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Spik
The living Shetland dialect dictionary — thousands of wirds, with meanings, pronunciations and examples.
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C wirds
171 wirds
- caanoun
/KAA/
a driven group of animals
“A'm drivin the caa tae da hill”
- caa cannyverb phrase
/KAA-KAN-ee/
proceed slowly and with caution
“Caa canny wi the boat.”
- caa tönoun
/KAA-TUH/
a noisy commotion or fuss
“A caa tö gaed oan efter the match.”
- caain timenoun
/KAYN-tym/
Season for bringing hill sheep home
“Noo's caain time, aa'll hing tae the brae.”
- caaldnoun
/KAALD/
Mild cold affecting nose and throat
“Ah've got a caald.”
- caald rifeadjective
/CAWLD-REEF/
Bitingly cold; frosty social mood
“Da caald rife at da meetin made me gan hame”
- caavverb
/KAAV/
snow swept by wind; eat greedily
“He caav the fish afore us aw”
- caavienoun
/KAA-vee/
severe snowstorm with drifting snow
“There's a caavie comin the nicht”
- cabbi labbinoun
/KAB-ee LAB-ee/
noisy jumble of overlapping voices
“Da hoose was fu' o' cabbi labbi.”
- caddelnoun
/KAD-uhl/
coloured thread used to mark sheep
“Hae ye put the caddel on the new lamb?”
- cadgeverb
/KAJ/
Beg or sponge off someone
“He's aye cadgin' frae the neebors”
- cadgernoun
/CAD-juh/
person who habitually asks for alms
“Da cadger's aye at da kirk door.”
- caerdnoun
/KAYRD/
hand tool for combing wool fibres
“Mi mither aye keeps the caerd clean.”
- caerdinnoun
/KAIR-din/
women's social visit for carding wool
“A'm gaen til caerdin the morn”
- caffnoun
/KAF/
dry flaky husks from threshed grain
“Da farmer piled the caff by the midden.”
- calafinenoun
/KAL-uh-FINE/
graphite writing and drawing pencil
“Gie's the calafine, A'm gaein tae draw.”
- calloonoun
/ka-LOO/
Shetland name for long-tailed duck
“Da calloo lit on the skerry”
- cam o da kindverb phrase
/KAM-uh-da-KYND/
to be of that sort
“Da lad's cam o da kind.”
- cammiroaginsnoun
/KAM-ee-ROH-ginz/
child from secret sexual liaison
“Da cammiroagins wis hid till the bairn grew up.”
- camshiousadjective
/KAM-shus/
Prone to being contrary and critical
“Da lass is aye camshious at the table.”
- canmodal verb
/KAN/
able to do or get done
“If the tide's reet, we can land noo.”
- cangleverb
/KANG-gul/
To argue or bicker with someone
“Maggie an Jock cangle ower da fish”
- cannamodal verb
/KAN-uh/
not able to do something
“Ah canna dae that.”
- cannynoun
/KAN-ee/
skipper's steering seat on a sixareen
“Skipper sat in the canny haudin the helm alang his shooder.”
- cantnoun
/KANT/
a person's general mood or spirits
“He's in a reet cant the noo.”
- cantyadjective
/KANT-ee/
cheerful, lively, in good spirits
“Da auld man sat canty by da fire.”
- cappienoun
/KAP-ee/
small wooden bowl or fishing sinker
“Gie's the cappie, I'm gaun oot tae cast.”
- carvy seedsnoun
/KAR-vee SEEDZ/
Aromatic seeds used to flavour food
“Pit a wheen carvy seeds oan the bannocks.”
- case alaekadverbial phrase
/KAYS-ah-LAYK/
makes no real difference
“Tak the red yin or the blue yin, case alaek.”
- cassenadjective
/KAS-en/
slightly spoiled, beginning to go off
“Da fish is a wee cassen, dinna eat it.”
- castnoun
/KAST/
method or manner of working
“He's aye got a braw cast wi the net.”
- cat aetnoun
/KAT-ayt/
Lively fuss or excited commotion
“Dinnae mak sic a cat aet.”
- cat waanoun
/KAT-WAH/
low partial interior dividing wall
“Pit da kettle on da cat waa.”
- catmoagitadjective
/kat-MOH-git/
Sheep paler above, darker on belly
“Da catmoagit stans oot amang t'ither ewes.”
- catticloonoun
/KAT-ik-loo/
raucous, unruly, boisterous crowd
“Yon catticloo's makin' sic a skirl.”
- cautionnoun
/KAW-shun/
amusing, eccentric, droll local character
“Yon caution aye maks a'body lauch wi his daft ways.”
- claaverb
/KLAH/
scratch or scrape with the nails
“Da cat claa da doo”
- claagintransitive verb
/KLAAG/
sharp clucking of a hen
“Da hen startit tae claag when Ah cam hame.”
- clachternoun
/KLAKH-ter/
group of eggs laid at once
“Da hen laid a clachter at da back o' da byre.”
- clagverb
/KLAG/
to stick or make things stick
“Da mud'll clag oan ma boots.”
- claggyadjective
/KLAG-ee/
gummy and likely to stick
“Da porridge is gey claggy.”
- clairadjective
/KLAIR/
Ready or set up for use
“Da boat is clair tae gae.”
