rowth.
Routhie, well-stocked.
Row, rowe, to roll; to flow, as a river; to wrap.
Rowte, to low, to bellow.
Rowth, plenty, a store.
Rozet, resin.
Run-deils, downright devils.
Rung, a cudgel.
Runkl’d, wrinkled.
Runt, a cabbage or colewort stalk.
Ryke, to reach.
S
Sab, to sob.
Sae, so.
Saft, soft.
Sair, sore, hard, severe, strong.
Sair, to serve.
Sair, sairly, sorely.
Sairie, sorrowful, sorry.
Sall, shall.
Sandy, Sannack, dim. of Alexander.
Sark, a shirt.
Saugh, the willow.
Saul, soul.
Saumont, sawmont, the salmon.
Saunt, saint.
Saut, salt.
Saut-backets, v. backets.
Saw, to sow.
Sawney, v. sandy.
Sax, six.
Scar, to scare.
Scar, v. scaur.
Scathe, scaith, damage; v. skaith.
Scaud, to scald.
Scaul, scold.
Scauld, to scold.
Scaur, afraid; apt to be scared.
Scaur, a jutting rock or bank of earth.
Scho, she.
Scone, a soft flour cake.
Sconner, disgust.
Sconner, sicken.
Scraichin, calling hoarsely.
Screed, a rip, a rent.
Screed, to repeat rapidly, to rattle.
Scriechin, screeching.
Scriegh, skriegh, v. skriegh.
Scrievin, careering.
Scrimpit, scanty.
Scroggie, scroggy, scrubby.
Sculdudd’ry, bawdry.
See’d, saw.
Seisins, freehold possessions.
Sel, sel’, sell, self.
Sell’d, sell’t, sold.
Semple, simple.
Sen’, send.
Set, to set off; to start.
Set, sat.
Sets, becomes.
Shachl’d, shapeless.
Shaird, shred, shard.
Shanagan, a cleft stick.
Shanna, shall not.
Shaul, shallow.
Shaver, a funny fellow.
Shavie, trick.
Shaw, a wood.
Shaw, to show.
Shearer, a reaper.
Sheep-shank, a sheep’s trotter; nae sheep-shank bane = a person of no small importance.
Sheerly, wholly.
Sheers, scissors.
Sherra-moor, sheriffmuir.
Sheugh, a ditch, a furrow; gutter.
Sheuk, shook.
Shiel, a shed, cottage.
Shill, shrill.
Shog, a shake.
Shool, a shovel.
Shoon, shoes.
Shore, to offer, to threaten.
Short syne, a little while ago.
Shouldna, should not.
Shouther, showther, shoulder.
Shure, shore (did shear).
Sic, such.
Siccan, such a.
Sicker, steady, certain; sicker score = strict conditions.
Sidelins, sideways.
Siller, silver; money in general.
Simmer, summer.
Sin, son.
Sin’, since.
Sindry, sundry.
Singet, singed, shriveled.
Sinn, the sun.
Sinny, sunny.
Skaith, damage.
Skeigh, skiegh, skittish.
Skellum, a good-for-nothing.
Skelp, a slap, a smack.
Skelp, to spank; skelpin at it = driving at it.
Skelpie-limmer’s-face, a technical term in female scolding (R. B.).
Skelvy, shelvy.
Skiegh, v. skeigh.
Skinking, watery.
Skinklin, glittering.
Skirl, to cry or sound shrilly.
Sklent, a slant, a turn.
Sklent, to slant, to squint, to cheat.
Skouth, scope.
Skriech, a scream.
Skriegh, to scream, to whinny.
Skyrin, flaring.
Skyte, squirt, lash.
Slade, slid.
Slae, the sloe.
Slap, a breach in a fence; a gate.
Slaw, slow.
Slee, sly, ingenious.
Sleekit, sleek, crafty.
Slidd’ry, slippery.
Sloken, to slake.
Slypet, slipped.
Sma’, small.
Smeddum, a powder.
Smeek, smoke.
Smiddy, smithy.
Smoor’d, smothered.
Smoutie, smutty.
Smytrie, a small collection; a litter.
Snakin, sneering.
Snap, smart.
Snapper, to stumble.
Snash, abuse.
Snaw, snow.
Snaw-broo, snow-brew (melted snow).
Sned, to lop, to prune.
Sneeshin mill, a snuff-box.
Snell, bitter, biting.
Snick, a latch; snick-drawing = scheming; he weel a snick can draw = he is good at cheating.
Snirtle, to snigger.
