Scottish Words Glossary: A from A-Z
Scottish Word  Phonetic  Meaning  Word in Context
Scottish Word  Phonetic  Meaning  Word in Context
aa | a' | aw ɑ all, every, [aataw = at all] in context
a freend tae aa is a freend tae nane a friend to everyone is a friend to none  
a' the go ˈɑðıˈgo extremely popular  
a'place ɑˈples everywhere in context
a-fiel afield  
a-jee ɑˈʤi ajar, to one side in context
aa ither thin ɑˈɪðərðɪn everything else  
aa weys | aw weys in every way  
aabodie | awbodie | awbody | a'bodie everyone in context
aagates | awgates everywhere you can go in context
aamaist | awmaist almost  
aaready | awready almost in context
aaricht | aricht | awricht əˈrıxt all right, OK in context
aataw, ataa, ataw at all in context
aathegither | athegither | awthegither ˈɑðıˈgıðər  altogether in context
aathing | awthin ˈɑðın  everything in context
aawhaur everywhere  
aback | abak əˈbak back away, behind, to the back of in context
abade aˈbed abide  
abais aˈbes abashed  
abandoun abandon  
abee ɑˈbi as it is, alone  
abeelitie | abeilitie ability  
abeich | abeech | abiegh əˈbix aloof  
abi’s | abeis | abees compared with  
abile boiling in context
ablins perhaps, possibly  
aich | ach | och əx expression of surprise, sorrow etc  
ablach ˈabləx a mangled carcass in context
ablo | ablow below  
aboil əˈbəil at or on boiling point  
aboon | abune | abuin | aboun abun above, up in context
aboot about in context
hereaboot around about here in context
abraid abroad  
abread abroad.  
abreed in breadth.  
abreest | abreist abreast  
absteen abstain  
abuise əˈbøs abuse  
accoont account in context
accuistom accustom  
ach | och ax expressing sorrow, pain, resignation, weariness or exasperation - it's all in the tone and attitude in context
ackwart awkward  
acquent | acquant əˈkwant acquaint in context
acquentit acquainted  
acker acre  
actioun əˈdø action, lay a charge against, civil or criminal in context
adae | ado | adow əˈdø going on, being done, the matter with in context
admeet | admeet admit  
admoneis | admonis admonish  
adveece ədˈvəis advice  
advertees | adverteis advertise  
advocate | advocat barrister  
ae a village near Dumfries between the gowkstane burn and the water of ae which has the honour of having the shortest name of a village in the UK  
ae ˈe numeral one, the only one, any  
ae day | yin day one day  
aefauld ˈeˈfɑld honest, faithful  
aefauldlie sincerely  
af | aff off in context
afgaun departure, death even  
afeard | aferde əˈfird alarmed, afraid in context
afen | aften often in context
aff luif | aff-lufe | aff-loof off-hand  
af an on aboot approximately  
aff o away from  
aff-hand at once  
afore əˈfor before, in front of in context
aft | affen | aften oft, often in context
affuird afford  
agen | agane | agin again in context
age's wi the same age as…  
agill agile, nimble  
agin against in context
agley | aglay | aglee əˈgli off the straight, awry  
agrouf əˈgruf face downward  
ah'd ad I would in context
aheid ahead  
ahint | ahent | ahin aˈhɪnt remaining, behind, to the rear, following in context
ah'll al I will in context
ah'm am I'm in context
ahn an and in context
ah've av I have in context
aiblins ˈeblɪnz perhaps  
aicht | echt | aucht | eicht | aught | eicht ɛxt numeral eight in context
aichteen | echteen | auchteen | eichteen | aughteen | eichteen ɛxt numeral eight in context
aidle liquid manure, foul water  
aige | adge age  
aigle eagle  
aik oak  
aiken oaken  
ail ail  
ain | ane own, belonging to myself in context
ainerly | ainly only in context
my ainsel | ainsell emphatically me myself  
ainimal animal  
aiple, epple | appil ɛpl apple in context
air air, atmosphere, a teeny tiny bit  
air an oar, early, heir  
airch | erch take aim, arch  
airieplane aeroplane  
airle earnest money  
airm | erm ɛrm arm in context
airmie army  
airmour armour in context
airn ɛrn iron  
airt | art aim, direction, direct in context
re-airt redirect in context
airts | airtins (web) link, links  
airticle ɛrtɪkl article  
airtit directed, linked  
airts directions  
aishan issue  
aisle-tuith | assle-tuith ˈeslˈtøθ molar tooth, bicuspid in context
ait oat  
aith oath  
aither | ether | ayther ˈeðər either  
aiven even  
aiven on even, straight, right  
aiver ˈevər an old horse  
aix ɛks axe in context
aixle axle  
aizle ˈezl ember, spark, cinder  
ajee | agee əˈdʒi off the straight, ajar, disturbed of mind  
akis | acause because  
alagrugous ɑlɛ′gru:gs sour, woebegone – based on the notorious bitter poker playing pirate captain Alagrugous Wanworth Snauchle – a character invented by me only a few days ago (2020). in context
