words, while substituted 
 Scotch or English words were used at the fireside. 
 For instance : de damp, for the end of the fishing line 
 (Dan. tamp [from Low German], bit of rope, end of 
 a line) ; de gr^tek or gr^dek (U) for the kettle (O.N. 
 gryta, earthen pot) ; de ilder (Aithst.) or hildin (Fo) 
 for the fire (O.N. eld-r) (-"in" in "hildin" is the 
 suffixed definite article) ; de klova or kloven, klivven 
 (-" en " : the definite article) for the fire-tongs, applied 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 31 
 
 originally to any clefted tool or instrument (O.N. 
 klofi) ; de rakki (Westside) for the dog ^O.N. rakki 
 for the more common hund-r, dog) ; de russi for the 
 horse (O.N. hross). Finally "de rae" (Scotch form 
 of O.N. rd) for the yard of the mast 
 
 But leaving the haaf terms and turning to the 
 fireside language, we also find this latter saturated 
 with Norn expressions. But of the vast number of 
 subjects it is only a few, that space allows me to 
 enter upon here, and it will not be more than a 
 mere touching of the surface. Only one or two 
 subjects can be entered more fully upon. The first 
 is the old names for the various kinds of utensils, the 
 household utensils and the baskets or boxes used in 
 connection with the fishing. First of all there is "de 
 kesshie" the common basket, made from straw or 
 dried docken-stems. It is the Norw. kjessa, derived 
 from O.N. kass{i), basket. In this connection I may 
 mention " de maishie" open basket (net- work) (O.N. 
 meiss, basket), etymologically the same word as Engl. 
 " mesh." " De biiddie {b0dd{)" is the fisherman's basket 
 (same word as Far. byd'i, Icel. byffa, tub, kit). A 
 kuddie is a small " biiddie " ; originally it signifies pro- 
 bably " bag," and is akin to the word kod, meaning : 
 pillow. " De kuddie " is in Dunrossness called " de 
 
32 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 hovi" which word in most places signifies "bow-net, 
 weel" (O.N. hdf-r, Norw. haav). A toieg (N.I.) is a 
 small straw basket for holding meal or coin. It is 
 the Norw. taegja, derived from taag (Shetl. tad), 
 meaning " fibre," because the toieg was originally 
 made from tree root fibres. A loopi (Du), a 
 small meal or corn basket, is very much like a 
 " toieg." It is O.N. laup-r, box, basket, most often 
 (as in modern Norwegian) applied to a certain measure 
 of butter, and Far. leypur, a long-shaped wooden box, 
 used for the same purpose as the " kesshie " is used 
 for in Shetland, namely, for carrying something (peats, 
 manure) on the back ; " -lep,-lek " in the words 
 Uthelep or toudilep (P, Fe) and to(o)delek (U) : a small 
 tight kesshie (f. i. a manure-kesshie), are obscured forms 
 oi laup-r; c.f Far. tocFuleypur, ma.nure-hox ("foffu" from 
 O.N. iaffa, manure). A span is a high wooden hooped 
 vessel (generally for holding milk to be churned) ; in 
 Fair Isle it signifies the water-pail. O.N. spann is a 
 kind of vessel and also a certain measure (J laupr^ 
 Skepp or skebbik, which is O.N. skeppa, a dry measure, 
 \ barrel, and r0i (Norw. rudda) are both names applied 
 to a large basket for rubbing corn in. The word dullyak 
 (N.I.) is in Unst and Yell sometimes applied to the water- 
 pail or " daffock " (from Gaelic dabhach, mashing-tub). 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 33 
 
 It is Norw., Icel. and Far. dylla, pail, kit. Most often 
 the word occurs, not in its original sense, but applied to 
 almost anything big, clumsy and untidy : " a dullyak o' a 
 kesshie," and even : " a dullyak o' a wife " (i.e., woman). 
 The old Foula-name for the " dafifock " is " de vats{a)- 
 dudlin" (irom O.N. vatn, water, and dulla = dylla)ox "water- 
 dudlik." In some parts of Shetland it is called defuddik 
 ox fiddik (in Sandsting : vatik\ which is O^.fata, signi- 
 fying tub or pail. The word remikel {r^mikel), signifying 
 a wooden tub-shaped vessel for holding run-milk, &c., is 
 now growing rare. It is the Norwegian rjome- or 
 r^mekolla, where rjome or r^me signifies cream, and 
 kolla a round-shaped wooden vessel, akin to the word 
 koil or koll, which I mentioned for " head." The words 
 koopi and kubbi originally mean something cup or bowl- 
 shaped (O.N. k-Apa, bowl). The box or hollowed out 
 stone, that the pig eats its food out of, is called in Unst 
 and Foula "de grice kubbi" which name is more properly 
 applied to the stone, which was the utensil formerly 
 used. "Koopi" is used by the Bressay fishermen, 
 applied to the box containing the limpet bait. A third 
 name for the bait-box, used in Conningsburg, is " de 
 krubbik." The word krub ( O.N. krubbd) signifies 
 originally " confined space " and is akin to the word kr(^ 
 as well as to English " crib," manger. Krub in " plantie- 
 
34 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 krub," is the same word, and also kribbi, used in Aiths- 
 ting for the haddock-line creel. Another form of the 
 word is kruff, which is in Foula and Aithsting applied 
 to the lamb's or calfs box. The pig's box is in Aiths- 
 ting called "de grice truggel." Truggel signifies 
 originally a small trough (O.N. trygill) and is in Aiths- 
 ting also applied to a vessel for holding liver-oil : " a 0li 
 truggel," especially when partly broken. The common 
 name for the haddock-line creel is "de skol!' The 
 name skol is also applied to a certain kind of round- 
 shaped wooden dishes, got from Norway (O.N. skdl, 
 bowl). The old names for utensils have been kept best 
 in connection with the liver-oil. I mentioned "de 0li 
 truggel." In Unst a wooden oil vessel, broader at the 
 bottom than at the top, is called " a 0li hoilk " ( = Norw. 
 hoik), derived from the root kolka, to hollow out, and 
 the same thing is called in Dunrossness " a roobel." 
 A tub-shaped vessel for holding oil is sometimes called 
 "a 0li bunki" which is Norwegian bunka, and akin 
 etymologically to English "bunker." An oil-pot is 
 called in the North Isles " a 0li poitik or pootyek" and 
 a small or partly broken oil-pot is in some places called 
 zpitti (pUtti) or piti, which is O.N. pytti, a diminutive 
 form of pot. A pittiskord or potshkirt (Engl, "pot- 
 sherd"), poitibrod and pannibrod (Fe) are all applied 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DLA.LECT, 35 
 
 to a piece of a broken kettle for holding oil. Brod 
 here signifies a broken piece (O.N. broi) and is 
 different from the common word "brod," which is a 
 Scotch form of the English word "board." The 
 general name for a utensil is lost in Shetland, but it 
 occurs disguised in a compound word : " de ouskerry" 
 the boat-scoop. Kerry there signifies vessel (O.N. ker 
 or kerald), so " ouskerry " properly means the " owsing- 
 vessel," or the utensil for baling the water out of the 
 boat. 
 
 My next subject is the old names for the various 
 colours. Wheed-{queed-), meaning white, occurs in for 
 instance brungi-queedin, which is a Foula word mean- 
 ing "breast-white," and was used as a nickname for 
 any man who had a fancy for wearing a white vest. 
 "Wheed-" also occurs in place-names, such as Wheeda- 
 murs it.e., white mires), wheedastack* &c. Gro, meaning 
 gray, occurs in the words Grogi and Groga, applied in 
 the North Isles the former to a gray horse or bull, the 
 latter to a gray mare or cow. Further, in place-names, 
 such as Gro-stane, which means "gray stone." Gul, 
 meaning yellow, occurs in the word gulsa, the old name 
 for the jaundice. It is a contraction of O.N. gulsdtt, 
 " yellow sickness." Gul also occurs in place-names, such 
 
 * A staci (O.N. stakk-r) is a high pointed rock in the sea. 
 
36 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 as Gulahamar {Gola-), called so from the yellowish 
 colour of the rock. R0, meaning red, occurs in R0i and 
 R0da, applied in the North Isles the former to a red 
 horse, the latter to a red mare or cow. Further, in 
 place-names, such as R^stack (" Roestack"). Gr^, 
 meaning " green," occurs in the word gr^shka (Y, Sa), 
 applied to the green tufts on the grass-grown side of a 
 clod of earth, when turned over with the spade ; further 
 in place-names, such as Gr^nastack (spelt " Grunastack"), 
 that is : a stack, grass-grown on the top. Swart, 
 meaning " black," occurs in swaabi, a contraction of 
 swart-bak, the old Shetland name for the black-backed 
 gull (in Unst called " de baagi") ; also in swartlinsf 
 applied to black moory ground, and in swartatee, which 
 is an oath and means " in black time." Swartaskerry 
 (place-name) = " black skerry." Shetlandic broon is the 
 unaltered form of O.N. bnlinn, brown. Bio, meaning 
 " blue," occurs in place-names such as : Blogio. Mooret 
 means reddish-brown (O.N. morauS-r, " moor-red") and 
 has reference to the reddish-brown colour of dry moor- 
 land. Shaila is a gray shade through black. Both 
 " mooret" and " shaila" are colours applied to sheep-wool. 
 The latter word properly means " hoar-frost," in which 
 sense it is used in O.N. and modern Icelandic {hda, 
 hjeld) ; and in this sense it is still used in the Shetland 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 37 
 
 North Isles. " Shaila" is no colour in particular, but as 
 a light covering of hoar-frost gives the earth a light- 
 coloured shade, so the " shaila " colour just is a light 
 shade through black. A dusky colour is expressed by 
 the words skjomet or skoomet and moosket (O.N. sMm, 
 Norw. musk, dusk). Cf. Shetl. " a skoomp o' mist," a 
 lump of haze. Applied to a slightly obscured sky are 
 the expressions • a skoomi sky, a homsi (Jioomsi) sky. 
 Haze is called hooms (hums) or hoomsker (from O.N. 
 Mm, dusk) and moosk, moosker (Fo), slightly different 
 from ask which is generally windy. O.N. skiim and 
 Mm are also applied to the twilight, in modern Nor- 
 wegian especially the derivative forms skyming and 
 hyming; but in Shetland only the latter word is used, 
 pronounced h4min, and sometimes also the form hums 
 occurs, used in the same way : " hds comin to de hums o' 
 de nighf (Nm). There are a great many names in Norn 
 applied to the colours of sheep and cattle. I shall 
 mention and explain a few more of them. Moget 
 {katmogei) refers to a separate colour of the belly and is 
 derived from O.N. magi, meaning stotaach or belly. In 
 Shetland the name moggi is only applied to the stomach 
 of a fish (or whale). Sholmet is applied to a black 
 cow with a white face. The word is derived from O.N. 
 hjdlm-r, signifying a helmet, the derivative form of 
 
38 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 which, hjdlmStt-r, originally means "helmet-covered." 
 Bjoaget means " ring-striped," and is derived from bjoag, 
 O.N. baug-r, meaning a ring. In the Shetland North 
 Isles the name bjoag is applied to for instance a 
 collar of straw around the horse's neck in harrowing. 
 Flekket means " spotted " and is derived from O.N. 
 flekk-r, spot. Sponget is from O.N. spong, applied 
 especially to a metal buckle, but the original meaning 
 seems to be a patch. " A sponget coo " is properly a cow 
 covered with patches of different colour from that of the 
 body. Yuglet (U) is applied to a black sheep, white 
 around the eyes, or the opposite. The word is com- 
 pounded oi yoga, the old name for the eye (O.N. auga), 
 and litt, meaning coloured. 
 
 Another subject I should like to enter a little upon 
 is the various Norn expressions that are used about a 
 person, when in an offended or sulky state of mind. 
 The great variety of these expressions according to the 
 various degrees of sulkiness show clearly the humorous 
 instinct of the Shetland people. I go through the list 
 first and shall then try to explain the origin of some of 
 the words. " He is stutsit" or " He is ta'en a stoit" 
 " He is trumsket" or drumset, or troinshket. " He kjust 
 him up in troitskka." " He is trullyet" or trulshket. 
 " He is i' de {h)oonkoons." " He is lyin' up i' de heloor" 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 39 
 
 " He is snoilket" or has ta'en a snoilk or a hwidd or a 
 sniid or de fruntpses. " He is sniisket " or " ill-snUsket!' 
 " He is hangin' a slebr " He is hangin' a soor »?«// 
 (moot). " He was uncon munljeppin i' de mornin'." 
 " He kjust him up in a dulhoit." " He is a dr^dt body," 
 etc. This list is not supposed to exhaust the subject. I 
 shall explain a few of these expressions, of which some 
 refer purely to the mind, others to the way of utterance, 
 others again, and that is the majority, to face and 
 attitude, as revealing sulkiness. " He is i' de (]i)oori- 
 kooris " (Fo. and Aithst.) : " Hoorikooris " is a com- 
 pound word, the first part of which is oor or oori 
 (Icelandic ^rar), meaning " a senseless state," akin to 
 Scotch " oorie ; " and the second part is the root koor, 
 signifying a state between waking and sleeping. " He's 
 lyin' i' de hoorikooris " is originally applied to a person 
 half-wake and half-asleep in the morning, before getting 
 out of bed, and as he is then generally sulky, the ex- 
 pression is most often applied in this latter meaning. 
 We find both words also in the expressions : " to sit 
 oortn or koorin (nodding, half asleep) ower de fire." The 
 Yell expression " lyin' up i' de heloor'' has a similar 
 origin. The word hel (Engl, hell) is in O.N. applied 
 vaguely to the realm of death or the world beyond the 
 earth. A person in the heloor is thus properly 
 
40 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 speaking a half-dreaming person whose thoughts are 
 wandering away ; then it means a person, who will not 
 speak, of which unwillingness sulkiness is most often the 
 cause. " A troinshket body " is properly a person who 
 makes a tr^ni, which means " a long snout (O.N. 
 trynt)" and is most often applied to the pig's snout. 
 Troinshket is sometimes used also in the meaning : 
 depressed, in a depressed mood. There are three ex- 
 pressions besides, taken from the way in which one 
 forms the mouth, when one is sulky. " He is munljeppin " 
 (Fe) : compound of O.N. munn-r, mouth, and lepi or 
 lippa, signifying " a big lip " ; the expression literally 
 means : he is making a big mouth-lip. " He's hangin 
 a sleb " ; " sleb " is a big lip. " He is hangin a soor 
 ■mull or mool;" "mull, mool" (O.N. mAli) means a 
 big down-hanging mouth, and is usually applied to the 
 mouth of a horse (especially) or cow. The same word 
 occurs in several place-names, applied to rounding-down 
 headlands (or similar formations of land). Trullyet 
 (truyllet) and trulshket originally mean " trowy-like," 
 derived from truyll, O.N. troll, in the old language 
 signifying trow (troll) or fairy, in modern Shetlandic 
 an untidy being. As the trows were always supposed 
 to be both sulky and untidy beings, the words trullyet 
 and trulshket have acquired both these meanings. "He 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 41 
 
 drumbet twa'rtree (two or three) words oot o' him : " 
 he spoke the words out in a low drumming way. " He 
 r0ded oot o' him," («) he growled, spoke so low, that one 
 could barely hear him, {b) he spoke nonsense ; in both 
 senses derived from O.N. hrjdta, to emit rough sounds, 
 to growl, to snore, also: to rush, to tumble.* " Dr0bi" 
 (U) is akin to English " drooping " and means originally 
 "bent down, with bent down head and shoulders," 
 which position often accompanies sulkiness. " He kjust 
 hihi up in (intill) a dulhoit," or : " he kjust a dulhoit 
 ower him," is a North Isles expression and means 
 literally : " he threw a hiding-hat over himself," which 
 phrase occurs in O.N., where the word for hiding-hat 
 is dyl-hottr or -hattr. The phrase which originally 
 refers to magic is in Shetland generally applied to a 
 person who under some pretence refuses to do anything 
 he is bidden or has promised to do. The hiding-hat 
 thus ironically refers to the person's pretended excuse 
 as a cover over his sulkiness. 
 
 In no point does the Shetland dialect reveal a 
 greater wealth and flexibility than in regard to 
 expressions for the different states of weather and sea. 
 Hundreds of words and phrases concerning these 
 
 * The same word is in modern Icelandic {hrjSta) and in Shetlandic 
 {r^) commonly applied to small tight rain ; "he's r^din oot o' him." 
 F 
 
42 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 subjects can be traced back to the old Norn. I merely 
 mention this fact, as the subjects are too vast to enter 
 upon here. 
 
 A great many Norn words survive in compounds, 
 that is to say, they are neither used nor understood 
 singly, while two such words but together as a com- 
 pound may be in common use and applied rightly. 
 I shall mention a few of them, as it tends to illustrate 
 the process of the dying of a language. Most of these 
 words at one time belonged to the most commonly 
 used daily words. Thus, while haaf'x's, preserved, applied 
 originally to the ocean, now more specially the deep sea 
 fishing-grounds, the general Norn word for sea, sjS-r, 
 is lost. Still this occurs in for instance: "de shoorniil, 
 that is : the ebb or fore-shore, literally " sea mark :" 
 shoo meaning sea, and mil mark, which latter word 
 occurs also in summermil, the first day of summer 
 (the summer half-year), the 14th of April. De shoopiltie, 
 literally : " sea-boy," is a Northmavine name for the 
 water spirit, called in the rest of Shetland " de njuggle " 
 and in Scotland : the water-kelpie. S{h)oosamillyabakka 
 is an old, now obsolete, Unst expression, literally 
 meaning "between sea and banks." It was a fisher- 
 men's phrase. A fisherman, coming from the limpet- 
 ebb and asked where he had been, did not like to give 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT, 43 
 
 a straightforward answer — it might prove unlucky — 
 and therefore answered in the above-mentioned round- 
 about way, that he had been between sea and banks 
 (" shoo-" : sea, " amillya " : between, " bakka " : banks). 
 An adnashoor is a Foula expression, literally meaning 
 "a second or alternate sea" and applied to a few big 
 waves in succession, running ashore and followed by a 
 lull, and so on. Annar, second, occurs besides in 
 " adnashoor " in the old Yell expression, now obsolete : 
 "he's blawin' annyawhart": it is an uneven wind, 
 " annyawhart " being literally : " second every," that is : 
 every second moment blowing, every second moment 
 calm. Further, in ann{y)ister, annis(Ji)ed or adnaset, 
 applied to a two year old lamb or a lamb in its second 
 year and in some places to the second lamb of a ewe 
 or the second calf of a cow. Millya, milli, between or 
 among, occurs in hoosamillya and skotta- or skoitamilli- 
 skroo {skattamilliskrooa : Fe). " To geng hoosamillya " 
 is to go among the houses, carrying gossip from the one 
 to the other; "to rin skottamilliskroo" is an old hide-and- 
 seek game, " skottamilliskroo " meaning literally : to run 
 to and fro (Icel. skotta) among the "skroos" or corn- 
 stacks (O.N. sktHf) in the corn-yard.* Ground, delved 
 
 * The word "to rin" has been added, because the meaning of 
 "skotta" is lost. 
 