Snoods, fillets worn by maids.
Snool, to cringe, to snub.
Snoove, to go slowly.
Snowkit, snuffed.
Sodger, soger, a soldier.
Sonsie, sonsy, pleasant, good-natured, jolly.
Soom, to swim.
Soor, sour.
Sough, v. sugh.
Souk, suck.
Soupe, sup, liquid.
Souple, supple.
Souter, cobbler.
Sowens, porridge of oat flour.
Sowps, sups.
Sowth, to hum or whistle in a low tune.
Sowther, to solder.
Spae, to foretell.
Spails, chips.
Spairge, to splash; to spatter.
Spak, spoke.
Spates, floods.
Spavie, the spavin.
Spavit, spavined.
Spean, to wean.
Speat, a flood.
Speel, to climb.
Speer, spier, to ask.
Speet, to spit.
Spence, the parlor.
Spier, v. speer.
Spleuchan, pouch.
Splore, a frolic; a carousal.
Sprachl’d, clambered.
Sprattle, scramble.
Spreckled, speckled.
Spring, a quick tune; a dance.
Sprittie, full of roots or sprouts (a kind of rush).
Sprush, spruce.
Spunk, a match; a spark; fire, spirit.
Spunkie, full of spirit.
Spunkie, liquor, spirits.
Spunkies, jack-o’-lanterns, will-o’-wisps.
Spurtle-blade, the pot-stick.
Squatter, to flap.
Squattle, to squat; to settle.
Stacher, to totter.
Staggie, dim. of staig.
Staig, a young horse.
Stan’, stand.
Stane, stone.
Stan’t, stood.
Stang, sting.
Stank, a moat; a pond.
Stap, to stop.
Stapple, a stopper.
Stark, strong.
Starnies, dim. of starn, star.
Starns, stars.
Startle, to course.
Staumrel, half-witted.
Staw, a stall.
Staw, to surfeit; to sicken.
Staw, stole.
Stechin, cramming.
Steek, a stitch.
Steek, to shut; to close.
Steek, to shut; to touch, meddle with.
Steeve, compact.
Stell, a still.
Sten, a leap; a spring.
Sten’t, sprang.
Stented, erected; set on high.
Stents, assessments, dues.
Steyest, steepest.
Stibble, stubble.
Stibble-rig, chief reaper.
Stick-an-stowe, completely.
Stilt, limp (with the aid of stilts).
Stimpart, a quarter peck.
Stirk, a young bullock.
Stock, a plant of cabbage; colewort.
Stoited, stumbled.
Stoiter’d, staggered.
Stoor, harsh, stern.
Stoun’, pang, throb.
Stoure, dust.
Stourie, dusty.
Stown, stolen.
Stownlins, by stealth.
Stoyte, to stagger.
Strae death, death in bed. (i. e., on straw).
Staik, to stroke.
Strak, struck.
Strang, strong.
Straught, straight.
Straught, to stretch.
Streekit, stretched.
Striddle, to straddle.
Stron’t, lanted.
Strunt, liquor.
Strunt, to swagger.
Studdie, an anvil.
Stumpie, dim. of stump; a worn quill.
Sturt, worry, trouble.
Sturt, to fret; to vex.
Sturtin, frighted, staggered.
Styme, the faintest trace.
Sucker, sugar.
Sud, should.
Sugh, sough, sigh, moan, wail, swish.
Sumph, churl.
Sune, soon.
Suthron, southern.
Swaird, sward.
Swall’d, swelled.
Swank, limber.
Swankies, strapping fellows.
Swap, exchange.
Swapped, swopped, exchanged.
Swarf, to swoon.
Swat, sweated.
Swatch, sample.
Swats, new ale.
Sweer, v. dead-sweer.
Swirl, curl.
Swirlie, twisted, knaggy.
Swith, haste; off and away.
Swither, doubt, hesitation.
Swoom, swim.
Swoor, swore.
Sybow, a young union.
Syne, since, then.
T
Tack, possession, lease.
Tacket, shoe-nail.
Tae, to.
Tae, toe.
Tae’d, toed.
Taed, toad.
Taen, taken.
Taet, small quantity.
Tairge, to target.
Tak, take.
Tald, told.
Tane, one in contrast to other.
Tangs, tongs.
Tap, top.
Tapetless, senseless.
Tapmost, topmost.
Tappet-hen, a crested hen-shaped bottle holding three quarts of claret.
Tap-pickle, the grain at the top of the stalk.
Topsalteerie, topsy-turvy.