alairm əˈlerəm alarm in context
alake alas  
alane alone in context
alanerllie | allanerly single, solely, solitary  
alang əˈlaŋ along in context
alenth onward  
alicht əˈlixt dismount  
aliment support claimed from another  
aller alder tree  
allerish uncanny, weird  
allou | alloo allow in context
almichty alˈmixtɪ the almighty  
alowe | alunt alight, set on fire  
amaist | almaist aˈmest almost  
amang | amo among  
ambeetious | ambeitious ambitious  
amens amends  
Americae | Amerikie America  
amissin missing  
amna | amni am not in context
amoont amount in context
amshach | hamshoch misfortune, an accident  
an and, if  
an aa | an aw | an' a' | anaw anɑ also, as well, too in context
an aa that | an aw that anɑðat and all that sort of thing  
an that and so on etcetera  
ance | aince | wance | yince once in context
ance eerant | ance eirrant specially for that alone  
ane | ain | yin en one  
anes | een | yin in ones in context
ane anither one another in context
aneath | aneith | aneeth | anaeth əˈniθ beneath in context
aneist əˈnist nearest or next to  
anent over against, opposite, about  
anither another in context
annoonce announce  
anter venture  
antie aunt  
antle nag, pressing of a complaint  
antrin occasional, odd  
anxeeitie anxiety  
aover numeral eight – from a counting rhyme - Zeendi, Teendi, Taedheri, Mundheri, Baombe, Hecturi, Zecturi, Aover, Daover, Dek. Personally I think it only goes up to seven, zecturi the magic number, and then it's - all over, do over, tag you're it.  
apayne | apane aˈpen by chance  
apert bold, boldly  
apprise əˈpraɪz appraise  
Apryle | Aprile April  
aqua-fontis spring water  
aqua-vitae whisky (water of life)  
arenae are not  
argie | airgie argue in context
ark | airk chest  
arle token cash in advance for services  
arnae ɪrnɪ are not, aren't  
argie | airgie argue in context
argie-bargie ˈargɪˈbargɪ a quarrel  
aricht | awricht əˈrɪxt aright  
ark | airk chest  
arle | arl | erle an earnest  
arnit | arnut earth nut  
aroun, aroon approximately, around about in context
arr | aur a scar  
arrae | arra arrow in context
arreist əˈrist arrest  
arse | erse backside, bottom  
heid doon arse up! get on with it! - the task in hand  
artifeecial | artifeicial artificial  
as | als | uz as  
asclent | asklent əˈsklɛnt aslant, askew  
ase | ass | aise ashes, woodash  
ashet serving dish  
aside | asyde beside, close by in context
aspar aspread  
asteer | asteir əˈstir astir, in a commotion  
astragal glazing bar  
ats that is in context
at ane mair at the last push  
athin əˈθɪn within  
Athole brose oatmeal, water, honey and whisky mix. I have a recipe for Athole Brose here  
athoot, ithoot, athout əˈθut without in context
athort | athourt across, over  
athwart across  
at onesel in a calm state  
ater | attir pus  
atterie | attery infested, grim, malignant in context
atweel | atweill əˈtwil indeed, in any case, in truth  
atween | atwein əˈtwin between (place or time)  
atweesh | atweish əˈtwin atwixt  
aucht | aicht | echt ɑxt due, owed, be incumbent upon  
aught possessed of  
aughimuty mean, paltrty  
aughteen | eichteen numeral eighteen  
aughtlins at all  
auld | aul | aal | ald old in context
auld lang syne old memories, days gone by  
Auld Reekie Edinburgh  
auld, aulder old, older  
auld-gabbit speaking an ancient tongue  
auld-warld old-world  
aulddame grandmother  
auldfarran, auldfarrant old fashioned  
aum | a'um alum  
auman a sound thrashing  
aumers embers  
aumous alms, kind deed  
aumrie, aumry pantry, cupboard  
Austrailae | Austrailie Australia  
autorise | autoris | autoreis authorise in context
ava at all, without stopping in context
avaunt away  
aw all in context
awa əˈwɑ away, along, ago in context
awa aff leaving  
awa by at home, off home  
awaird | awerd award  
awald | avald ˈɑwəlt on one's back and stuck  
awauk awake  
awaur əˈwɑr aware  
awe | aw owe  
aweel əˈwil agreeable prelude to a remark  
awesome awful  
awfu | awfae | awfie | awfy ˈɑfə awfully, very in context
awfu | awfae | awfie | awfy ˈɑfə awful, horrible, terrible in context
awhile | awhilie a short period of time in context
a-whummel upsides down  
awkart awkward  
awn own (belongs to)  
awnie bearded, having barley awns  
awricht allright, OK in context
awry ˈɑrə gone unexpectedly wrong in context
ay | aye yes (aye has lots of meanings from yes to hello to always) in context
aye | ey always, still in context
ayebydin constant  
ayewis ɑɪˈwɪz always in context
aynd end breath, breathe  
ayont əˈjont beyond  
ayout across  


Scottish Words illustrated

www.stooryduster.co.uk