44 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 the second year out of lay is generally called attifil{d) or 
 attifils, but in some places (as Fetlar andWestside) it is 
 called attavelta or attivelt, which is nearer the original 
 form) : aptr-velta, " atti, atta " (O.N. a/>ir) meaning 
 " again, anew," and " velta " delving or a delved piece of 
 ground. Gord (O.N. garffr), dyke (wall) or yard, occurs 
 in "gorsti," dyke-stead, foundation of an old dyke, which 
 word is also applied (in some places) to a division 
 between two corn-rigs. Further in : gorsimmens, that is : 
 yard-" simmens," strong ropes for securing (fastening) the 
 hay and the corn in the yard {simmen, straw-rope, is 
 O.N. shni, band ; " n " is the suffixed definite article) ; 
 to gorhird {korhird) de corn (U and Fe) : to put the 
 corn into the yard {hird, O.N. hirSa, is properly : to keep, 
 to secure). In Unst it is said about a person who either 
 eats a great deal or talks a great deal, that he has "a 
 guid (good) kjolka-kastl' which literally means : skill in 
 the jaws {kjolka from O.N. kjdlki, jaw; kast=^^\). O.N. 
 kinn, cheek, survives in Shetland in the word " ^««-fish," 
 the fleshy part of the cheek of a fish. Both " kjolka " 
 and " kin '' occur in place-names and denote a piece of 
 steep banks, bearing some resemblance to a cheek- 
 O.N. lik, corpse, is preserved in " leek-strae," the straw 
 under the corpse in the death-bed, and in the expressions 
 ' calm as a leek," applied to the sea, and : " within de 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 45 
 
 leek" (N.I.)> the funeral district. O.N. «i/, needle, 
 survives in the compound "a noraleg" changed from 
 nolaleg, meaning " needle-leg " and applied to a needle 
 with the eye broken. or wo, O.N. d, burn, occurs in 
 oarli (Nm), more commonly wurli, literally " burn's- 
 gate," original form : dr-hlW, dr being the possessive form 
 of «', and hliS meaning : gate ; in place-names, f i. Laxo 
 (Lax-o)=trout-burn. O.N. s6kn is lost in Shetlandic in its 
 common application, "parish," but preserved in the form 
 " sookni" as applied to a crowd of people. Tant, tann, 
 O.N. tonn, tooth, occurs in the old name of a certain 
 kind of cod : tangruynin* (U) : " tooth-cod" (from its 
 sharp teeth), now usually called " Iceland-cod ;" further, 
 in tantfellyin (N.I.), a "teeth-caster": a young animal 
 (horse) loosing its teeth. " Lat me see, if du's gotten dy 
 tannyiks !" is a Fetlar phrase, addressed to a small child: 
 Let me see, if you have got your teeth ! 
 
 O.N. thari, sea-weed, is preserved in the word tari- 
 crook, dung-fork (properly : fork for taking up the 
 " ware " or sea-weed, used as manure)." O.N. Hcf, time, 
 is still preserved in f.i. the oath swarta-tee, (" black time," 
 evil hour). O.N. torf, peat, survives in " tuskker" the 
 old name of the peat-spade (a contracted form of O.N. 
 torfskeri, literally : " peat-cutter"). Yar, ixomjarS, O.N. 
 * Gruynin=-\cA. grunnungr, cod, properly "ground-fish." 
 
46 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 jord, earth, occurs in the expression " to yar-fast de corn, 
 de hay, de boat," etc., that is : to secure the corn, etc., 
 against storms and sudden gales, properly: to fasten it 
 down to the earth by means of weigths, stones) ; further 
 in the expression " to yar-poan de ruiff (roof) " (Fe) : to 
 " double-/ofl«," to put on two layers of sods (in thatch- 
 ing) and not the usual layer of straw. " Poan " means 
 " sod, green turf for thatching," and is probably derived 
 from O.N. spdnn, shingle. 
 
 Finally it will be necessary to enter a little upon the 
 class of words which are used figuratively, that is to say : 
 which are lost in their original sense and are now applied 
 only to things which originally have been likened to the 
 things the names stood for. There is a number of old 
 words applied jocularly to thin and lean corn, but few of 
 these words literally mean thin, lean corn. The list is 
 
 fjandi or " fiend " (U) fjugg (fjaag) or fjusk (Fe), heeg 
 (Du), heckle, henkle (Mainl.), h^ (N.I.), nakket corn, 
 ogadoo (U), peesker (U), snaag (Wests.), standin' stilk 
 (Du), str^gins or str0get corn (Conn,), tuggent^ (Y, 
 obsolete), t^, t0a (N.Roe), a/Zv^-pluck (Y). " Fjugg, 
 fjaag, fjusk " properly mean " light empty (airy) stuff." 
 These words also signify haze or a slight obscuration of 
 the sky. " Henkel " is akin to Norw. hengla, barely to 
 hank together. " H0 " is O.N. h^, mould, a mouldy or 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 47 
 
 musty covering. " Ogadoo " (properly : weed among the 
 corn, in which sense it is still used in Y) is derived from 
 O.N. akr-ddi, where akr signifies corn field, ddi: plant. 
 " Stilk (staaylk) " is O.N. stilkr, stalk. " Str0gins " is 
 derived from O.N. stry, tow, hards. "Tuggem0" is in 
 Unst applied to a thick swarm, f i. of birds or midges, in 
 the expression : "As tick as tuggem0." The word is 
 compounded of O.N. thoka, mist, fog, and 111^, Norw. inoe, 
 summer-colt. In Aithsting " a lock o' m0 " is jocularly 
 applied to a quantity of small useless things (a lot of 
 small potatoes, small " sillocks," etc.) ; a more common 
 term is murr, " a lock o' murr " (in the North Isles : 
 mudder), applied to small things (potatoes, "sillocks,") 
 originally : small particles, dust particles, Norw. and Icel. 
 mor (" mudder " from O.N. m6Sr= mor). " T0, t0a " is in 
 Aithsting applied to old grass ; the word is derived from 
 O.N. (d, tangled wool. " Ullya-pluck " properly means 
 "wool-pluck," from O.N. «//, wool. In North Roe the 
 word is applied to wool, hair or feathers as remains of 
 the carcase of an animal or bird. 
 
 A great many words are applied figuratively to an 
 odd-looking person, a big and stout or untidy person 
 (more especially a woman), a tall and thin fellow, etc. 
 An odd-looking person is called in Unst and Yell a 
 hjokfinni, which means properly " somebody or some- 
 
48 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 thing found in a burial mound," Norw. haugfunnen 
 ("hill-found") ; O.N. haug-r, Shetlandic hjoag, hill, mound. 
 In Norwegian the word haugfunnen is sometimes applied 
 to an odd, somewhat deranged person. An odd, small 
 and square-built person was in Fetlar called " a traayll- 
 fangin " (properly : a " thrall-captive," O.N. thrcel-fangi).* 
 " A ootavid body" (U) is a person of strange behaviour (a 
 person shunning company), properly : a person from the 
 waste or wilderness, Norw. utvidd, utvida. The word 
 " kurdik," literally " a big boulder, piece of rock," + is 
 applied to a big clumsy woman. Such a woman is also 
 called a h$stak, hustak and soadi, soadik. " H0stak " 
 literally means " hay-stack " and " soadi " is O.N. sdta, 
 another word for a hay-stack. A square-shaped woman 
 is in Unst called a studdik (Norw. st^da, Icel. stoeSa, pile, 
 stack). A great gj^re or gy-kairl is a big and tall woman; 
 originally the words signify " giantess " (O.N. gygr; 
 " kairl " is O.N. kerling, old wife). An untidy person is 
 called a truyll (O.N. troll, troll ; the Shetlandic word for 
 troll is Scotch "trow,") "A druyllsklaaget {truyllshlaagei) 
 creature " (Y), properly " trow-struck (struck by a 
 
 * It may be seen from the use of this word, that the thralls (war- 
 captives) of the ancient Shetland vikings have been generally of smaller size 
 than their conquerors and masters. 
 
 t In Foula hurdin means " boulder " (O.N. urd, heap of boulders), 
 "-in " is the suffixed definite article. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 49 
 
 fairy)," signifies the same as the above mentioned " hjok- 
 finni." A big and stout fellow is called " a hulgin o' a 
 fellow," where " hulgin " is Norw. Aolg;e, wisp of hay, 
 bundle of straw ("hallow," windlin), also applied jocularly 
 to a big fellow. A ra/i (O.N. rapt-r, rafter) and a sperrek 
 or spurr (Du) (O.N. sperra, rafter) both denote a tall and 
 thin person. 
 
 An animal whose upper jaw projects beyond the 
 lower one is commonly called' " gabeshot " (gapeshot), 
 but the old Aithsting name is " a toossi" which is 
 O.N. thussi (jhurs), goblin, troll. A wild ungovernable 
 child is sometimes called a toossik or toossip, which is 
 the same word as the afore-mentioned " toossi." 
 
 In Fetlar bad butter was sometimes csWed jyaedemur, 
 which really means " (fat) tallow " (from O.N. feit-r, fat, 
 and morr, tallow). 
 
 There is a number of jocular words denoting a very 
 small person, specially a (small) child, f i. : bjartin (U) ; 
 eerepi (Du) ; fjorek (U) ; (a) noshigirt (ting) (Du) ; ogagot 
 (C) ; oomik{-in) ; oorik ; oormik (C), oormel (U) ; paaytin 
 (U) ; steevin (C) ; tud or tuddik (Fe, Aithst.), etc. 
 " Bjartin " is the same word as Icel. birting-r, a species 
 of trout (named from the bright colour ; O.N. bj'art-r, 
 bright). "Oomik(-in)" is O.N. iimagi, a helpless being (?{ : 
 the denying prefix " un "-; " magi" from the root " mag," 
 
50 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 signifying " strength, power "). " Oormik " and " oormel " 
 mean literally " a (little) worm " (O.N. orm-r), but are 
 never applied to a worm. Reg. "steevin," see p. i8. 
 " Tud (tuddik)" is O.N. tutt-r, a dwarfish being. 
 
 "A r0dastab" is a figurative expression, used in 
 Fetlar and applied to a person who does not care to 
 move out of the way, a person who is always standing 
 in one's way, when one is anxious to get on with any 
 kind of work. The word often occurs in the expression : 
 "to stand or sit lack (like) a r0dastab" but nobody is able 
 to tell, what the word in this connection really means- 
 The only explanation is this : within the memory of old 
 Shetland people the larger vertebrae or joints of the 
 spine of some big whale were used as seats, instead of 
 stools. Now, in O.N. the name r^ySr is applied to a 
 certain kind of big whale, and stab (O.N. stabbi) signifies 
 any block used as a seat. In Faroe such " stabs " from a 
 whale's spine are still to be found used as seats, and they 
 are called roySrarstabbar (evidently the same word as 
 " r0dastab"). Of course such a stab could not move, and 
 the application of the word to a motionless person is 
 obvious. "A rudderastub" (obsolete, U), applied jocularly 
 to a small thickset person (child), is another form of 
 r^d[t')arstabbt' — " r0dastab." 
 
 Such figurative application of words indicates, that 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DLAJ.ECT. 51 
 
 they have reached their dying stage. Every dying 
 speech is full of expressions of this kind. I shall mention 
 two words, which are on the way to be used figuratively : 
 Ouskerri as a name for the boat-scoop is not yet obsolete, 
 but it is growing obsolete. In some places in Shetland 
 it is now chiefly applied to a big clumsy woman (a great 
 ouskerri o' a wife*) and very little used in its original 
 meaning. " A muckle hobran, a great ugly hobran " is 
 in some places in Shetland (f i. N. Roe) applied to a big, 
 repulsive looking person, but " hobran " really means 
 " shark " (Norw. kaabrand), in which sense it is still used 
 in other parts of the country. " H5bran " contains the 
 word "hoe" the Shetland name for the dog-fish (O.N. 
 hdfr, Norw. haa). 
 
 I have hitherto in this lecture almost exclusively 
 treated single words and not contexts in which the old 
 language appears as spoken. There are a few nursery 
 rhymes, two or three riddles {goadiks, guddiks; O.N. gdtd) 
 and a few other small fragments in Norn preserved, 
 although in a very much corrupted state (some of them 
 are hopelessly corrupted). An old nursery rhyme from 
 Foula, a rhyme for frightening unruly, disobedient 
 children, runs thus : 
 
 • In the Shetland dialect "wife" commonly stands for "woman." 
 
52 THE OLD SHETLAND DLiVLECT. 
 
 Skela komina reena toona 
 swarta hesta bletta broona, 
 
 fomtina (^fjomtan) haala andfomtina {^fjomtan) bjadnis 
 a kwaara haala. 
 The translation runs thus : " A skekkel (that is to say : 
 some sort of bogie or fabulous animal) has come riding 
 to the " toon" on a black horse with a white spot on 
 its brow, with fifteen tails, and with fifteen children on 
 each tail." This fabulous animal is here called a 
 " skekkel." The word, which originally signifies a bogie, 
 is still used in Yell and Fetlar to denote a straw guizard 
 (masker). In Unst these guizards are called gr^liks, from 
 O.N. gryla, signifying a bogie or skekkel. The way to 
 treat children when they will not be quiet is mentioned 
 in a nursery rhyme belonging to Unst : 
 
 Buyn vil ikka teea, 
 
 tak an leggen, 
 
 slogan veggen, 
 
 buyn vil ikke teea. 
 Translated, this means : " The child will not be quiet ; 
 take him by the leg, and strike him against the wall, 
 if the child will not be quiet." As the third specimen of 
 conversational Norn, I shall mention a riddle or 
 " goadik" belonging to Unst and given me by Mr John 
 Irvine, Lerwick : 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 53 
 
 Fira honga, fira gonga^ 
 
 fira staad upo skp, 
 
 twa veestra vaig a bee, 
 
 and ane comes atta driljandi. 
 This is a riddle about the cow's body and may be thus 
 translated : " Four hang (that is to say : the teats), 
 four go (the legs), four stand sky-wards (horns and 
 ears), two show the way to the town (the eyes), and 
 one comes shaking behind (the tail)." 
 
 A very striking specimen of the old Norn proverb, 
 purely preserved, was given me by Mr. James Angus, 
 Lerwick. It is : G^tt {guyi) a taka gamla manna ro" 
 which means : It is good to take old men's advice 
 (O.N. : Goti at taka gamla -manna rd&). There are 
 other proverbs in Shetland of Norn origin, but the 
 language in all these has been so much changed by the 
 nfluence of English, that they do not merit special 
 notice here. 
 
 In conclusion only this : The amount of Norn re- 
 mains still to be found in Shetland is truly astonishing, 
 considering the fact, that the proper old dialect became 
 extinct during the latter half of the last century. The 
 specimens given in this lecture are only a few scattered 
 ragments of the material collected. I hope that my 
 researches, which have been undertaken chiefly with a 
 
54 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 view to the publication of an etymological glossary or 
 dictionary of the old Shetland dialect, may do some- 
 thing to preserve the remains of this now dying speech. 
 The success of these researches is in great measure due 
 to the kind hospitality and readiness to assist me with 
 which I have met during my travels in the islands. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND PLACE-NAMES. 
 
 I N dealing with the Shetland place-names, the first 
 J^ thing that strikes one is the great abundance of 
 these names. Nearly every hill, brae and knoll, 
 every valley and glen, every loch, burn and marsh, every 
 headland, ness and point, every bay and bight, "voe" 
 and wick, every piece of banks, every "gjo" (cleft, inlet), 
 every rock and "craig seat,"* every holm and rock in 
 the sea (stack, skerry and " baa "), every croft and farm, 
 every " corn rig,"t however small a patch of ground it 
 may be, every fishing-ground, &c., has its own distinctive 
 name. A few places have undoubtedly had names, 
 which are now lostj especially by depopulation of certain 
 districts, and also to some extent by the giving up of old 
 
 * Rock at the shore, from which "sillocks" and "piltocks" (the 
 young coal-fish) are drawn. 
 
 t Small piece of corn-field. 
 H 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 58 
 
 habits, in connection with which place-names were kept 
 up. The small island of Fetlar alone, according to what 
 Mr. Laurence Williamson of Mid Yell informs me, con- 
 tains about two thousand place-names. There is 
 nothing wonderful in this, when we consider the habits 
 and modes of life of former generations. In the past 
 people moved about more frequently in the open air, 
 often to considerable distances, and were not scrupulous 
 in counting the number of miles they had to walk. The 
 sheep then, as now, pastured on the hills the whole year 
 round and were allowed to wander about as they liked. 
 As sheep-pasture in olden times was of almost equal 
 importance with the fishing (nearly every poor body 
 owned some sheep), the sheep and lambs had to be care- 
 fully looked after. Then, one person would very often 
 ask some one, coming from the hills, " Did du see my 
 'mooret' hog ony way?" or: "Did du see my 'blaiget' 
 yowe destreen ?" or, " Did du licht in wi' my ' kat- 
 moget' gimmer?" &c. If every spot in the hills had 
 not had a distinctive name, it would sometimes have 
 proved very difficult to tell the exact spot, where the 
 sheep were seen. But the exact spot could always be 
 indicated. 
 