Targe, to examine.
Tarrow, to tarry; to be reluctant, to murmur; to weary.
Tassie, a goblet.
Tauk, talk.
Tauld, told.
Tawie, tractable.
Tawpie, a foolish woman.
Tawted, matted.
Teats, small quantities.
Teen, vexation.
Tell’d, told.
Temper-pin, a fiddle-peg; the regulating pin of the spinning-wheel.
Tent, heed.
Tent, to tend; to heed; to observe.
Tentie, watchful, careful, heedful.
Tentier, more watchful.
Tentless, careless.
Tester, an old silver coin about sixpence in value.
Teugh, tough.
Teuk, took.
Thack, thatch; thack and rape = the covering of a house, and so, home necessities.
Thae, those.
Thairm, small guts; catgut (a fiddle-string).
Theckit, thatched.
Thegither, together.
Thick, v. pack an’ thick.
Thieveless, forbidding, spiteful.
Thiggin, begging.
Thir, these.
Thirl’d, thrilled.
Thole, to endure; to suffer.
Thou’se, thou shalt.
Thowe, thaw.
Thowless, lazy, useless.
Thrang, busy; thronging in crowds.
Thrang, a throng.
Thrapple, the windpipe.
Thrave, twenty-four sheaves of corn.
Thraw, a twist.
Thraw, to twist; to turn; to thwart.
Thraws, throes.
Threap, maintain, argue.
Threesome, trio.
Thretteen, thirteen.
Thretty, thirty.
Thrissle, thistle.
Thristed, thirsted.
Through, mak to through = make good.
Throu’ther (through other), pell-mell.
Thummart, polecat.
Thy lane, alone.
Tight, girt, prepared.
Till, to.
Till’t, to it.
Timmer, timber, material.
Tine, to lose; to be lost.
Tinkler, tinker.
Tint, lost
Tippence, twopence.
Tip, v. toop.
Tirl, to strip.
Tirl, to knock for entrance.
Tither, the other.
Tittlin, whispering.
Tocher, dowry.
Tocher, to give a dowry.
Tocher-gude, marriage portion.
Tod, the fox.
To-fa’, the fall.
Toom, empty.
Toop, tup, ram.
Toss, the toast.
Toun, town; farm steading.
Tousie, shaggy.
Tout, blast.
Tow, flax, a rope.
Towmond, towmont, a twelvemonth.
Towsing, rumpling (equivocal).
Toyte, to totter.
Tozie, flushed with drink.
Trams, shafts.
Transmogrify, change.
Trashtrie, small trash.
Trews, trousers.
Trig, neat, trim.
Trinklin, flowing.
Trin’le, the wheel of a barrow.
Trogger, packman.
Troggin, wares.
Troke, to barter.
Trouse, trousers.
Trowth, in truth.
Trump, a jew’s harp.
Tryste, a fair; a cattle-market.
Trysted, appointed.
Trysting, meeting.
Tulyie, tulzie, a squabble; a tussle.
Twa, two.
Twafauld, twofold, double.
Twal, twelve; the twal = twelve at night.
Twalpennie worth, a penny worth (English money).
Twang, twinge.
Twa-three, two or three.
Tway, two.
Twin, twine, to rob; to deprive; bereave.
Twistle, a twist; a sprain.
Tyke, a dog.
Tyne, v. tine.
Tysday, Tuesday.
U
Ulzie, oil.
Unchancy, dangerous.
Unco, remarkably, uncommonly, excessively.
Unco, remarkable, uncommon, terrible (sarcastic).
Uncos, news, strange things, wonders.
Unkend, unknown.
Unsicker, uncertain.
Unskaithed, unhurt.
Usquabae, usquebae, whisky.
V
Vauntie, proud.
Vera, very.
Virls, rings.
Vittle, victual, grain, food.
Vogie, vain.
W
Wa’, waw, a wall.
Wab, a web.
Wabster, a weaver.
Wad, to wager.
Wad, to wed.
Wad, would, would have.
Wad’a, would have.
Wadna, would not.
Wadset, a mortgage.
Wae, woful, sorrowful.
Wae, wo; wae’s me = wo is to me.
Waesucks, alas!
Wae worth, wo befall.
Wair, v. ware.
Wale, to choose.
Wale, choice.
Walie, wawlie, choice, ample, large.
Wallop, to kick; to dangle; to gallop; to dance.
Waly fa’, ill befall!
Wame, the belly.
Wamefou, bellyful.
Wan, won.
Wanchancie, dangerous.