 When the summer half-year commenced, that is : 
 in the spring time, the cattle were driven to the hills to 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DLA.LECT. 59 
 
 pasture there, till the harvest was over ; then the " okri- 
 garth* was slipped," that is : the animals were allowed 
 to come in on the " toons " or crofts and eat the remain- 
 ing corn-stubble with the grass among it on the fields. 
 But when pasturing on the hills, the cows would move 
 about, shifting from place to place, so a girl going with 
 her milk-kit to the hills to milk them, — for going to the 
 hills to milk the cows was customary in former times 
 during the summer season — would often ask some one 
 coming from that quarter, if he or she had seen their kye, 
 and where they were seen. Of course, they had gener- 
 ally been seen somewhere. 
 
 And the ponies too had to be looked after then as 
 now. And besides, there were the swine. They were 
 not kept always at home as nowadays, but went loose 
 on the hills in the summer time, and they needed to be 
 looked after as well as the other animals mentioned. 
 Finally, there were the geese. The looking after and 
 seeking for all these animals — sheep, cattle, ponies, 
 swine, geese — caused the people to be on the move con- 
 tinually, to and fro, through the hills, and consequently 
 they would come to know every spot in the vicinity, and 
 then of course names would arise. 
 
 The craig fishing, the going to the craigs or shore 
 • "Okri": from O.N. akr, corn-field; "garth" — enclosure. 
 
60 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 rocks to draw "sillocks'' and "piltocks," was followed 
 to a far greater extent formerly than now. The Shet- 
 land coast is thickly lined with ancient craig-seats, rocks 
 and " stacks " bearing ancient names. As it would often 
 be discussed among people before or in going to the 
 craigs, which place it would be best to go to, where there 
 would be prospect of getting most sillocks and piltocks 
 that night, the different seats would soon get different 
 names. The fishing seats near the shore or at the 
 " haaf " were bound to get their names too, as there were 
 so many of them and different seats had to be visited on 
 different occasions. 
 
 It is hardly necessary to state, that the great 
 majority of place-names in Shetland are derived from 
 the Norn or ancient Norwegian language. While the 
 Norn speech gradually gave way before Scotch and 
 English, and the old conversational terms became sup- 
 planted by new, the place-names maintained their 
 ground. The reasons are not so difficult to find. Place- 
 names are not so liable to change as conversational 
 words ; one particular name through time sticks to one 
 particular spot, so the connection between a name and 
 the place it represents is far closer than the connection 
 between a conversational word and the article it repre- 
 sents, as the word is applied to any article of that 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 61 
 
 particular kind. Stoorhool* for instance, pronounced 
 " stoor-hool," as two words with two accents, would mean 
 a big knoll, any big knoll; but pronounced Stoor^ul dL.s 
 one word and with only one accent, the word itself 
 shows by the close connection between stoor and hool, 
 that it is applied as a name to some big knoll in 
 particular — a certain big knoll in a certain place. 
 Whiteness, pronounced with two accents : White-ness, 
 might mean any white ness, but pronounced Whiteness, 
 with only one accent, it is applied to only one 
 place of that particular description. But there are other 
 reasons, why the old place-names have been kept up 
 so well. At the time (last century), when the Norn was 
 supplanted by Scotch and English, a great number 
 of place-names were not understood by the people, 
 either because the meanings of many old words had 
 then been lost, or because the way in which some of the 
 places had derived their names, was quite accidental, 
 often derived from certain individuals' nicknames and 
 connected with some old lost story. But there is a third 
 reason. In a great many cases where the meanings of 
 the names are — or at any rate some time ago were — quite 
 clear it would not be possible to translate them properly 
 into modern English in one or two words or in as 
 * " Stoor " is O.N. st6r-r great, big ; " hoql " is O.N. hSll, hill, knoll. 
 
62 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 few words, as the Norse names are composed of. To 
 give an instance : There are in the old Shetland 
 Norn, upwards of twenty different words denoting a 
 height : hill, knoll, or brae, according to the varying 
 shapes of such heights. All these words occur in place- 
 names of the present day, each name denoting a certain 
 form of hill, brae, or knoll. Further, there are more 
 than half a score of words denoting different kinds of 
 inlets of the sea. The Shetland place-names are essen- 
 tially descriptive, that is to say : the name of a place is 
 most often derived from one or more words, describing 
 its situation or nature. The first thing to be done in 
 trying to make out meanings of old place-names is to 
 enquire particularly about the situation of the place in 
 question, the aspect of the ground, etc. As far as 
 ability to describe the places by means of names is con- 
 cerned, the old language was vastly superior to the 
 modern language, as it possessed a far greater variety of 
 words to express minute shades in difference of mean- 
 ing. This quality which is very often conspicuous in the 
 numerous old sea and weather expressions is equally pro- 
 minent in the place-names. To translate an old Shetland 
 place-name into the English language would often re- 
 quire a circumlocution or so many words, that it would 
 have to be called a definition and not a translation. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 63 
 
 But do then the languages grow poorer and poorer in 
 their transition from an older to a more modern stage ? 
 From one point of view they do, from another point of 
 view they grow richer. While popular education now-a- 
 days is acquired through books, it was in former times 
 acquired through nature, outside life. This made the 
 old languages richer in regard to general expressions for 
 the various natural phenomena, but the development of 
 the various branches of trade and science has made the 
 modern languages abound in professional and technical 
 terms, (not in general use). This is one of the things 
 which make complete dictionaries of modern languages 
 so bulky. 
 
 Hardly any old Shetland place-names have been 
 traced with certainty to any other language than the 
 Norn* ; but still it is possible through a study of the 
 Norn place-names to get a peep at an earlier period. 
 We find the settlements of the ancient Irish mission- 
 aries, the Papae : " popes " or Culdees, recorded in 
 some Shetland place-names. The landndma-hodk or 
 " book of settlement," describing the discovery of Iceland 
 contains the following : — " But before Iceland was 
 peopled by the Northmen, there were in the country 
 
 * One or two Celtic personal-names (names of saints) are contained in 
 Shetland place-names. 
 
64 THE OLD SHETLAND DLALECT. 
 
 those men, whom the Northmen called Papar. They 
 were Christian men, and the people believed, that they 
 came from the west, because Irish books and bells and 
 crosiers were found after them and still more things, by 
 which one might know, that they were west-men (" west- 
 men" is the old Norse term for the Irish.) That was found 
 in the island of " Easter Pap^y" and in Papyli. It is 
 also mentioned in English books, that at that time there 
 was intercourse between these countries." These same 
 priests or " papas," as the Norwegians called these early 
 Irish missionaries who went out before the viking period 
 in order to convert the heathens, have their visit to 
 Shetland recorded in the name " Papa Stoor"* " the big 
 island of the priests" (" Papa" being O.N. /"^/i-)^ = priest- 
 isle, " stoor" = big, O.N. stt^r-r); further : in " Papa little," 
 Papil (North Yell ; Haroldswick, U ; Burra Isle), which 
 name is a contraction of " Papa-b0l," O.N. Papyli, Papa- 
 byli: the " \>9i\' (O.N. b6l, by It) or residence of the " papae." 
 The same word " papa" occurs in the old name of the 
 loch of Tresta in Fetlar, " Papil-water," besides which 
 there is an old church-site. The great Irish missionary 
 St Columba, who lived in the sixth century, directed his 
 special attention to the conversion of the northern Picts. 
 Mr Gilbert Goudie has suggested that a trace of his 
 * Commonly (but erroneously) spelt Stour. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 65 
 
 name is to be found in the place-name Clumlie (for 
 " Columlie," Celtic : Choluimcillie), a township in Dun- 
 rossness * The name of another missionary who lived 
 in the fourth century, St Ninian, or popularly St Ringan, 
 is found in the name of a peninsula called " St Ringan's 
 Isle," on the west side of Dunrossness. This isle, or 
 rather peninsula, contains the ruins of an old chapel, 
 said to have been dedicated to St Ringan or Ninian. 
 
 But what race of people did these early missionaries 
 labour among here in Shetland ? One would naturally 
 think of the Picts. Many myths about the Picts linger 
 in Shetland, but they are no real guide to us, as they are 
 mostly of Scottish origin, not original Shetland myths. 
 The origin of the " brochs," whether they are Pictish or 
 Norse structures, has been disputed, although some of the 
 arguments advanced are strongly in favour of the Pictish 
 theory. Still there is no proof of any contact between 
 Picts and Norsemen in Shetland. But there are a few 
 place-names, in which we probably find the Picts com- 
 memorated. The old Norn word for " Pict " is P^tt-r. 
 The name " Pentland firth " is a corruption of Pett- 
 land firth," which pronunciation still survives in Caith- 
 ness. In the " Orkneyinga Saga " the name is Pdttlands- 
 
 * See " Revenues of the parochial benefices of Shetland," p, 302, in 
 •' Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," April 14, 1884. 
 I 
 
66 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 fjorSr, which means " Pictlands firth," Pictland being the 
 old name for Scotland. On the border of Delting and 
 Tingwall parishes is a loch called Peitawater. The 
 immediate neighbourhood of that loch, the valley Petti- 
 dale, has from old been dreaded as a place particularly 
 haunted by trows. It was never thought safe to pass 
 Petta water at night. In the eyes of the Norwegians 
 there would certainly be something mysterious about 
 these Picts whose language would be unintelligible and 
 whose ways and customs would be strange to them. It 
 is therefore quite natural that the Picts in the Norse 
 traditions by and by, as these traditions became more 
 indistinct, were identified with trolls, and -places origin- 
 ally inhabited or frequented by them came to be looked 
 upon as places where descendants of this original race still 
 lingered on in the shape of trolls. There are still tra- 
 ditions lingering in Shetland to the effect, that the Picts 
 became trolls. And regarding Pettidale in particular an 
 old South-Delting woman informed me, that apcording 
 to an old local tradition the place in ancient times had 
 been inhabited by Picts who were changed in the way 
 mentioned. Of course she had no idea as to a possible 
 derivation of the name in question from the Picts. In 
 Northmavine, near Uyea, there is another " Pettidale," 
 which valley, and especially the burn running through 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 67 
 
 it, has from olden time been considered one of the 
 most troll-haunted places in Northmavine. On the 
 east side of Whalsay there is a hill called Pettigarths- 
 fell, in the neighbourhood of which the trolls were 
 often heard fiddling, singing and dancing. In the 
 north of Unst there are some places which may from 
 the nature of their names show traces of the Picts. 
 At the back of Saxavord hill, in the Burrafirth banks, 
 there is a place called "de Pettasmog." The word 
 smog (O.N. smoga, smuga) means first a narrow pass- 
 age, then a hiding-place or place of refuge (in Dun- 
 rossness there is a place called " de Kattismogs" which 
 means: the wild cat's hiding-holes). "Pettasmog" in 
 Unst is a piece of " banks " * not too steep to be des- 
 cended. Sheep often go down there on the green 
 patches and are not able to get up again. People can 
 get down there better than anywhere else in the neigh- 
 bourhood and can at the same time remain quite unseen 
 from above. The only plausible etymology of the name 
 " Pettasmog " is " the Picts' hiding-place or (place of) 
 refuge." On the top of Saxavord hill an underground 
 entrance was discovered, according to what an old Nor- 
 wick man told me, and in connection with this it may 
 be worth mentioning, that according to old legends the 
 * Steep rocky shore. 
 
68 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 top of Saxavord has always been a habitation for trolls. 
 Every year at Christmas time the trolls of " Littlatoo," 
 on the top of Saxavord, and the trolls of " Mucklatoo," on 
 the top of Kleberswick between Haroldswick and Nor- 
 wick, would visit each other to " had Yule " in company. 
 An underground dwelling, or so-called " Picts' house," 
 was found at Fjael, in the hill of Hoosifell above Har- 
 oldswick. The walls were built of very big stones, set 
 on edge, the one above the other, and according to an 
 old record from 1731 a so-called Picts' house was found 
 on the top of Hoosavord, now called the Wart of 
 Norwick. But the place of main importance in this 
 connection is " de 0ra" which is not very fai away from 
 the " Pettasmog." North past Saxavord the land draws 
 narrow and juts out into a point, terminating in the 
 Noup. On this point between Saxavord and the Noup 
 the ground in one place rises up from all sides to a con- 
 siderable height, steep on the east side, but with a pretty 
 gentle slope towards the west, rounding to the north east 
 and south west. The top forms a circular flat space. 
 This is the place " de 0ra," which means ear or lug, and 
 on its top, called " de Croon o' de 0ra," has been an old 
 broch-building. In the western slope of the 0ra, an 
 underground room or Picts' house was found, dug out by 
 the late Mr James Hay of Haroldswick. Its walls were. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 69 
 
 like those of the underground room in Hoosifeel, built of 
 very big stones. Under the 0ra, along the foot of its 
 western slope, are traces of three ancient stone-dykes, 
 going somewhat in a circle, the one inside the other. 
 There are several cases of brochs having been surrounded 
 by three concentric dykes. One of the three 0ra-dykes 
 can be traced all the way down to the east shore, on the 
 south side of the 0ra. Right below the place where this 
 dyke ends is a cave containing a beach, which place is 
 called "de hellyer (cave) o' Fivlagord" or "de ayre 
 (beach) o' Fivlagord." According to the legend this 
 place has always been inhabited by trolls. Now, " Fivla- 
 gord" is evidently the ancient name of this ancient 
 dyke, because " Gord " in Norse means dyke. But 
 what is the meaning of " Fivla ? " I shall in this con- 
 nection mention an old Norse myth which is told in 
 several places in Shetland with slight variations. The 
 Fetlar version runs thus : The " guidman " of Taft had 
 been to Urie (" 0ri ") with his butter-tithe and was on his 
 way home again. He was riding a grey mare and lead- 
 ing a red one. On passing a knoll he heard a voice 
 from inside the knoll crying the following words : " Du 
 at rins de red and rides de gray, tell t0na Tivla, at f0na 
 Fivla is fa'en i' de fire and brunt her." When the man 
 came home to Taft, he shouted these same words into 
 
70 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 the byre, where a fairy was sitting, milking one of his 
 cows. The fairy on hearing this immediately left off 
 milking and cried : " Oh, dat's my bairn," whereupon she 
 fled, leaving the pan she was milking into. This pan 
 was kept in the house of Taft and caused the house to 
 prosper ever afterwards. In this old myth Fivla is the 
 name of the troll's child, but at one time " Fivla " has 
 been a common troll-name in old fairy legends, both 
 Shetlandic and Scandinavian. In the old Norn the word 
 fifill is applied to a person who behaves like a fool, a 
 clown, or boor ; andfifla means to behave like a "fifill" 
 or fool. On the west side of Shetland the word fifler is 
 still used to denote a foolish person. The meaning of 
 " Fivlagord " will thus be : the fools' or clowns' dyke. 
 On the top of Crussifell, a hill between Baltasound 
 and Haroldswick, are three concentric circles, ancient 
 dyke-steads, which place has by certain authors been 
 connected with Druidical worship. The name of the 
 place is •' de tree Fivla," which points to a pre-Norse 
 origin. There is no reason to suppose, that the names 
 " Fivla " and " Fivlagord " are not as old as any of the 
 place-names in the North of Unst, and the early inhabi- 
 tants who gave these places their names would not have 
 given such mocking and derogatory names to erections 
 that they knew were made by their own fore-fathers. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 71 
 
 Among theories to explain these names the most 
 plausible one would seem to be that of a Pictish occupa- 
 tion of the place. The trolls of Fivlagord are therefore 
 not unlikely to be descendants of Picts. Pettina Shaigo 
 is another instance of the name " Pett." The place so 
 called is a bight in South Yell. " Pettina " is an old 
 grammatical form of " Pett," being the possessive plural 
 with the suffixed definite article : " of the Picts " (O.N. 
 P/ttanna.) The meaning of " Shaigo " is as yet doubtful. 
 
 The "brochs" or "Picts' castles" are commemorated 
 in many place-names, f i. Burrafirth (U, Aithst.), Burra- 
 voe (Y, N.Roe), Burraland (Sandw.), Burraness (De), 
 Burga water (Sandness and Walls), Burga taing (N. 
 Roe), where " Burra-, Burga-," is O.N. borgar, the 
 possessive form of borg, broch, castle. Reg. " Burra 
 isle " hereafter (see Index). Sumburg (Du) means 
 " south-broch " {sunn-borg). 
 
 Mentioning of the Picts suggests a mentioning of 
 the Finns, the Norway Finns, who were the early inhabi- 
 tants of the Scandinavian peninsula prior to the Norse 
 conquest. The numerous myths about them, still linger- 
 ing in Shetland, make one inclined to think, that they 
 have been in these islands, but whether they have been 
 here as an original and independent race or not, we have 
 no means of knowing. It was customary among the 
 
72 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 Norsemen to take their servants or thralls from among 
 the captives made by them in war, and as Finnish 
 thralls were commonly kept by the Norwegians, there 
 is reason for believing that they were kept also by 
 the Norse settlers in Shetland* The Finn seems to be 
 commemorated in one place-name at least (possibly 
 more) in Shetland. It is the name of an ancient dyke- 
 stead in Fetlar, about which an old myth is told. My 
 attention was drawn to this by Mr Laurence Williamson 
 of Mid Yell. The " guidman " Kolbenstaft in the north- 
 west of Fetlar did not have a sufficiently good dyke 
 around his property to keep away the sheep which broke 
 in continually and destroyed his corn. One night when 
 he went to bed, he expressed the wish, that a dyke 
 sufficient to keep off the troublesome animals might be 
 standing in the morning, when he awoke, even if he 
 should give his best cow for it. Next morning, when he 
 went out, he found a splendid new dyke standing where 
 he had wished it, and at the same time his best cow had 
 disappeared from the byre. Parts of the stead of this 
 dyke still remain, and it can be traced all the way to 
 Hoobie on the south side of Fetlar. There are a few 
 legends told about places, situated alongside this dyke- 
 stead, and the spot where it terminates on the south side 
 
 * Cf. the word "traayl fangin " p, 48. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 73 
 
 of the island has been from old a noted troll-place. The 
 name of this dyke or dykestead at the present day is 
 "de Finnigirt dyke." But the old name is simply 
 Finnigord: the Finns' dyke. The suffix "dyke" in 
 " Finnigirt-dyke " thus comes to be a tautology, a 
 modern addition caused by ignorance of the word 
 " gord." As the Finns were from early times believed 
 by the Norwegians to possess great magic power, and as 
 there are several old myths about them to this effect, the 
 just mentioned Fetlar legend is in favour of deriving the 
 name " Finnigord " from the Finns. There can be no 
 connection at all between this Finnigirt-dyke and the 
 township in Fetlar called Finnie, as this latter is situated 
 at the other end of the island. 
 
 Thus far about the few place-names, containing pro- 
 bable pre-Norse traces in Shetland. I now turn to other 
 more common kinds of place-names and begin with the 
 class which is by far most comprehensive, that is the one 
 containing places, named according to the form of the 
 land. Most of the Shetland place-names, as before 
 mentioned, contain in themselves a description of the 
 places they are applied to. I divide this class of names 
 into sub-divisions, taking first the various kinds of inland 
 heights (hills, braes and hillocks), then the level ground 
 and the various kinds of valleys, glens and hollows, then 
 
74 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 the various formations of the shore or " banks," then the 
 various indentations of the sea, and finally the small 
 islands and rocks in the sea along the coast. There are 
 in the Shetland place-names between twenty and thirty 
 words standing for hill or height, each word most often 
 denoting a certain shape of a height — and by compound- 
 ing some ofthese words, two and two, the language is 
 able to express two or more characteristics of a place in 
 one name. 
 
 NAMES OF INLAND HEIGHTS. 
 O.N. fell, fjall, meaning " fell, mountain or high hill," 
 occurs pretty frequently in Shetland. Standing alone 
 it usually takes the form of "fj'ael." There are some 
 townships, which go by the name of Fj'ael, because 
 they are situated at the foot of such hills, (i, in 
 Haroldswick, Unst ; 2, on the south side of R0nis hill, 
 North Roe ; 3, in de Herra, Fetlar). Originally some 
 preposition has been prefixed, as "on" or "under" (d, 
 undir fjalli), which preposition has been dropped after- 
 wards. The name of the township Vellyi (situated on 
 a height) in Fetlar is probably derived from the same 
 word : fell (O.N. d or undir felli, " on or under the 
 hill"). In compounds the form "fjal-" sometimes occurs 
 as the first part of the compound, such as : de Fj'alsa- 
 mires (Fe) : the mires below the hill. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 75 
 
 As the latter part of a compound the word usually 
 takes the form "-fil"* for "-fell." Instances: Berfil 
 (" Berg-fell " : craig-hill, precipice-hill) (Sa) ; Hoofil : 
 " high fell or hill," original form : hdfell or -fjall (in 
 several places); Skallifil (De) (i.e. the hill with the 
 bare crown or top), Skraefil (Quarfif) : " land-slip hill," 
 Vaalafil (U) etc. — Filla (one of the small islands or 
 holms between Whalsay and the Skerries) means " hill- 
 isle " {^fell-i^ or fjall-ty'). The holm rises to a consider- 
 able height 
 
 Hjoag (O.N. haug-r, O Engl, howe) denotes a height 
 or hill, not so big as a fell, but usually above the size of 
 the heights called " hool," f i. " de muckle and de peerie 
 (little) Hjoag " (U), " de Hjoag " (Fe). In O.N. the name 
 haugr-r is often applied to a thrown-up monumental 
 mound, a burial mound, and this is sometimes the case 
 in Shetland too, f i. Hjoganess in South Yell, in which 
 ness there are some places called " de Kumlins " from 
 O.N. kuml, burial mound. Hjogen in Bressay is probably 
 the same word. 
 
 Hool, O.N. h6ll, meaning " hill, knoll, hillock," is an 
 exceedingly common name in Shetland. Instances : 
 " Hool " (N.Roe), Hoolen (name of several townships ; d 
 
 * On the Ordnance map wrongly spelt "field" — it ought to be 
 "fell." 
 
76 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 hdlum, undir h. : " on or under (the) hill," properly dative 
 in plural : " hills "), Hoolin* brenda (Norwick, U) : the 
 burnt knoll.t Hoolin skarpa (Weisdale) : the barren or 
 dry (" sharp ") knoll, Hoolin stoora (Du) : " the big knoll," 
 Stoor'liox Stoorhool (" big knoll ") (Nm)— cf. " Stoorhool 
 loch" (U), Hoolna hoola : the "hool" of the "hools," or 
 the highest part of the knolls : an old scattald-march in 
 Yell. In compounds : Bratt{h)ool (Y) : " steep knoll," 
 Swarthool (Br, Y) : " black knoll ;" sometimes "-wul " 
 for " -hool," as Leerwul for Leerhool (Norwick, U) : the 
 knoll on the slope, Skibberwul (Wh) : skipper-" hool." 
 
 Snjoog or Snjoogi is O.N. kn^kr, knjiikr, meaning 
 " high knoll or peak, hill-top." In Scotland it usually 
 denotes a hill whose top shapes into a knoll or peak. 
 Instances are : " de Snjoog" in Foula, de Snjoog or 
 Berfinssnjoog in De {Bergfinn is a man's name), de 
 Snjooga-hool (U), de Snjoogi o' de Bjorg (N Roe) : the 
 end or corner of the high hill-ridge, called " de Bjdrgs" 
 in Nm. 
 
 * " -in " is the suffixed definite article. " Hoolin " is the accusative 
 form, 
 
 t The name probably refers to the burning of heather or copse wood 
 in order to cultivate the soil. That burning of woods has been done in 
 Shetland, we learn by the place-name " Siooin brenda " (Quarff) : " the 
 burnt wood," O.N. skSginn brenda (accusative). " Brennya" (name of a 
 croft in Fladabister, C) is probably O. N. brenna, I, burning, 2, burnt land — 
 which word occurs several times as place-name in Norway. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 77 
 
 Kame, Kamb or Komba, O.N. kamb-r, means pro- 
 perly " comb" or " crest," and is applied to a hill or ridge 
 of hills, rising like a crest, (a hill with a long-shaped 
 narrow top). "Kame" is a comparatively modern 
 (Scottish) form of the word, " Kamb" and " Komba" are 
 the Norse forms. Instances : " de Kames" (on the 
 Mainland), " de Kame" in Foula, the old name of which 
 is Komba, further " de Kamb" and " Kamb hill" in Yell. 
 {Kamb is the name of a house in Mid Yell at the foot of 
 « Kamb hill.") Fillakomb (i.e. hill-" kame"), point in Y, 
 Berrishoola komba (Y), near the Kame of West Sand- 
 wick. In Dunrossness near Sumburgh there is a ridge 
 above the banks, called " de Kompis {Kombis)" on the 
 Ordnance map spelt " the Compass," but the name 
 means " de Kames." 
 
 O.N. dss, ridge, occurs in : Windoos (erroneously 
 spelt « Windhouse) (Y) : " the windy ridge" ( Vind-dss) ; 
 cf. deed of 13 October, 1405. 
 
 O.N. koll-r for a hill with rounding top, properly 
 the upper rounding of the head, occurs in compound 
 names in Shetland, as f i. Collifell (Nest), Kodlifell (Fo), 
 Collafirth (Nm) : the firth below the " kolls" or round- 
 topped hills ; probably also in Cullivoe (Yn) : the voe or 
 bay below the " kolls." 
 
 Kool is a rounding hill, f i. " de Kool o' Fladabister," 
 
78 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 from O.N. kiila, round lump or protuberance. 
 
 There are two hills in Tingwall called " de Knappis" 
 O.N. knapp-r is applied chiefly to the knob or head of a 
 stick and also to a stud or button. The point of the 
 elbow is in Shetland called " de knapp or knubbi o' de 
 elbog." O.N. nabbi, knob, protuberance, survives in the 
 name of the small promonotory south of Lerwick : " de 
 Nab {Knaby 
 
 Klub is a kind of square-shaped bulky hill. The 
 word properly means "lump (a lump of a hill.)" In- 
 stances : " de Klub o' Moola " (D), " de Klub o' Swin- 
 ing" (Lunn.), "de Klub o' Tronister." The English 
 " club," a club for striking with, is the same word (a lump 
 of wood) and also " club " meaning an association (lump) 
 of men. Several skerries go by the name of " Klub " 
 from their shape. 
 
 Tind or Tand means properly " tooth " or " spike," 
 and is sometimes applied to a peak or conic-shaped hill. 
 There is a point on the east side of Fetlar, called " de 
 Tind," and three knolls in the hill of Kleberswick (U), 
 called "de Tands" — used as land-marks by the fisher- 
 men and having derived their names from their conic or 
 tooth-like form, when seen from the sea. 
 
 Bjorg, applied to a steep rocky hill, is the Icel. bjarg, 
 precipice, crag, another form of the word berg (about 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 79 
 
 which more hereafter.) Instances : " de Bjorg " in Ting- 
 wall, " de Bjorgs " in Nm., " de Bjorgins " in D. 
 
 There are several heights by the name of R^ni (^Ji^tt) 
 in Shetland. It is O.N. hraun, which denotes origin- 
 ally a rough or rocky place, a wilderness. The giants 
 are in the old Icelandic poetry sometimes called hraun- 
 bikar : " r0ni-dwellers," dwellers in the rocky wilderness. 
 In the modern Shetland dialect "r0ni" is commonly 
 applied to a heap of stones ( a cairn ) : "a r0ni o' 
 stanes ;" in Lunnasting it sometimes denotes a big piece 
 of rock, a boulder. In place-names the word denotes a 
 rocky hill (knoll, brae) or plateau. Instances : de R^ 
 (Fe), de Renins (at Skaw in Wh.) : " the r0nis," Hwam- 
 wa;-^/ (valley-" r0ni")* and Longar0ni{ii\^\oTi% "r0ni") 
 (N. Roe), Rdni fogra (the beautiful " r0ni ;" there is a 
 beautiful patch of green below the rocks) (N. Roe), 
 Berrar^i (crag-" r0ni " ) in Sandsting, Krogar^i 
 (craw-" r0ni ") in Muckle Roe, and finally there is the 
 king of all the " r0nis " : R^iis Hill in Northmavine, the 
 highest hill in Shetland, rising up from a rocky plateau, 
 the old name of which is '' de R^is " (on the Ordnance 
 Survey map : Roonies). 
 
 * Hiuamm is a small valley. 
 
 + The spelling " Roeness hill" (I need not speak of " Ronas" hill at 
 all) is erroneous. 
 
80 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 Sometimes the word as the latter part of a com- 
 pound is contracted into " -run," as Queedaruns {Hweeda- 
 runs) (Nm) = Queedar^tis : " white r0nis," Koliyarun 
 (Aithst.) : " round-topped r0ni," O.N. kollahraun ; Hoorun 
 (Aithst.), probably " high r0ni," O.N. hdhraun (cf. Hoofil, 
 -fell, p. 75). 
 
 Duss, O.N. dys, means a (thrown up) heap. South 
 past Lerwick the word is applied to a small stack of 
 corn : " a duss o' corn ; " in Danish " dysse " is a cairn or 
 stone-heap. There is a big round knoll in Weisdale, 
 called " de Duss." 
 
 Lee is O.N. hUd, incline, slope, commonly applied to 
 the slope of a hill. It often occurs in place-names, fi. 
 Leean (Nm), Daleslee (Delt), Bakkanalee hill (Y), 
 (Bakkanalee = the slope above the banks or shore), 
 Leefell (West Sandwick, Y), " sloping hill." 
 
 Brek (O.N. brekka, akin to Engl. " brink ") means 
 " brae, slope." It occurs in names of townships. There 
 is a "Brek" in Du.; Brekkin ("the brae") in Y and 
 Eshaness, Nm, Ootnabrek near Scalloway, etc. 
 
 Haamar is O.N, hamar-r, hammer, metaphorically 
 applied to a hammer-shaped crag, a jutting out rock or 
 stretch of rocks, most often in the side of a hill. There 
 are several places called "(de) Haamar" or "Haamars"; 
 Haamamess (Nmw), Hamrifell (Y), the hill with the 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 81 
 
 " haamars ;" Bruns Haamarsland in North Tingwall, etc. 
 — Laavtar {Laahamar) is O.N. hlaShamarr, "loading- 
 rock," a rock at which boats usually lie to be loaded 
 and unloaded ; cf. Lodberrie (" Berg "). 
 
 Broon (O.N. br^ti) or Broo is often applied to a rise 
 in the ground ; it is the same word as Engl. " brow." 
 
 Too (O.N. thifd) signifies " mound, a small piece of 
 rising ground." Reg. Litlatoo (" the little mound ") and 
 Mucklatoo (" the big mound ") see p. 68. 
 
 Klodi is another name for a mound (etym. akin to 
 Engl. "clod"). 
 
 A third word for a mound, especially a burial 
 mound, occurring in place-names, is Kuml {Kumbel). 
 There is an old piece of burial ground in Westing (U), 
 called " de Kumbels." 
 
 Wart, Vord ( Voard), Virdik. I have as yet pur- 
 posely omitted mentioning of the hills called "Wart" etc., 
 because the name does not denote any shape of a hill. 
 It is Icelandic varffi, English " ward," meaning watch- 
 tower. Heaps of stones, ruins of ancient watch-towers, 
 have been found on the tops of all these ward-hills, 
 which hills are invariably high and conspicuous, always 
 in sight of each other. They have been used for 
 signalizing purposes — the signals were large kindled 
 fires — and as the Warts could always be seen from a 
 
82 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 long distance, the country in case of danger, especially 
 war, could be alarmed in a very short time. 
 
 Wart is an Anglicised pronunciation of the name. 
 The proper Shetland pronunciation is Vord (Voard), 
 Virda, or Virdik, sometimes (in compounds) shortened 
 into " -virt (vird), -firt (fird.)" Instances : Saxavord (U), 
 Noonsvord (Wh), Hj'ukmannavord (iim) : " the hillmen's 
 ward ;" Virdadale (the valley of the Wart) in Bressay, 
 Virdifell (ths ward-hill) in Unst and Papa, de Virdins 
 (watch-hills) o' Haavtar (Nm). " De Vord " is the sea- 
 name for an ancient watch-tower on the top of the 
 Gallow hill in the South of Unst, which tower the old 
 fishermen used as a *' meed " or land-mark. 
 
 In Unst there is a hill called "de Vordeld" 
 (probably from O.N. varShald, keeping watches, 
 guard), and in Fetlar there is a hill by the same 
 name (commonly pronounced de Vdrdjeld), by the 
 fishermen called " de Vaacht " : the watch or guard. 
 On the top of "de Vordeld" in, Unst there was 
 an old building, called " de Waak-hoose" i.e., the watch- 
 house. 
 
 In the island of Balta outside Baltasound (U) there 
 is a high headland, called " de Veeti-hssA" which is most 
 probably derived from O.N. viti, beacon, as the headland 
 is well situated for a look-out place. In Hillswick ness 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 83 
 
 there is a hill called " Vidifell {Veedifell) stoor" : the 
 great beacon-hill. 
 
 From the hills we naturally descend to the plains 
 and valleys. O.N, voll-r, a plain (etym. Engl. " valley "), 
 survives in f.i. Tingwall : the law-court (" ting ") plain ; 
 further in names as Veyll, Vell{y)i and Vell{y)ins : " de 
 Vell(y)ins (plains) o' Hamnavoe, o' 0re (Eshaness, 
 Nm), a place, where formerly men used to play at 
 football ; " de Likvell(y)ins" (Fe) : an old football 
 ground (from O.N. leikvellir, " play-plains " ; leika = 
 to play). 
 
 Ft'd or Ft'tcA is O.N. _/?/, lowlying meadow-land at 
 the side of water ; •' de dale and de hill o' Fitch" (at Dale 
 in Tingwall), Fidna gr^a (Aithst) : the green " Fid." 
 
 Daal is the old form of " dale" : valley (O.N. dal-r\ 
 f i. Daalin gr0na (at Norwick, U) : " the green valley," 
 Fogradaal (Westing, U) : " the beautiful valley." In 
 Unst and Yell the word daalamist is applied to mist 
 through the valleys. 
 
 Wham (O.N. hvamm-r) denotes a small valley, not 
 so deep as " daal" or " dale." 
 
 Gil (O.N. gil) denotes a narrow glen. It occurs in 
 several place-names, f i, Orgil (L) : " burn-glen," Swarti- 
 gil (Sa) : " black glen," Djupa Gil (De) : " deep-glen." 
 
 Boiten is O.N. botn, bottom, also applied to a deep 
 
84 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 round-shaped valley. Instances : " Boiten" in Connings- 
 burgh (cf. " Boddom" in Dunrossness), " de Boiten hills" 
 in Delting. 
 
 Grave {Graav) or Gref denotes a pit or hollow 
 (O.N. grof) f.i. Graven (De), de Graavins (house in Fo), 
 Graveland (Y). The " gref" (bottom) of the peat bank 
 is the same word. There is an expression used in Yell : 
 " to lay onything in kolgref" : to do anything roughly, 
 especially in delving : to leave the ground in a rough 
 state (Icel. kolgrof AenoXes a pit for burning coals). In 
 the island of Hascusay opposite Yell there is a place 
 called " de Kolgrave or Kolgref" which is very rough- 
 looking. It is from this place, that the sound between 
 Hascusay and Yell derives its name : Kolgrave Sound. 
 