Wanrestfu’, restless.
Ware, wair, to spend; bestow.
Ware, worn.
Wark, work.
Wark-lume, tool.
Warl’, warld, world.
Warlock, a wizard
Warl’y, warldly, worldly.
Warran, warrant.
Warse, worse.
Warsle, warstle, wrestle.
Wast, west.
Wastrie, waste.
Wat, wet.
Wat, wot, know.
Water-fit, water-foot (the river’s mouth).
Water-kelpies, v. kelpies.
Wauble, to wobble.
Waught, a draft.
Wauk, to awake.
Wauken, to awaken.
Waukin, awake.
Waukit (with toil), horny.
Waukrife, wakeful.
Waulie, jolly.
Waur, worse.
Waur, to worst.
Waur’t, worsted, beat.
Wean (wee one), a child.
Weanies, babies.
Weason, weasand.
Wecht, a measure for corn.
Wee, a little; a wee = a short space or time.
Wee things, children.
Weel, well.
Weel-faured, well-favored.
Weel-gaun, well-going.
Weel-hain’d, well-saved.
Weepers, mournings (on the steeve or hat).
Werena, were not.
We’se, we shall.
Westlin, western.
Wha, who.
Whaizle, wheeze.
Whalpet, whelped.
Wham, whom.
Whan, when.
Whang, a shive.
Whang, flog.
Whar, whare, where.
Wha’s, whose.
Wha’s, who is.
Whase, whose.
What for, whatfore, wherefore.
Whatna, what.
What reck, what matter; nevertheless.
Whatt, whittled.
Whaup, the curlew.
Whaur, where.
Wheep, v. penny-wheep.
Wheep, jerk.
Whid, a fib.
Whiddin, scudding.
Whids, gambols.
Whigmeleeries, crotches.
Whingin, whining.
Whins, furze.
Whirlygigums, flourishes.
Whist, silence.
Whissle, whistle.
Whitter, a draft.
Whittle, a knife.
Wi’, with.
Wick a bore, hit a curling-stone obliquely and send it through an opening.
Wi’s, with his.
Wi’t, with it.
Widdifu’, gallows-worthy.
Widdle, wriggle.
Wiel, eddy.
Wight, strong, stout.
Wighter, more influential.
Willcat, wildcat.
Willyart, disordered.
Wimple, to meander.
Win, won.
Winn, to winnow.
Winna, will not.
Winnin, winding.
Winnock, window.
Winnock-bunker, v. bunker.
Win’t, did wind.
Wintle, a somersault.
Wintle, to stagger; to swing; to wriggle.
Winze, a curse.
Wiss, wish.
Won, to dwell.
Wonner, a wonder.
Woo’, wool.
Woodie, woody, a rope (originally of withes); a gallows rope.
Woodies, twigs, withes.
Wooer-babs, love-knots.
Wordy, worthy.
Worset, worsted.
Worth, v. wae worth.
Wraith, ghost.
Wrang, wrong.
Wud, wild, mad.
Wumble, wimble.
Wyliecoat, undervest.
Wyte (weight), blame.
Wyte, to blame; to reproach.
Y
Yard, a garden; a stackyard.
Yaud, an old mare.
Yealings, coevals.
Yell, dry (milkless).
Yerd, earth.
Yerkit, jerked.
Yerl, earl.
Ye’se, ye shall.
Yestreen, last night.
Yett, a gate.
Yeuk, to itch.
Yill, ale.
Yill-Caup, ale-stoup.
Yird, yearth, earth.
Yokin, yoking; a spell; a day’s work.
Yon, yonder.
Yont, beyond.
Yowe, ewe.
Yowie, dim. of ewe; a pet ewe.
Yule, Christmas.
Ellisland Farm, northwest of Dumfries in village of Auldgirth, was built by Burns, who lived and farmed there from 1788 to 1791.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE.
THE CLARINDA LETTERS.
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE (continued).
THE THOMSON LETTERS.
Detailed Table of Contents for the letters
The Statue of Burns in Dumfries town centre, unveiled in 1882
INTRODUCTION
It is not perhaps generally known that the prose of Burns exceeds in quantity his verse. The world remembers him as a poet, and forgets or overlooks his letters. His place among the poets has never been denied — it is in the first rank; nor is he lowest, though little remembered, among letter-writers. His letters gave Jeffrey a higher opinion of him as a man than did his poetry, though on both alike the critic saw the seal and impress of genius. Dugald Stewart thought his letters objects of wonder scarcely less than his poetry.
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