 Kap and Koppa {Kop) denote a cupshaped hollow in 
 the ground, f.i. " de Russkikaps" (Du) : " the horse- 
 hollows," de Kops at Scalloway, " Koppa" in Bressay, 
 Koppister ( : Koppa-seter) (Y).* Reg. " seter" hereafter 
 (see Index.) 
 
 Sloag and Slagin denote a lowlying wet hollow, f i. 
 " de Sloag" in Foula, " de Slagin" at Tresta (Sandsting). 
 
 Quarf (O.N. kvarf) denotes an isolated, hidden 
 
 • " De Xoopins" (etym. akin to " Kap" and " Koppa") is the name 
 of a hill in Weisdale ; it is named so from its " kooping" or overhanging 
 top. — " to koop" means " to form a hollow, to hang out over." 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 85 
 
 place or corner, a deep lying place, surrounded by high 
 hills. Hvarf, which means properly " i, turning,* 2, dis- 
 appearance," occurs as a place-name in Norway. 
 
 Aid {AUK), O.N. eiS, is an isthmus, a narrow neck 
 of land, joining two bigger places together. There is an 
 " Aid" in Bressay, another in Conningsburgh, a third in 
 Fetlar, and a fourth in Aithsting, from which the parish 
 takes its name. " Aid, aith" further occurs, although 
 quite obscured, in the name of a township in Delting, 
 viz., " Brae," t contracted form of '' Brai-ai" (so pro- 
 nounced sometimes by the oldest people) : O.N. breiS- 
 eiS, " the broad isthmus," in contra-distinction to the 
 narrower isthmus a little north of it, which forms the 
 boundary between Delting and Northmavine, viz., 
 "Mavis Grind," O.N. mcev-ei&s grind, "the gate of the 
 narrow isthmus." The name of the parish itself, 
 " Northmavine" is a corruption of " Northmavid," the 
 ancient form of which is " {fyrir) norSan mcev-eiS" : 
 " north of the narrow isthmus." It occurs in a deed of 
 26 August 1403 (firer nordhan Mcefeid"). 
 
 Vatn is the old word for water, also applied to a lake. 
 It occurs in the expressions " a vatsgaari day" (Fo) : a 
 day of nasty rain, and " a van{di)lup o' rain (Y) ; a 
 
 * Cf. the Shetland expression " to wharv (turn) de hay." 
 
 t Quite different from the common word " brae," meaning slope. 
 
86 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 downpour (O.N. vatnhlaup.) There is a waterfall in Dun- 
 rossness called " Vanlup." Sandvatn (Br, Fo) : "the sandy 
 loch or lake ;" Vatnabreck (Br) : " loch-brae;" " de loch 
 o" Watlei' i^): "Watlee" being i/a/wAZ/a^ (" water-lee"), 
 i.e., " the slope above the loch ;" Vats{e)ter (Y), contrac- 
 tion of Vatn-seter: "loch-seter." Millya Vatna (Fe): "be- 
 tween (the) lochs." Vassa (in Nesting) is a contraction 
 of Vatns-aid {vatnsei&), which means " loch-isthmus," 
 the narrow neck of land between the loch and the sea ; 
 but now the name is applied to the township, situated 
 on this isthmus. 
 
 Shun or sheen is O.N. tj'om, small loch, pool, f.i. de 
 Clubbi Shuns (N Roe). 
 
 " O" is the old word for a burn (O.N. £), f i. Laxo 
 (L), i.e., " trout-burn" (Lax-d), Bretto (C), " Bretto burn" 
 (Tingw., Nm) : " steep burn" {Bratt-d). In the possess- 
 ive the word takes the form Or or Wur ( Wir) from 
 O.N. dr, f i. Orbister (Nm) : " the dwelling-house beside 
 the burn," Ordale (U, Nm) : " burn-valley," Orwtck.iU. 
 Roe) : "burn-wick (creek)," Wurwick, Wirwick (Aithst.) : 
 another pronunciation of the same name. A orli (parlt) 
 (Nm) or more commonly wurli, wirli (properly : " burn- 
 gate," O.N. drhlicf) is a place where a burn runs under a 
 dyke. 
 
 O.N. fors, water-fall, is preserved in names as : 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 87 
 
 "Forse burn" (Nesting), '' Forse water" (Aithst.), "de 
 burn o' Forso" (Collafirth, Nm) from O.N. fon-d, 
 " water-fall-burn." 
 
 After mentioning the lochs and bums I might also 
 mention some place-names, in which the old name for 
 mill, water mill : When (Quen), Whin- (for " whem," Sco. 
 quern, O.N. kvom, hand-mill), occurs, f i. Whinnigio and 
 Quendale in Dunrossness, Whinnawater in Northmavine, 
 Whinniloch in Nesting, etc. Old water-mills have been 
 in the places mentioned, as Mr John Irvine, Lerwick, 
 informs me. 
 
 Kelda, O.N. kelda, spring, well, occurs in f i, Smiir- 
 kelda (Fe) : " butter-well." 
 
 Brun, O.N. brunn-r, well, occurs in f i. Hellyabrun or 
 Yellabrun (U): "the healing well" (O.N. heillar-brunnr). 
 
 Ljoag is a patch of green, through which a stream- 
 let runs (O.N. loek-r, streamlet), f.i. Stooraljoag (Aithst) : 
 the big " Ljoag." 
 
 M0ri is O.N. myri, mire. In place-names : M0m 
 (L) : " the mire," M^rseter (Y) and Monster (U, Sa) : 
 mire-seter. 
 
 I shall now take the coast and mention some of the 
 various names applied to its various formations. 
 
 The word " stane" (stone) is very often applied to 
 
88 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 the rocky shore, the land's boundary against the ocean : 
 " Dey rowed f(r)ae de stane to de booels (bowels) o' de 
 ocean (very far out) " ; '• de sillock was steeded 
 (gathered) in to de very stane." 
 
 Strand (O.N. strond) denotes " shore." There is a 
 township in Fetlar by the name of " Strand," and also a 
 " Strand" in Tingwall, named from being situated close 
 at the shore. 
 
 Klett (O.N. klett-r) denotes a (piece of) rock and is 
 also applied collectively to the shore rocks, a stretch of 
 low rocky shore. There is a place at Hillswick called 
 Klettin r0 : the red " klett" or rock — it is now the name 
 of a house. 
 
 Hellya (O.N. hella from hall-r, stone) denotes a 
 piece of smooth rock, generally (but not always) at the 
 sea-shore. A hellyik, smooth stone, is the same word. 
 The eave-stones : the flat stones, laid along the lower 
 edge of the roof under the straw for running off the 
 water, are called in the North Isles {h)ofsahelfyiks {ofs 
 or hofs being the old word for the eaves), in Dunrossness 
 taahellyiks {taa being a contraction of O.N. thak, roof). 
 There are several craig-seats called " Hellya" (f i. in the 
 ness of Sound at Lerwick) ; Skerhellya (Y) : skerry- 
 " hellya," because the rock is nearly loose from the land. 
 There is a place in Fetlar called Hellyina bretta : the 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 89 
 
 Steep rock ; further : Hellyina wheeda in Yell : " the 
 white rock" (an old scattald-march), Hellyina gro (Y) : 
 " the gray rock" ; Millya Hellya (Fe) : " between (the) 
 smooth rocks." 
 
 Ayre means beach or a piece of sandy (gravelly) 
 shore, but the older form of the word is 0ri (O.N. tyri, 
 Icel. eyri), which occurs in f i. the place-name " 0ri" 
 (spelt Urie) in Fetlar, and 0rafirth in Northmavine 
 (there is a big beach at the head of this firth).* 
 
 Bakka, O.N. bakki, is the old word for cliff or 
 " banks" (steep rocky shore). Instances : " Bakka" 
 (De), name of a house at the sea-shore, Leea-bakka 
 (West Sandwick, Y) : the " banks" below the " lee" or 
 slope (hill-side), Bakkigarth (Fe), Bakkaseter (Du). 
 
 Berg (O.N. berg^ properly denotes " a mass of firm 
 rock" and is in place-names commonly applied to a cliff 
 or crag.t Instances : Hedliberg (Fo) : " smooth clifT' 
 (Hedli = the afore mentioned Hellya), Longaberg (St. 
 Ringan's Isle) : " long cliff." Ramnaberg (Aithst, Wh) : 
 " ravens' crag," Stakkaberg (Fe) ; Djuba " berreg" (Sound 
 near Lerwick : " deep-shore-rock." Berfaayll (for 
 Berg-fell) (Aithst.): " cliff-hill, crag-hill," is the name of a 
 
 * Different from "^■" is ' V'l" 4 of a mark of land (O.N. ^r), 
 occuring in f.i. 0rtsland. 
 + Cf. Bjbrg p. 78. 
 M 
 
90 THE OLD SHETLAND DLALECT. 
 
 hill, rising up from the steep shore. The word " berg" is 
 still used occasionally in conversation, not in its proper 
 sense, but in expressions like these : " Here is naethin' 
 [nothing] but a shauld [shallow] berg," applied to a corn^ 
 rig (small piece of corn-land), where the soil is very 
 shallow and hard rock beneath ; " he has a berg on de 
 nose (N Roe)" : he has a big hump (literally : a crag) on 
 the nose. " De berguylti {bergilt or bergiltik\ Norw. 
 berggylta or berggalt, is a fish belonging to the same 
 family as the " Norway haddock" (its English name is 
 wrasse). The word is compounded of berg, rock, crag, 
 and gylta, a sow (Shetlandic : guylti, pig, " grice"). The 
 fish is so called, because it is a somewhat clumsy fish, 
 having a mouth which resembles a pig's snout or " grice- 
 tr^ti," and because it is always found close to the shore- 
 rocks. The name " Berg" sometimes occurs in the form 
 Berry. There is a rocky elevation in Tingwall, from 
 which the township " Berry" takes its name ; Ollaberry 
 (Olaf s " berg"), township in Northmavine. There are 
 three townships in Shetland by the name of Skelberry 
 (in Nm, in L and in Du). " Skelberry" is Norw. skal- 
 berg, " shell-rock" : fleecy rock, rock very easily split 
 The townships of course have derived their names from 
 the nature of the ground in the immediate neighbour- 
 hood. The name Lodberri is O.N. hlaSberg, meaning 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DLA.LECT. 91 
 
 " loading-rock" : a rock at which boats usually lie to be 
 loaded and unloaded ; instance : " de Lodberries" in 
 Lerwick .♦ The word kleber {klaiber) [for " kleberg"] is 
 used in several parts of Shetland for "soap-stone;" 
 literally it means " clay-rock." This is the origin of the 
 name Kleberswick in Unst Bersoad{i) or Berset, the 
 old Shetland word for " craig-seat" (O.N. bergsdt, berg- 
 scsti), now only occurs in names of old craig-seats, f i, 
 " de Bersets" (U), " de Berset o' Haanahjoag' (« cock- 
 hill") (U), etc. ; Krabbabersoadi and Tukkabersoadi (at 
 Skaw, U). A craig-seat is in Unst sometimes called " a 
 cti\%2L-soad" compounded of Scotch " craig" and Norn 
 " soad" (O.N. sat, seat). 
 
 Keen, O.N. kinn, cheek, is applied to a steep place 
 in the banks, bearing some resemblance to a cheek. 
 There is f.i. " de Keen o' Haamar" in Swinaness (U). 
 
 Kjolka, O.N. kjdlki, jaw, cheek, is applied in a 
 similar way to a piece of steep banks. There is a 
 " Kjolka" in Tingwall. 
 
 Brunga, O.N. bringa, meaning "breast,"' is also 
 applied to a piece of banks, bearing some resemblance to 
 a breast. There is a " Brunga " in Fetlar. 
 
 Ord [Hurd) is O.N. urd, which usually denotes a 
 heap of boulders, huddled together at the bottom of a 
 steep face. In Foula the word hurdin is applied to a 
 
 * Cf. " Laamar" p. 8l. 
 
92 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 big boulder. There is a place in Bressay called "de 
 Ord," and one in Dunrossness called " de Ords." Hurdi- 
 fell'vn. Northmavine is a steep rocky hill, full of down- 
 fallen boulders. 
 
 I now turn to the various forms ol projection along 
 the shore. 
 
 The name Hevda or Hevdi (O.N. ho/Si, derived 
 from hofuS, head) is applied to a head-shaped headland. 
 There is f.i. " Eswick Hevda " (South Nesting), " Easter 
 and Wester Hevda" (Fo). Hevda-grun is a fishing- 
 ground (" grun " : from O.N. grunn-r) between Foula 
 and the mainland, so called from its proximity to the 
 headland " Easter Hevdi." Hevdigarth (Midyell) is the 
 name of a house, situated at the foot of the headland 
 called "de Head o' Hevdigarth." 
 
 " De H^s " (SandnessJ is the name of a headland — 
 " h0s " being O.N. hauss, skull, head. 
 
 " De Sti4s " is the name of a headland in Foula — 
 " sn0s " being the word " nose " in its pure old form. I 
 may in this connection mention " de snushiks" a name 
 given to a small wooden frame, put on a calf's nose to 
 prevent it from sucking the mother. 
 
 Niv denotes, like Far. n^, a long jutting-out head- 
 land, f i. " de Niv " at Haroldswick, U ; in Icelahdic no/ 
 and nop signify " nose." 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 93 
 
 Noss (applied to a peak- or nose-shaped headland) 
 is probably the word " nose." Instances : " the isle of 
 Noss ;" " Noss " in Dunrossness (headland, township.) 
 
 The names Noop and Neep are both applied to a 
 peak-shaped headland. They are derived from O.N. 
 (g)n^p-r and (g)n{pa, peak. Instances: "de Noop o' 
 Noss," " de Neep " (North Nesting). 
 
 The name Bard is applied to a headland whose top 
 projects beyond its base, f.i. " de Bard o' Bressay." In 
 O.N. the word barS is applied to the stem of a ship, 
 properly the continuation of the keel fore and aft. 
 
 Mool is O.N. m^li, projecting upper lip, muzzle, 
 (big, downhanging) mouth, often applied to the mouth of 
 a horse. In place-names it usually denotes a headland, 
 rounding down like such a mouth, fi. "de Mool o' 
 Aeswick " (South Nesting), " de Mool o' Levenwick " 
 (Du), "de Blue Mool" (U); sometimes the name de- 
 notes an inland height of a similar form, as " Moola" 
 (Norwick, U). 
 
 Ness, O.N. nes (Engl, naze, ness) is a point or head- 
 land, generally of some extent. Instances: Neshin 
 (De) : " the nesses ;" Brimness (Tingw.) : " surf-ness ;" 
 Eshaness (Nm.) (in Norwegian dialects esja signifies : i, 
 a kind of soap-stone, 2, a kind of easily split rock); Fora- 
 ness (in several places): ness, dangerous for cattle and 
 
94 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 sheep pasturing (O.N. foraS, dangerous place or situa- 
 tion); Fuglaness ox Fulaness (Nm.): "bird-ness;" Gr^t- 
 ness (Du.): "rocky ness;"* Mioness (De, Skerries): 
 " narrow ness "; Mooness (U) : " moory ness " (O.N. md- 
 nes) ; Roeness (Sa, Hillswick in Nm.): " red ness " (from 
 the reddish colour of the rock); Wheyness (in Whiteness): 
 " cattle-park-ness." The nesses were generally enclosed 
 for pasturage, and in their names we sometimes find the 
 names of animals which pastured there, prefixed : Bu- 
 ness {Bootless) (Baltasound, U): cattle-farm-ness or cattle- 
 ness (O.N. b^ means household, farm, and is also applied 
 to the domestic animals, especially the cattle) ; Hesta- 
 ness (Fe): •' horse-ness ;" Lambaness (at Norwick, U): 
 '• lamb-ness ;" Maraness (Wh.): " mare-ness ;" Russaness 
 (Sa): " horse-ness or mare-ness"; Swinaness (at Balta- 
 sound, U): " swine-ness." 
 
 Kudda is usually applied to a small rounding point. 
 Originally the word probably signifies " bag " or " some- 
 thing bag-shaped," and is akin to the word kod (O.N. 
 koddt), pillow. Some of the " Kuddas " go by the name 
 of Tfvakudda or Tevakudda, the first part of the com- 
 pound being the word "t^ve" O.N. thoefa, to walk or 
 
 • Gratis O.N. grj^t, rock, stone (ct Shetl. "mill-grot," rock from 
 which mill-stones are made). Gr^tin, spelt "Gruting" (Sa, De, Fe), 
 means "the rocky place" (O.N. grfting-r). 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 96 
 
 shrink cloth. The " T0vakuddas " are places at the sea- 
 shore, where people used formerly to fasten " wadmel," 
 the old Shetland cloth, in order that it should shrink 
 and consequently grow thicker and closer by the action 
 of the flowing and ebbing of the sea. The word " t0ve " 
 is now lost in its original sense in Shetland, but is pre- 
 served in the expressions : " to t^e (toss) a body (per- 
 son) aboot " and " dere's a tipve (commotion) i' de sea." 
 
 Taing (O.N. tangi) and Tonga {tangi or tunga) both 
 mean a tongue of land, such as f i. " de Taing o' Ham " 
 (Br), Longatonga (Fe): the long " taing," etc. There are 
 several points called Skjotaing, named from skjos, stone- 
 huts, which have been standing there formerly. A 
 "skj'o" (Norw. skjaa) is a roughly built stone-hut with 
 slits to admit the wind for the purpose of drying fish 
 and flesh (mutton), not salted.* This manner of curing 
 is now obsolete. 
 
 Odd (O.N. odd!) means " point " (sharp point). The 
 extremity of the point called " Stoora point " {i.e., the big 
 point) in Conningsburgh is called "de Odd." There is a 
 township Oddsta in Fetlar, named so from being situated 
 at a point. 
 
 " Blade " or Blaa (O.N. blaS, blade, leaf) is a blade- 
 shaped point, a point bearing some resemblance to the 
 
 * The flesh (mutton) so dried was called "vivda." 
 
96 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 blade of a sword, such as f.i. " de Blade o' Hellyer," " de 
 Blade o' Fiblister " (both in Nm), There is a point in 
 the Out Skerries called 0rablaa, which means "ayre- 
 blade" (beach-point.) There are a few points in Yell 
 called Snooti, Tr^ni and Raana, all meaning " snout." 
 
 There are many instances of places deriving their 
 names from resemblance to the different parts of a 
 human body or the body of lower animals. I have 
 already mentioned some names of this kind. To begin 
 at the top we have " de Kroon o' de 0ra," about which 
 seep. 68. Culswick (Sa): O.N. -^(?//-r, the top of the head, 
 see p. 1 5. Ennisfirth (Nm): O.N. enni, forehead, also " a 
 steep face of land." — StKjis (nose) and Niv, see p. 92. 
 Keen (cheek, see p. 91. Kjolka (jaw, cheek), see p. 91. 
 0ra (U): ear, see p. 68. Minn (Burra Isle): O.N 
 minni, mynni, mouth, inlet, arm of the sea, from munn-r, 
 mouth ; cf Swarbacks Minn. — Nakkaskerry : " Nakka " 
 (O.N. hnakki), the back of the head.— Whulse, Whilst 
 (jQuulse, Quilse) (Delt., Aithst, Sandness): O.N. hdls* 
 neck (Sco. halse), also applied to " a slack in a hill ;" " de 
 Holsins" (U): "the necks," the slacks; cf Holsigarth 
 (Y). Brunga (breast), see p. 91. — de Yokkeli^^di^ yokkel 
 o' de hill") (C) properly "the shoulder": O.N. oxl{axU\ 
 
 * To "4" in O.N. corresponds in Shetlandic: o (oo), u, wu (wi), etc. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 97 
 
 shoulder, also: shoulder-like formation in a hill, pro- 
 tuberance in the side of a hill ; " de Yokkel :" knoll at the 
 foot of R0nis hill ; the name " de Akkels " (U) is derived 
 from the same word.t From the body of lower animals 
 we have f.i. "de Baag" (U): "the back" (name of a 
 ridge) ; Moot (mouth, muzzle), see p. 93 ; " the Duke's 
 (duck's) Nebb" (beak) (Lerwick); " Rovi head" (point 
 near Lerwick): rovi, rovek (O.N. r6fa)f tail. 
 
 I shall mention shortly the different kinds of inlets 
 of the sea. 
 
 O.N. fjorS-r, firth, survives in the old name of the 
 bight of Conningsburgh, called " de Fjord" which name 
 is also applied to the open bight west of Fedaland in 
 Northmavine. The plateau north of Collafirth in Nm 
 was called " de Fjardapall {-paayll)": the firth-plateau. 
 
 The older form of the word "voe" (O.N. vdg-r, bay, 
 inlet) survives f.i. in the name Vog Minn (Vogminn): 
 "voe-mouth," applied to the entrance of Gunnister voe in 
 Nm, and in the name Voxter in Delting. " Voxter " is 
 shortened from " Vog-seter (Voe-seter.)" 
 
 The older form of the word " wick " (O.N. vik, creek) 
 survives in f.i. Veegen in North Yell, which means " the 
 
 t As to the dropping of "s" in "xl (ksl)" cf. yakkel, molar tooth, 
 OM.jaxl. 
 
98 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 wick (creek)"; further in Moovik (Lambhoga in Fe): 
 " moor-wick," and probably in " Viga water " (N. Roe.) 
 
 Ham means "harbour." All the places called 
 " Ham " in Shetland are comparatively good harbours, 
 at least for small craft. There are places by this name 
 in Bressay, Foula, Whalsay, etc. (now names of town- 
 ships). The word is Norwegian hamn (O.N. hofn, hafn-), 
 Danish havn (f.i. in K^benhavn, in German and English 
 wrongly called "Copenhagen" instead of " Copenhaven.") 
 English " haven " in f.i. " Whitehaven," " Newhaven " is 
 the same word. In Shetlandic as in Norwegian there is 
 a change here from an original " vn (fn) " into " mn," and 
 as the " n " is difficult to pronounce after the " m," it is 
 dropped in Shetlandic, but it appears again, when a 
 vowel follows, as f i. in Hamnavoe, Hatnna Voe (Y, P, 
 Eshaness) : " harbour-voe " (O.N. Hafnarvdgr), Hanina 
 Dale (L). Hamister (Wh) stands for "Hamnister ": "har- 
 bour-seter." There is a similar change from "vn(fn)" 
 into "mn" in " Ramn" O.N. " hrafn" Danish ravn, Norw. 
 ramn, Engl. " raven "). This word occurs in f i. Ramna- 
 berg : " the ravens' cliff," Ramnagio : " the ravens' gio" 
 (chasm, inlet), de Ramnastacks (north of Fedaland, N. 
 Roe) : the stacks, where the ravens build. 
 
 Hoob is in O.N. h6p-r, applied to a small shallow bay 
 or bight There are several " Hoobs," f.i. " de Hoob " 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 99 
 
 and "de Hoobins" in Nm, Hoobie (Fe) : name of a town- 
 ship at the head of such a bight. 
 
 In connection with a " Hoob " there is generally a 
 " Vadiir or " Vaddle," O.^. vaSill, a wading-plape, a 
 shallow piece of water, forming the mouth of a burn 
 running out into the bight 
 
 P^l {PoyW) is a small rounding bight, O.N. poll-r 
 (same word as Engl. " pool "). There is a Saltap^l 
 ("salt-pool") at Haroldswick (U), so called, because 
 formerly people used to gather salt there, left in the 
 small hollows in the rock, after the sea-water had evapor- 
 ated. This salt was gathered chiefly for the purpose of 
 putting it into butter. The name Saltness is probably 
 to be accounted for in a similar way. 
 
 Minni, Minn, Mine, is the O.N. mynni, mouth, bight, 
 entrance of the sea. The old name of the bight now 
 called " de Mooth o' Funnie " in Fetlar is " de Minni" 
 Swarbaks Minn {Mine): "the black gull mouth (bight)" 
 is the entrance between Muckle Roe and Aithsting. 
 Cf " Vog Minn " p. 97. 
 
 Gjo (Gio) is the O.N. gjd, chasm, big rift in a fell or 
 crag. In Shetland the word is always applied to a 
 narrow little inlet of the sea with steep rocks on both 
 sides. There are several gios by the name Gorsendigjo, 
 which means "dyke-end gjo," that is, a gjo where 
 
100 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 an old dyke (wall)-stead terminates ; Ramnagjo (U, 
 Hascusay, etc.) : " the ravens' gjo; " Tarigj'o^" sea-weed- 
 -gjo " (gjo where sea-weed gathers.) 
 
 Gloop (O.N. gMp-r) means throat or gullet The 
 place called " Gloop " in North Yell is a very long and 
 narrow inlet of the sea, formed something like a gullet. 
 
 Hellyer is the name for a cave, O.N. hellir ; Gola 
 Hellyers (P) : " the yellow caves " (from yellowish colour 
 of the rock). There are several caves as well as points 
 called Trumba, Trombd, which means the drumming 
 noise, made by the surf in such places. 
 
 The old Norn word for an island is ty (j^Jt^)- This 
 word survives in Shetland in several place-names. The 
 full form of it occurs in the name of the island Uya, 
 Uyea (pronounced " 0ya ") near the Unst coast, which 
 simply means " the isle." This name has been given to 
 it by the South-Unst people, who still often speak of 
 "going to the isle," meaning Uyea, because this has 
 always been the principal isle near their shore with 
 which they had communication, and compared with 
 Uyea Unst was to them the mainland. There is an old 
 township " Uyea " and opposite to it " the isle of Uyea " 
 (pron. " 0ya ") in Northmavine. The sound between 
 Unst and Uyea is called Uy{e)asoond, by the older people 
 pronounced "0yasoond " or "0asoond " : "island-sound." 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 101 
 
 The name is in Unst now applied to the village situated 
 at the side of the sound. "Yooasound" is a quite 
 modern pronunciation, derived from the south people 
 (Englishmen, Scotchmen) who cannot well pronounce 
 "0(y)asoond." There are three other " Uyeasounds " in 
 Shetland. In the island of Egilsay (Nm) there is a big 
 crevice called " 0akluv " : " the island-cleft." In the 
 small isle of Nibon (Nm) there is a hill called " 0afil 
 {-fell)": "island-hill." In the names of islands the ter- 
 minations " ay (ey) " and " a " are unaccentuated forms 
 of ^ (island), f i. Bressay (" Bress "- is of doubtful origin), 
 Whalsay : " whale-island," Burra : a contraction of 
 Borgar-ty : " broch-island," Foula (pronounced : Foold) 
 for Fuglty : " bird-island," Gruney (pron. " Gr0ni") : 
 " green isle," Linga and Lingey : " heather-isle," Mousa 
 (erroneously for " Moosa") -. " the moory isle" {M6s^, 
 from O.N. m6-r, moor), Trondra : a contraction of 
 Thrdndar-^ : " Trond^s island." " Trond" (O.N. 
 Thrdnd-r) is an old Norse personal name. Cf. the dis- 
 trict called " Trondheim" in Norway (in Shetlandic : 
 Druntin). The name " Trond" occurs several times 
 in Shetland place-names, Trondavoe (De), Tronister 
 (Trond's seter) (L), Tronafirth and Tronamires. The 
 islands of Egilsa(y) and Vementry also derive their 
 names from original possessors (O.N. Egill and 
 
102 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 V^mund-r are men's names). " R^" in the name of the 
 island Muckle Roe, pronounced R0, is a contraction of 
 i?0-0, O.N. Rauff^y, meaning " red isle" (from the red 
 colour of the rock). We find the word " 0" or " isle" 
 applied not only to an island in the proper sense of the 
 word, but also to a peninsula, f.i. " Gluss isle" (Nm) and 
 " St. Ringan's isle" (Du), both peninsulas. North Roe 
 {R^) is the north-part of the district formerly called " Roe 
 {R(li)"—" R0" being " R0-0," red isle— and this district has 
 c0mprised the part of Northmavine parish which is north 
 of "R0nisvoe" and "Quheyfirth voe" and forms a penin- 
 sula. There is a loch called " R^rwater" : " the loch 
 (water) of R0" {Rauff^arvatn), besouth North Roe on 
 the top of " de Bjorgs." 
 
 Holm denotes a small island (like O.N. hSlm-r). 
 The older form of the word survives in f.i. Hoolmawater 
 (Sa) : " holm-loch," and " de Hoolmaleei^' (see " Lee " 
 p. 80) above " Hoolmawater." 
 
 Skerry (O.N. sker) denotes a rock in the sea above 
 water ; there are several such rocks called Swartaskerry : 
 " black skerry ; " Fuglaskerry (" bird-skerry") and Leera- 
 skerry (sea-bird-skerry),* both at Papa Stoor ; Skipta- 
 skerry) (Fe) : " division (bound)-skerry," from O.N. skipti, 
 division. 
 
 • O. N. Hri = Puffinus Anglorum, 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 103 
 
 Baa (O.N. boSi) denotes a rock in the sea under 
 water. 
 
 FUs (O.N. fles) denotes a flat skerry ; " de Fleshins 
 (the " fleses ") o' Sandwick " (Wh). 
 
 Stakk (O.N. stakk-r) denotes a high pointed rock 
 in the sea ; there are a few stacks called " Wheedastakk" : 
 "white stack;" Grostakk: "gray stack;" Gr0nastakk 
 {Grona-), see p. 36; Hoostakk: "high stack." Some 
 stacks are from their shape called "Spindles;" there is 
 a stack at " Papa Stoor " called Snolda : i.e. " spindle," 
 O.N. snaelda. In O.N. the word drang-r is synony- 
 mous with " stakk-r ;" it survives in the names of the two 
 stacks off Hillswick ness (Nm), called " de Drongs" 
 
 I now leave this subject : the natural features of the 
 land, and pass to the settlements and enclosures, made by 
 the Norse inhabitants. 
 
 In the Shetland place-names more than half a score 
 of words occur, which all mean " enclosure " or " a piece 
 of enclosed land." Different names have been used 
 according to the diiiferent purposes for which the 
 enclosures have been made. The majority of them 
 have been for animals. In a great many cases the 
 old dyke-steads can still be traced, in other cases they 
 have disappeared, and only the names have been left. 
 
104 THE OLD SHETLAND DLA.LECT. 
 
 applied to the places where these ancient enclosures 
 have been. 
 
 The name Garth or Gord {Goard) occurs pretty fre- 
 quently, especially in names of old " toons," farms and 
 crofts. It is O.N. garS-r, dyke (wall) or yard (etym. Engl. 
 " yard)," also applied to a piece of ground enclosed by 
 such a dyke or yard, especially a cultivated piece of 
 ground with a house on it. Hence the many names of 
 houses and crofts ending in " -garth," usually pronounced 
 " -girt," as f i. Bessigarth (Tingw.), Evrigarth (P) : " the 
 upper yard or farm," Efstigarth (Y): the uppermost 
 yard or farm, Fogrigarth (Aithst.) : " the beautiful 
 yard," Kurkigarth (Weisdale): " church-yard," Linggarth 
 (Du), named from the heathery ground {Ling is O.N. 
 lyng, heather), Skerpigarth (Fe) (" Skerpi," akin to Engl. 
 " sharp," denotes the hard and dry soil), Smirgarth (U) : 
 " butter-farm " (O.N. sm'dr, butter) — the name is derived 
 from good pasture-ground. The old Norse name for the 
 city of " Constantinople " is MykligarSr, Shetlandic : 
 " Mukligarth (-girt) " : " the big yard or enclosure." 
 
 There is a house called Galtigarth in South Yell, 
 which has been originally an enclosure for " gauts " or 
 pigs. Further : Grisigarth (the name of a house in 
 Foula) : pig (" grice ")-yard ; Hestinsgarth (Du) : " horse- 
 enclosure," and Lammigarth (Du) : " lamb-enclosure." — 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 105 
 
 Uncompounded the word occurs in f.i. " Garth "(township 
 in Delting), " Garths voe " (Delt.; 
 
 " Gord" (not " Garth ") is the proper Shetland pro- 
 nunciation of the word (cf. Vord and Wart p. 8i). 
 " Gord " is the name of a house in Conningsburgh ; 
 Bjaelagord (Fe) ; Framgord (Eshaness, Nm) : " the 
 croft or house further out, nearer to the sea."* In the 
 meaning " dyke " the word occurs in f.i. Millya Gorda 
 (place in Fetlar) : " between (the) dykes " (O.N. milium 
 garSd), Gorhool (Fedeland, N. Roe) : " dyke-knoll (O.N. 
 garSh6lt). 
 
 Gairdie (O.N. gerffi) is etymologically connected 
 with the just mentioned " Garth, Gord " and English 
 " garden." It signifies originally a small piece of un- 
 cultivated ground enclosed either for pasture or with a 
 view to cultivation immediately outside the " toon-dyke " 
 (the dyke enclosing the township). Such "gairdies" 
 through time come to form part of the cultivated " toon " 
 itself, as this had to be enlarged, but on account of the 
 origin of these "gairdies" we never find them in the 
 centre of a township, but either on its outskirts or 
 near its outskirts. There is a place in Bressay called 
 "Gairdie;" further: " Gairdie " in Mid- Yell, Gairdtn{Sdi, 
 
 * Cf. " fram " in the expression "to geng fram": to go far out by 
 boat (to the deep-sea fishing) (O.N. fram, forward). 
 O 
 
106 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 Delt.) : "the gairdies" (O.N. gerSi-n), "Gairdie hill" and 
 Gairdaness in Delting, and so forth. 
 
 Toon (O.N. t^n) is a third word denoting originally 
 "hedge, enclosure." It is the same word as Engl. 
 " town " and German " zaun," hedge. In O.N. tin com- 
 monly signifies a piece of cultivated ground enclosed. 
 Instances : " de Hametoon " (Fo) : the home-" toon," the 
 original " toon ;" Bigton (Du) : " ton " (unaccentuated) 
 for " toon," ("Big" is probably O.N. bygS, inhabited place, 
 from byggja, to build, cf. Shetl. " a biggin o' hooses," a 
 cluster of houses) ; Hooston (Haroldswick, U) : " house- 
 toon." 
 
 B0 (O.N. boe-r, farm) is synonymous with " Gord " 
 and " Toon." It occurs in Dunrossness, where there is a 
 township called "B0" and another close by called Exnab^, 
 which latter place has originally been a grazing-place for 
 oxen. When unaccentuated the word takes the form of 
 "-by." Kjurkaby{-py) in Westing (Unst) is " Kirk-b0 " : 
 the farm near the church. Further instances are : Melby 
 (Sandness): "the sandy farm," (O.N. mel-r, sand), Norby 
 (Sandness) : " the north farm." The word also occurs in 
 place-names in England, as : Whitby, Tenby, Appleby. 
 
 Fund (English " pound ") is a small enclosure for 
 putting animals into, f i. in order to keep them off from 
 the " toon," also for putting stray animals into. It occurs 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 107 
 
 in names of places where such enclosures have been, f.i. 
 /'«»d^// (pronounced: Punshfil; in Unst, Pundal^t (name 
 of a house in Firth, Delting): "the pund-lot" (/(!»/= an 
 allotted piece of ground). 
 
 Kr^ (sheep-fold) in place-names usually takes the 
 form Kroo, as f.i. Kroosteri^x) ; "kr0-seter," Kroodale (Fe), 
 Stoori Kroo (in the Conningsburgh west-cliffs) : " the big 
 kr0." 
 
 Synonymous with " Fund " and " Kroo " is Ret (O.N. 
 ritt, fold, sheep-fold). It occurs in the names : Tararet 
 (L), place at the shore, where sea- weed (O.N. thari) 
 gathers, and where a sheep-fold has been in former 
 times ; S^ret (Wh), " s0 " being O.N. sauS-r, sheep. The 
 last word also occurs in f i. S^bel or Sobel (name of two 
 hills in Unst) : " sheep-*<!t/-(<J«7)"— " b0l " being O.N. b6l, 
 couch, resting-place for animals (pasturing on the hills) ; 
 cf. Koobel (Du- : "cow-b0l.") "So" (sheep) further occurs 
 in f.L Soberlee (Fo) : " So-berg-lee " {sauS-berghlid), the 
 slope (" lee ") above the cliff (" berg ") and being used for 
 sheep-pasture (the name is descriptive of the place). 
 B61 (" b0l ") also occurs in f.i. " Bola hill " (Y). 
 
 Whee {Quhee) or Quee, Whie {Quhie, Quhey) or Qute, 
 etc., are variations in the pronunciation of O.N. kvi, 
 meaning an enclosure for cattle, a cattle park. Several 
 houses and townships go by this name, because the 
 
108 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 places where they have been built have been originally 
 enclosed parks. Instances: "Quee"(Conn.), Quheyin (pron. 
 "Wheein") (Otterswick, Y): "the Whee," Gr^twhee 
 (spelt :"Grutquoy") (U,W):, "the rocky Whee," Okraquee 
 (Fladabister, C) : " the Quee near the cornfield " (O.N. 
 akr, corn-field). " De Quheys o' Catfirth " is the name 
 of a piece of ground in Catfirth (South Nesting). "Quhey- 
 firth " see p. 102. Vatshwi (Wh) stands for " Vat(n)s- 
 hwee " : " loch-hwee." 
 
 Hoga {Hag) is O.N. hagi, a piece of hill or unculti- 
 vated land enclosed for pasture, or in a more general 
 sense : hill-pasture, in modern Shetlandic : " skattald." 
 The word originally signifies " enclosure," and is etymo- 
 logically akin to Engl. " hedge " and " haw " in f i. " haw- 
 thorn," " haw-haw " (a sunk fence). Instances : "Hogan "* 
 (Whiteness), de Hogan o' Fogrigarth (Aithst), Lambhoga 
 (Fe). Several places go by the name of Hogaland. 
 
 " Hoga " also occurs in a few conversational words, 
 as hoga-leave (from O.N. hagaltyfi), properly " scattald- 
 permission," i.e., liberty either to cut peats or to have 
 animals grazing for a certain payment in another skat- 
 tald, and then secondly : payment for this liberty to 
 make use of another skattald, and hence the phrase : to 
 
 * «- is the suffixed definite article. 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 109 
 
 pay hoga-leave. " Hoga " further occurs in buynhoga 
 (U, Fe), meaning " calf-ground," home of birth, old place 
 of residence (literally : " child-pasture," O.N. bamhagi). 
 
 " Hag '' occurs in place-names as the first part of a 
 compound, f i. Hagtnarsgio (for Hagmarksgio : " skat- 
 tald-march gio ") and " de Horns o' Hagmark" ( : " skat- 
 tald-march " ) (U) ; Hagdjeld (U) : " skattald-division," 
 the name of an old march between Baltasound and Har- 
 oldswick (U). A hagmet is an old word for a (skattald-) 
 march-stone. 
 
 There is an old Shetland expression : " to ride de 
 hagri" — "hagri" being an O.N. hag{d)reiS: skattald-ride. 
 In former times neighbouring proprietors used to ride in 
 company around their skattald-boundaries in order to 
 inspect the marches or put up new march-stones and 
 thus prevent future disputes. Every year, when this was 
 done, they took with them a boy, the son of some 
 crofter, residing on the one or the other of the pro- 
 perties. At every march-stone they came to, the boy 
 got a flogging ; this, it was thought, made him remember 
 the place ever after. For every year this "hagri" or 
 skattald-riding was done, a different boy was selected to 
 accompany the proprietors and receive the floggings. 
 Thus when the boys grew up to men, even if some 
 among them should die, there would always be some 
 
110 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 men in the place who in a case of dispute would be able 
 to swear, where the right march was. 
 
 In this connection I may mention the old name for 
 common pasture, or a piece of pasture-land held in 
 common by neighbouring proprietors. In Connings- 
 burgh there is a piece of ground, now cultivated, called 
 " de Wulmtn ( Wilmin)" and in Yell there is a piece of 
 " skattald '' or hill-pasture called " Wullamina ( Willa- 
 mind) skattald," the older form of which name is Hol- 
 tnennis Hoga." The names mentioned are derived from 
 O.N. almenning-r, common-pasture (literally : " land for 
 all the men "). 
 
 Still or Stilli (O.N. stilli, trap, enclosure for catching 
 animals in) is synonymous with " Kr0," " Fund," " Ret '' 
 (see pp. 106-7). There are two " toons " (in Fe and U) 
 called " Still." At Nibon (Nm) there is a piece of 
 ground called " de Stilli o' Nibon." 
 
 Seter(p.N. setr) occurs frequently in Shetland place- 
 names (names of pieces of ground, of crofts and town- 
 ships). It signifies originally " summer-pasture " and is 
 in Norway still commonly applied to a pasturing place 
 in the mountains, where people stop in huts during the 
 summer-time to tend and milk the cattle and to make 
 butter and cheese. In Tingwall there are three crofts in 
 a row from Crista towards Scalloway : " North, Mid, 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. Ill 
 
 and South Seter." South past these seters are three 
 
 crofts, called " North, Mid, and South Garth." The three 
 
 Seters mentioned have evidently been the places where 
 
 the Garth people have had their animals grazing during 
 
 the summer-season. There is a " Seter " in Bressay, 
 
 another in Noss. Further : " de Seter o' Ennisfirth " 
 
 (Nm), Bakkaseier, Gioseter (Du), etc. In compounds, 
 
 "-seter " is generally abbreviated to " ster," f.i. Bixter 
 
 (Sa) ; " Bigg-seter " {bigg, biggin = a cluster of houses), 
 
 Bjoster (Br), Brooster (for " Broo-seter " : " bridge-seter "), 
 
 near the Bridge of Walls, Hellister (Weisdale) (see 
 
 " Hellya " p. 88), Hooster (Aith, Aithst), Kollaster (Aiths- 
 
 ting) (reg. " Koll " see p. "JT, and Culster (De) : " Koll- 
 
 seter." Reg. Vatster and Voxter, see pp. 86 and 97. 
 
 Many " seters " derive their names from the different 
 < 
 kinds of animals which pastured there, as fi. Booster 
 
 (Y) (reg. Boo^ O.N. bik, see p. 94; Hestinseter (Sa) : " horse- 
 
 seter," Yoknister (Nm) ; " oxen-seter," Kolvister {Colvi- 
 
 ster) (Y); " calf-seter," (cf Colvidale (U) : "calf-valley") 
 
 Marister(^\C) :" mare-seter," Swinister (Nm, De, Tingw, 
 
 Walls) : " swine-seter." 
 
 "-bister " (in compounds) is probably a contraction 
 
 of O.N. b6lstaSr, dwelling-place (occuring in place-names; 
 
 modern Norw. " -bust "), f i. Fladabister : " the flat ground 
 
 dwelling," Isbister (Nm, Wh), Symbister (Wh) (" sym " 
 
J12 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 probably = " sum-" in Sumburgh, see p. 71), Trebister 
 (Lerwick parish) for " Utrebister " : " the outer dwelling," 
 &c. 
 
 O.N. sel means " seter-hut." This word is possibly 
 contained in names as Sellafirth (Y), Selivoe (Gruting voe, 
 Sa). But in several cases the prefix " Seli-" in place- 
 names is to be derived from O.N. sel-r, seal. 
 
 Names of houses and townships are most often 
 second-hand names, that is, in most cases the places 
 where the habitations arose had their names, before 
 houses were built on or at them, and then the houses 
 (townships) simply borrowed these names. Several 
 instances have been given of this in the foregoing pages. 
 Lerwick means " clay-creek," and has originally been 
 applied only to the creek itself " Voe " and " Firth " 
 in Delting are now names of townships. Burravoe (Y) 
 is I, the bay, 2, the township. The village of Sound 
 (pronounced " Soond ") is named from its being situated 
 at Bressay Sound. Prepositions (at, in, on, under, 
 etc.) were prefixed to names of places to indicate the 
 sites of the houses and townships, but now these pre- 
 positions have been dropped. Got (Conn, Tingw) is 
 O^.gata, {gotu), pathway* ; the houses have been called 
 
 * In modern Shetlandic " gate" signifies " way, path,'' while grind 
 (O.N. grind) expresses English "gate." 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 113 
 
 originally " at the pathway." Gj^den, spelt " Gudon " 
 (Y), is probably the same word (-n : the suffixed 
 definite article). Further instances : Aid : "on (the) 
 isthmus" (p. 8s) ; Brekken : " on or under (the) brae" 
 (p. 80) ; Dale (De) : O.N. / dali, in (the) valley ; Fjael : 
 « under (the) hill " (p. 74) ; Kamb : « under (the) hill 
 crest" (p. jj"). 
 
 In some cases the old name of a certain firth, voe or 
 wick has disappeared and been supplanted by a new 
 name, while the old name still lingers applied to the 
 oldest township in the immediate neighbourhood, f.i. 
 Olnesfirth, a township at the firth or voe, now called 
 Hamars voe in Nm ; Reafirth at the head of Mid Yell 
 voe / Sellafirth at the head of Basta voe in Yell ; 
 Trondavoe at the head of Voxter voe in Delting ; Effirtk 
 (" Aid-firth") at the head of Bixter voe in Sandsting. 
 
 There are three old words, meaning " house" or 
 " room," occurring in names : O.N. Ms (house), stofa 
 and skdli. Instances : 
 
 a. Uphoose (Br) ; " the house further up," Oodhoose 
 (Bastaness, Y) : " the house further out ;" " Innyus" 
 (Uyea, Nm), abbreviated from O.N. inni i Msi, " in the 
 house further in (the inner house)." 
 
 b. Sto/a occurs in f.i. Stove (the name of a house in 
 Haroldswick, U ; Sandw), Stiwa (Aithsting). There 
 
114 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 are two houses in Uyea, Nm., called Innistova and 
 Uppistova (O.N. inni i stofu and uppH stofu ; /=in), i.e., 
 a " in the inner house," b in the upper house." 
 
 Baths and bathrooms are often mentioned in the 
 old Icelandic sagas. BaSstofa in O.N. denotes " bath- 
 room" or " bath-house." There is a patch of ground in 
 Fetlar called " Ae Bastivvategs": "the bath-house rigs* 
 (corn-rigs)." In Faroe there is a township called "i 
 BaSstovu " from some ancient bath-house on the place. 
 
 c. Skdli occrurs in f.i. Skollan (name of a house in 
 Du), meaning " the house " or properly " in the house" 
 (O.N. / skdlanum ; -n in " Skollan " is the suffixed 
 definite article) ; further : Leeskol (Eshaness, Nm) : " the 
 house" (" skol") on the slope" (" lee," see p. 80), Fram- 
 miskolla {-swilla,-swulld) (Uyea, Nm) : " (in) the house 
 (" Skolla") further out or nearer to the sea" (O.N./m;«;«« 
 / skdla), Uppiskolla (Firth, Delt.) : " (in) the house higher 
 up " (O.N. uppi i skdla). Skdli in O.N. often denotes 
 " booth" or " hut." Scalloway, by the older people pro- 
 nounced " Skalowaa" is the voef of the " skollas" or 
 booths, occupied by the ting-men, assembling for the 
 
 * In names, applied to corn-rigs or patches of cultivated ground, the 
 words tegtflut (flit), djtldaxA velt (felt) very often occur as terminations : 
 O.N. /«]j-r, (cultivated) piece of ground (cf. 7lK^e», the name of a town- 
 ship in Voe, Delt. ),flot-r, flat piece of ground, deild, division, velta, delv- 
 ing, a delved piece of ground, 
 
 + "Waa," meaning "voe," also occurs in the name " KirkwcAfl)" 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 115 
 
 meeting of the general " ting " or law-court of the islands 
 in Tingwall. 
 
 O.N. staff-r, dwelling-place, occurs in the form 
 " sta " in f i. Busia (Delt.) (O.N. b^stvffr or bdlstaSr), 
 Grimtsta near Lerwick, {Grim, O.N. GHtn-r, is a man's 
 name), Grista (Tingwall). If " Crista" be O.N. griSa- 
 staSr, place of safety (for criminals), the picture of the 
 Tingwall or law-court plain with its ting-booths or 
 " skollas," already mentioned, would be remarkably 
 complete. 
 
 Taft, Toft or Topt, Tupt {Tipt) is O.N. thopt, house- 
 stead, site, (ground) plot. Instances : " Taft " : house in 
 Funnie (Fe), " Toft" (De), Toften (Fe), Topten (Harolds- 
 wick in U) : " -en" is the dative plural termination! (cf. 
 Hoolen p. 75), Tuptaby {Tiptaby) (Fe) (reg. "-by" see 
 " bf p. 106), de Tuptigarths (Firth in Delt.), Colbinstoft 
 (Fe) — " Colbin " being O.N. Kolbeinn, a man's name (the 
 same name is contained in " Cullinsbrock" a township in 
 Bressay). 
 
 These remarks on place-names would be incomplete 
 without some allusion to such spots as have received 
 
 erroneously spelt " Kirkwall" (Orkney), O.N. Kirkjuv&gr ; further in the 
 name " Waas" in Shetland and Orkney, erroneously spelt " IValls-" the 
 ancient form of "Waas" in Orkney is Vdgar ( Vdgaland) : "(the) voes 
 (voe-land)." 
 
 X " Toften, Topten" ■- O.N. I thoptum, "in (the) plots" etc. 
 
116 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 names in connection with old popular superstition, such 
 spots as were formerly believed to be inhabited or fre- 
 quented by trolls and fairies. O.NT troll, troll, occurs in 
 f.i. Truylhoolen (Sa) : the troll-knoll (cf Hool p. 75), 
 Tr'dlliwater and Trolligio (in several places). Troswick 
 (Du) is probably " Trollswick." Wulv, or Wt'lv-, from 
 O.N. dl/-r, elf, fairy, occurs in fi. Wulvers- or Wilvers- 
 hool (Mid Yell) : " elf-knoll," Wul- or Wilhool (Du), 
 now commonly called '' de fairy-knowe (knoll)." 
 
 The water-spirit called " de njuggel" (= water- 
 kelpie, "tangie"), O.N. nykr, is commemorated in the 
 names of a fe\y lochs and " shuns," f i. " Njuggels water " 
 (Tingw), " Nuckro water " (Wh) ; " Njugger-shun " — 
 " njuggel-loch, njuggel-pool." ^ 
 
 There are a few knolls by the name of " Henkis- 
 knowe." The word " henki" is sometimes applied to a 
 troll or fairy. There are old legends in connection with 
 these knolls, that the trolls used to dance there at night, 
 and the trolls were always supposed to " hink " or limp, 
 when they danced. Hence the name " henki." There 
 is a knoll called Lunkhool in North Yell, about which 
 there is a similar tradition. The trolls here were evi- 
 dently accustomed to " lunk," when they danced (Shetl. 
 to lunk = to go with a limp). 
 
 The name of the place called Haltadans {Haayl- 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 117 
 
 tadans) in Fetlar is of a quite similar origin. It means 
 " lame or limping dance." On the place so called are 
 three concentric rings of stones and two higher stones 
 in the middle. The old tradition is, that these rings 
 are petrified dancing trolls, the two in the centre 
 being the fiddler and his wife. They were petrified, 
 because they continued dancing, till the sun rose on 
 them. 
 
 We pass now to an important series of names, 
 connected with the great Norse legal customs. I have 
 already mentioned the great " ting " or law-court for the 
 whole islands, held in Tingwall. There were also minor 
 law-courts for the various districts. In connection with 
 these lesser "tings" I heard an interesting statement 
 from an old woman in Fetlar. She informed me, that 
 she had been told by her grand parents, that the island 
 of Fetlar had once been divided into three separate 
 districts, each with its own ting or law-court. O.N. 
 MraS, district, county, is preserved in the name "de 
 Herra " (Y, Fe, L). There are several survivals of the 
 word " ting " in district names in different parts of 
 Shetland. These districts were each under the juris- 
 diction of a minor ting. Hence the word, meaning 
 originally " assembly," came to mean also " jurisdiction," 
 and hence we have district-names as Belting ( : " dale- 
 
118 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 or valley-ting"; the law-court was held at "Dale"), 
 Lunnasting* Nesting, Aithsting (see " Aith, Aid " p. 85) 
 and Sandsting (named after the place " Sand," where the 
 law-court was held). 
 
 As to the other district or parish names I may in 
 this connection mention Dunrossness, which takes its 
 name from the "dinning roost or tide-way,'' commonly 
 called "Sumburg roost"; O.N. Dyn-rost and Dynras- 
 tames. Reg. Northmavine and Walls see pp. 85 and 
 114 (the note). 
 
 The names of the North Isles ; Unst, Yell, Fetlar, 
 are as yet quite obscure ; the explanations hitherto 
 offered are useless. 
 
 Each ting had its own " gallow-hill " or place of 
 execution for criminals sentenced to death. There is a 
 "Gallow-hill" at Scalloway connected with the great ting, 
 and hills by the same name are found in Unst, Fetlar, 
 Dunrossness and on the westside. We find the name 
 also in the form Golga, which is O.N. gdlgi, gallows. 
 There is a hill called "Golga" in Northmavine and 
 another in Sandwick parish. Wulga (name of a hill in 
 Conningsburgh) stands for Gwulga, which is another 
 
 * The old form of the name is " Luttd-eids-thing" (Lunna being 
 Lund-eid or " -aith "). " Lund " is probably O.N. lund-r, grove, occurring 
 in several place-names in Scandinavia and Iceland. " Lund" is the name 
 of a place in Unst. As to woods in Shetland, see p. 76 (the note). 
 
THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 119 
 
 form of " Golga ; " about this place there is an old tradi- 
 ion, that a sheep-thief, named Kel Hulter, was hanged 
 there. 
 
 I shall conclude this lecture with a few remarks on 
 the name Shetland itself, or rather on the original form 
 of the name, which was Hjaltland. There is a popular 
 tradition telling us, that some of the Picts, when they 
 had been conquered by the Scots, left Scotland and fled 
 north. When they had passed Orkney and got sight of 
 Shetland, they cried : " Yet land, yet land ! " — and this 
 was the way, Shetland got its name. There is a similar 
 tradition about Fedeland in North Roe. Fedeland is 
 said to have been the last place in Shetland, where the 
 Picts lingered. When they were driven from there, their 
 only place of refuge was the sea, and so they cried : 
 "Fae de land, fae de land (from the land)." Fancy 
 the Picts speaking modern Shetland English ! " Fede- 
 land " simply means " fat land " : rich pasture. No sure 
 explanation has as yet been offered of the name " Hjalt- 
 land." It has been explained from the man's name 
 Hjalti, occurring in the old Norse literature — but there 
 are no instances of countries being named after single 
 men. Then it has been derived from O.N. hjalt, hilt, 
 the hilt of a sword, but the shape of the country does 
 
120 THE OLD SHETLAND DIALECT. 
 
 not present any striking resemblance to a hilt. Yet the 
 name might contain the word hjalt. 
 
 I have in this lecture endeavoured to suggest 
 general rules, according to which the place-names have 
 been given, and I further insist on the necessity for 
 great caution in either forming or accepting conclu- 
 sions in regard to names, that are of uncertain etymo- 
 logy, for derivations which even a slight knowledge of 
 the Old Northern language might have shown to be 
 erroneous have occasionally been offered in regard 
 to these names. 
 
INDEX TO PLACE NAAES. 
 
 [The nwmbers indicate the Pages.] 
 
 Aid (Aith), 85 
 
 Blaa, 95 
 
 Busta, 115 
 
 
 Aithsting, 118 
 
 Bloglo, 36 
 
 Bo, 106 
 
 
 Akkels, 97 
 
 Boiten, 83 
 
 
 
 Ajrre, 89 
 
 Bola hill, 107 
 
 Clubbi Shuns, 86 
 
 
 
 Booness, 94 
 
 Clnmlie, 65 
 
 
 Baa, 103 
 
 Booster, 111 
 
 Colbinstoft, 115 
 
 
 Baag, 97 
 
 Brae, (Brai-ai) 85 
 
 Collafirth, 77 
 
 
 Bakka, 89 
 
 Bratt(h)ool, 76 
 
 Collifell, 77 
 
 
 Bakkanalee hill, 80 
 
 Brek, 80 
 
 Colvidale, 111 
 
 
 Bakkaseter, 89, 111 
 
 Brekkin, 80 
 
 Colvister, 111 
 
 
 Bakkigarth, 89 
 
 Brennya, 76 (the note) 
 
 Cullinsbroch, 115 
 
 
 Bard, 93 
 
 Bressay, 101 
 
 CuUivoe, 77 
 
 
 Bastiwategs, 114 
 
 Bretto, 86 
 
 Culster, 111 
 
 
 Berfaayll, 89 
 
 Brimness, 93 
 
 Culswick, 96 
 
 
 Berfil, 75 
 
 Broo, Broon, 81 
 
 (Names wanting under C may 
 
 be 
 
 Berfinssnjoog, 76 
 
 Brooster, 111 
 
 sought under K). 
 
 
 Berg, 89 
 
 Bmn, 87 
 
 
 
 Berraroni, 79 
 
 Brunga, 91 
 
 Daal, 83 
 
 
 Berrishoola komba, 77 
 
 Bruns Haamarsland, 81 
 
 Daalin grbna, 83 
 
 
 Berry, 90 
 
 Buness, 94 
 
 Daleslee, 80 
 
 
 Berset, Ber8oad(i) 91 
 
 Burga taing, 71 
 
 Belting, 117 
 
 
 Bessigarth, 104 
 
 Burga water, 71 
 
 Djuba Berreg, 89 
 
 
 Bigton, 106 
 
 Burra, 101 
 
 Djupa Gil, 83 
 
 
 Bixter, 111 
 
 Burrafirth, 71 
 
 Drongs, 103 
 
 
 Bjselagord, 105 
 
 Burraland, 71 
 
 Dunrossness, 118 
 
 
 Bjoster, 111 
 
 Burraness, 71 
 
 Duss, 80 
 
 
 Bjorg, 76, 78 
 
 Burravoe, 71, 112 
 
 
 
122 
 
 INDEX TO PLACE NAMES. 
 
 Efflrth, 113 
 Efstigarth, 104 
 Egilsa(y), 101 
 Ennisfirth, 96 
 Eshaness, 93 
 Evrigarth, 104 
 Exnab5, 106 
 
 Fedeland, 119 
 Fetlar, 118 
 Fid, Pitch, 83 
 Fidna grona, 83 
 Filla, 75 
 Fillakomb, 77 
 Finnigirt, Finnigord, 73 
 Fivla, 70 
 Fivlagord, 69 
 FjsBl, 74 
 Fjalsamires, 74 
 Fjardapall (-paayll), 97 
 Fjord, 97 
 Fladabister, 111 
 Flea, 103 
 Fleshins, 103 
 Fogradaal, 83 
 Fogrigarth, 104 
 Foraness, 93 
 Forse, 87 
 Forso, 87 
 Foula (Foola), 101 
 Framgord, 105 
 FrammiskoUa, 114 
 Fuglaness, Fulaness 94 
 Fuglaskerry, 102 
 
 Gairdaness, 106 
 Gairdie, 105 
 Gairdin, 105 
 Galtigarth, 104 
 
 Garth, 104 
 
 GU, 83 
 
 Gio, Gjo, 99 
 
 Gioseter, 111 
 
 Gjoden, (Gudon) 113 
 
 Gloop, 100 
 
 Gola Hellyers, 100 
 
 Golga, 118 
 
 Gord (Goard) 104, 105 
 
 Gorhool, 105 
 
 Gorsendigio, 99 
 
 Got, 112 
 
 Graav, Graavins, 84 
 
 Grave, Graven, 84 
 
 Graveland, 84 
 
 Gref, 84 
 
 Grimista, 115 
 
 Grisigarth, 104 
 
 Grista, 115 
 
 Grostakk, 103 
 
 Grostane, 35 
 
 Gruney, 101 
 
 Gronastakk, Grona, 36, 103 
 
 Grotin (Gruting)94 (the note) 
 
 Grotness, 94 
 
 Grbtwhee (Grutquoy) 108 
 
 Gulahamar (Gola-) 36 
 
 Haaraar, 80 
 Haamamess, 80 
 Haanahjoag, 91 
 Hagdjeld, 109 
 Hagmark, 109 
 Hagmar(k)sgio, 109 
 Haayltadans, 116 
 Ham, 98 
 Hametoon, 106 
 Hamister, 98 
 Hamna Dale, 98 
 
 Hamna Voe, Hamnavoe, 98 
 Hararifell, 80 
 Hedliberg, 89 
 Hellister, HI 
 Hellya, 88 
 Hellyabrun, 87 
 Hellyer, 100 
 Hellyina, bretta, gro, 
 
 wheeda, 88, 89 
 Henkisknowe, 116 
 Herra, 117 
 Hestaness, 94 
 Hestinseter, 111 
 Hestinsgarth, 104 
 Hevda, Hevdi, 92 
 Hevda-grun, 92 
 Hevdigarth, 92 
 Hjoag, 75 
 Hjoganess, 75 
 Hjogen, 75 
 Hjukmannavord, 82 
 Hoga, Hogan, 108 
 Hogaland, 108 
 Holm, 102 
 
 Holniennis Hoga, 110 
 Hoob, 98 
 Hoobie, 99 
 Hoobins, 99 
 Hoofil, 75 
 Hool, Hoolen, 75 
 Hoolin, brenda, skarpa, 
 
 stoora, 76 
 Hoolmalees, 102 
 Hoolmawater, 102 
 Hoolna, hoola, 76 
 Hoorun, 80 
 Hooster, 111 
 Hooston, 106 
 Hoostakk, 103 
 
INDEX TO PLACE NAMES. 
 
 123 
 
 Hurd, 91 
 Hurdifell, 92 
 HwammSLTdni, 79 
 Hos, 92 
 
 Innistova, 114 
 Innyus, 113 
 Isbister, 111 
 
 Juba, Jupa, see Djuba, 
 Djupa. 
 
 Kamb, 77 
 
 Kaine, 77 
 
 Kap, 84 
 
 Kattismogs, 67 
 
 Keen, 91 
 
 Kelda, 87 
 
 Kirkwaa, Kirkwall, 114 
 
 (the note). 
 Kjolka, 91 
 Kjurkaby, (-py) 106 
 Kleberswick, 91 
 Klett, 88 
 Klettin, ro, 88 
 Klodi, 81 
 Klub, 78 
 Knab, 78 
 Knappis, 78 
 Kodlifell, 77 
 Kolgrave, Kolgref, 84 
 KoUaster, 111 
 KoUyarun. 80 
 Kolvister, 111 
 Koinba, 77 
 Konipis (Kombis), 77 
 Koobel, 107 
 Kool, 77 
 Koopins, 84 (the note.) 
 
 Kop, 84 
 Koppa, 84 
 Koppister, 84 
 Krabbabersoadi, 91 
 Krogaroni, 79 
 Kroo, Kro, 107 
 Kroodale, 107 
 Kroon, 96 
 Krooster, 107 
 Kudda, 94 
 Kumbel, Kami, 81 
 Kumlins, 75 
 Kurkigarth, 104 
 
 Laamar, 81 
 Lambaness, 94 
 Lambhoga, 108 
 Lammigartb, 104 
 Laxo, 86 
 Lee, 80 
 Leeabakka, 89 
 Leean, 80 
 Leefell, 80 
 Leeraskerry, 102 
 Leerwul (Leerhool), 76 
 Leeskol, 114 
 Lerwick, 112 
 Likvell(y)ins, 83 
 Linga, Lingey, 101 
 Linggarth, 104 
 Litlatoo, 81 
 Ljoag, 87 
 Lodberri, 90 
 Longaberg, 89 
 Longardni, 79 
 LoDgatonga, 95 
 Lund, 118 (the note.) 
 Lunkhool, 116 
 Lunna, 118 (the note.) 
 
 Lunnasting, 118 
 Maraness, 94 
 Marister, 111 
 Mavis Grind, 85 
 Melby, 106 
 Millya Gorda, 105 
 MUlya Hellya, 89 
 Millya Vatna, 86 
 Minn, 96, 99 
 Minni, Mine, 99 
 Mioness, 94 
 Mool, 93 
 Moola, 93 
 Mooness, 94 
 Moovik, 98 
 Mousa (Moosa), 101 
 Mucklatoo, 81 
 Mori, 87 
 Monster, 87 
 Morn, 87 
 Morseter, 87 
 
 Nab, 78 
 
 Kakkaskerry, 96 
 Nebb, 97 
 Neep, 93 
 Neshin, 93 
 Ness, 93 
 Nesting, 118 
 Niv, 92 
 
 Njuggels water, 116 
 Njugger-shun, 116 
 Noonsvord, 82 
 Noop, 93 
 Norby, 106 
 Northmavine, 85 
 Noss, 93 
 Nuckro water, 116 
 
124 
 
 INDEX TO PLACE NAMES. 
 
 Odd, 95 
 Oddsta, 95 
 Okraquee, 108 
 OUaberry, 90 
 Oodhoose, 113 
 Ootnabrek, 80 
 Ord, 91 
 Orbister, 86 
 Ordale, 86 
 Orgil, 83 
 Orwick, 86 
 
 Papa, Papa Stoor, 64 
 Papil, 64 
 Pettasmog, 67 
 Pettawater, 66 
 Pettidale, 66 
 Pettigarthsfell, 67 
 Pettina Shaigo, 71 
 Poyll, 99 
 Pund, 106 
 Pundalot, 107 
 Pundsfell, 107 
 Pol, 99 
 
 Quarf, 84-85 
 
 Quee, 107 
 
 Queedarnns, 80 
 
 Quendale, 87 
 
 Quhee, Quhey, Quhie, 107 
 
 Qnheyin, 108 
 
 Qailse, Quulse, 96 
 
 Baana, 96 
 Bamnaberg, 89, 98 
 Raiunagio, 98, 100 
 Ramnastacks, 98 
 Bet, 107 
 (St) Ringan's Isle, 65 
 
 Roe, Rooe, (Muckle R., 
 
 North B.) 102 
 Boe, see Bo 
 Boeness, 94 
 Boenis Hill, see Bonis 
 Bovi, 97 
 Bussaness, 94 
 Busshikaps, 84 
 Bo, see Boe 
 Bon, Boni, 79 
 Boni fogra, 79 
 Ronins, 79 
 Bonis, 79 
 Benis Hill, 79 
 Rorwater, 102 
 Rostakk, 36 
 
 Saltapol, 99 
 
 Saltness, 99 
 
 Sandsting, 118 
 
 Sandvatn, 86 
 
 Saxavord, 82 
 
 Scalloway (Skalowa), 114 
 
 Selivoe, 112 
 
 Sellafirth, 112 
 
 Seter, 110 
 
 Shetland, 119 
 
 Shun, 86 
 
 Skallifil, 75 
 
 Skelberry, 90 
 
 Skerhellya, 88 
 
 Skerpigarth, 104 
 
 Skerry, 102 
 
 Skibberwul (Skibberhool), 
 
 76 
 Skiotaing, 95 
 Skiptaskerry, 102 
 Skollan, 114 
 Skooin brenda, 76 (the note) 
 
 Skraefil, 75 
 Slagin, 84 
 Sloag, 84 
 Srairgarth, 104 
 Smorkelda, 87 
 Snjoog, Snjoogi, 76 
 Snjoogahool, 76 
 Snolda. 103 
 Snooti, 96 
 Snos, 92 
 Sobel, 107 
 Soberlee, 107 
 Sound (Soond), 112 
 Stakk, 103 
 Stakkaberg, 89 
 Still, Stilli, 110 
 Stivva, 113 
 Stooraljoag, 87 
 Stoorapoint, 95 
 Stoorhool, Stoor'ul, 61-76 
 Stoori Kroo, 107 
 Stove, 113 
 Sumburg, 71 
 
 Swarbaks Minn (Mine), 99 
 Swartaskerry, 36, 102 
 Swarthool, 76 
 Swartigil, 83 
 Swinaness, 94 
 Swinister, 111 
 Symbister, 111 
 Sobel, 107 
 Sbret, 107 
 
 Taft, 115 
 
 Taigen, 114 (the note) 
 
 Taing, 95 
 
 Tand, 78 
 
 Tararet, 107 
 
 Tarigio, 100 
 
INDEX TO PLACE NAMES. 
 
 125 
 
 Tevakudda, 94 
 Tind, 78 
 Tingwall, 83 
 Tiptaby, 115 
 Toft, Toften, 115 
 Tonga, 95 
 Too, 81 
 Toon, 105-6 
 Topt, Topsten, 115 
 Trebister, 112 
 Tromba, 100 
 Tronafirth, 101 
 Tronamires, 101 
 Trondavoe, 101 
 Trondra, 101 
 Tronister, 101 
 Troswiok, 116 
 Trumba, 100 
 Trnylhoolen, 116 
 TroUigio, 116 
 Trolliwater, 116 
 Troni, 96 
 
 Tukkabersoadi, 91 
 Tuptaby, 115 
 Tuptigarths, 115 
 Tovakudda, 94 
 
 Unst, 118 
 Uphoose, 113 
 Uppiskolla, 114 
 Uppistova, 113 
 Urafirth, see Orafirth 
 Urie (0n), 89 
 Uya, Uyea, 100 
 
 Uyeasound, 100 
 
 Vaalafll, 75 
 
 Vaacht, 82 
 
 Vaddle, Vadill, 99 
 
 Vanlup, 86 
 
 Vassa, 86 
 
 Vatn, 85 
 
 Vatnabreck, 86 
 
 Vata(e)ter, 86, 111 
 
 Vatshwi, 108 
 
 Veegen, 97 
 
 Veeti-head, 82 
 
 Vellyi, 74 
 
 Vell(y)i, Vell(y)ins, 83 
 
 Vementry, 101 
 
 Veyll, 83 
 
 Vidifell (Veedifell) stoor, 83 
 
 Viga water, 98 
 
 Virda, Virdik, 81, 82 
 
 V^irdifell, 82 
 
 Virdins, 82 
 
 Vog Minn (Vogminn), 97 
 
 Vord (Voard), 81, 82 
 
 Vordeld, Vordjeld, 82 
 
 Voxter, 97, 111 
 
 Waakhoose, 82 
 
 Waas (Walls), 114 (the note) 
 
 Wart, 81, 82 
 
 Watlee, 86 
 
 Whalsay, 101 
 
 Wham, 83 
 
 Whee, Whey, Whie, 107 
 
 Wheedamurs, 35 
 Wheedastakk, 35, 103 
 Wheyness, 94 
 Whilse, 96 
 Whinnawater, 87 
 Whinnigio, 87 
 Whinniloch, 87 
 Whiteness, 61 
 Whulse, 96 
 
 Wilhool, Wulhool, 116 
 Willamina, Wullamina, 
 
 skattald, 110 
 Wilmin, Wulmin, 110 
 Wilvershool, Wulvers- 
 
 hool, 116 
 Windoos, 77 
 Wirwick, Wurwlok, 86 
 Wulga, 118 
 
 Yell, 118 
 Yellabrun, 87 
 Yokkel, 96 
 Yoknister, 111 
 
 Oafil, 101 
 
 Oakluv, 101 
 
 Ora, 68 
 
 Orablaa, 96 
 
 Orafirth, 89 
 
 Oresland, 89 (the note) 
 
 Ori (Urie), 89 
 
 Oya, 100 
 
 Oyasoond (Oasoond), 100