- clampnoun
/KLAMP/
Small patch used to mend holes
“Gie me a clamp for ma breeks.”
- clapverb
/KLAP/
Briefly close or rest the eyes
“Ah'll clap ma een on yon boat.”
- clashverb
/KLASH/
chat informally, exchange local gossip
“A'll clash wi her efter tea”
- clashmeltnoun
/KLASH-melt/
a filthy, untidy squalid muddle
“Da hoose's a pure clashmelt.”
- clashpienoun
/KLASH-pee/
gossip who betrays confidences
“Dinnae mind her, she's a clashpie.”
- clatchnoun
/KLATCH/
Sticky lump; also clumsy person
“There's a clatch oan da pan.”
- cleeknoun
/KLEEK/
curved hook for catching or pulling
“Gi'e me the cleek an I'll tak the lobster oot”
- clegsienoun
/KLEG-see/
Large blood-sucking fly that bites horses
“Yon clegsie aye stangs the mare”
- clertverb
/KLERT/
smear or soil with sticky substance
“Dinna clert yer boots wi mud.”
- clesterverb
/KLES-tuh/
smear with sticky or greasy substance
“Dae nae clester the table wi yer hauns”
- cleveradjective
/KLEV-er/
quick to understand and respond
“He's a clever wan at mendin' nets.”
- clewnoun
/KLOO/
Wound ball of yarn for knitting
“Haud the clew, the cat's playin' wi't.”
- clewballnoun
/KLOO-bawl/
tangled mass of rope or yarn
“Ther's a clewball i' t' net.”
- clicktransitive verb
/KLIK/
to grab something quickly and furtively
“He did click the scone aff the tray an awa”
- clinkverb
/KLINK/
bend over nail end to secure
“Gie me the hammer an A'll clink that nail.”
- clinkinadjective
/KLIN-kin/
Extremely good or impressively excellent
“Dat's clinkin!”
- clipnoun
/KLIP/
Long handled pole with a hook
“Gie's the clip an' Aw'll snag thon cod oot.”
- clipenoun
/KLEEP/
a tattler or informer
“Yon clipe's nae welcome here”
- clivnoun
/KLEEV/
horny foot of a hoofed animal
“Da cliv's crackit, gie 't tae the farrier.”
- clivgengnoun
/KLIHV-GENG/
Clatter of hooves; orderly procession
“Aa seen da clivgeng doon by da pier”
- clocknoun
/KLOK/
small hard-shelled beetle insect
“Thar's a wee clock in da jam jar”
- clockinadjective
/KLOK-in/
Inclined to sit and hatch eggs
“Da hen's clockin an winna leave”
- clocks middernoun
/KLOKS MID-der/
mother hen with her brood
“Da clocks midder is mindin her wee brood.”
- clodnoun
/KLOD/
small hard lump of peat
“Mind the clod, it's gey hard.”
- clookyadjective
/KLOO-kee/
Sly, prone to cunning and deceit
“Da's a clooky yin, mind yersel.”
- cloorverb
/KLOOR/
To scratch with nails or claws
“Da cat cloor da soffa.”
- clootnoun
/KLOOT/
Sheet of fabric, often a sail
“We'll gie da cloot a guid mend afore we gang oot.”
- clooternoun
/KLOO-ter/
noisy, clumsy heavy footed tread
“She cam intil da hoose wi a clooter”
- clossnoun
/KLOSS/
short narrow lane between houses
“Tak the closs tae the ferry”
- cloweinterjection
/KLOH/
brusque order to be quiet
“He gied a clowe.”
- clumpverb
/KLUMP/
to walk with heavy thudding steps
“He aye clumps alang da shore.”
- clumpseverb
/KLUMPZ/
stun or overwhelm into speechlessness
“That clumpse me clean awa.”
- clunkverb
/KLUNK/
Take a large, noisy swallow
“He gied a clunk frae the bottle.”
- clushitadjective
/KLUH-shit/
Very awkward and prone to stumbling
“He's clushit, aways stumblin aboot.”
- clyersnoun
/KLEE-erz/
small glands in a sheep's stomach
“Gie the clyers a keek in the buik.”
- coagverb
/KOHG/
to look closely, often squinting
“Coag a wee an ye'll ken whit I'm pointin' tae.”
- coarnnoun
/KAWRN/
a tiny portion or small amount
“Gie me a coarn.”
- cockieverb
/KOK-ee/
to empty one's bowels; defecate
“Da dug went oot tae cockie.”
- cockiesnoun
/KOK-eez/
informal plural term for faeces
“Dinna trample da cockies, bairn.”
- coftverb
/KOHFT/
bought; obtained by payment
“A've coft a wee loaf frae the bake-hoose.”
- cognoun
/KOG/
small wooden boat or tub
“Ah'll row the cog tae the voe.”
- cölverb
/KOOL/
To make or become cool
“Lat da tea cöl a wee”
- colenoun
/KOHL/
compact mound of drying cut hay
“Aa'll tak the cole hame.”
- collnoun
/KOL/
glowing ember or coal fragment
“Dinna throw da coll awa, it micht licht da heather.”
- coll slockadjective
/KOL-SLOK/
completely extinguished or out
“Da fire is coll slock noo.”
- collcoomedadjective
/KOL-KOOMD/
completely charred, turned to ash
“Da hoose is collcoomed.”
- cöllieverb
/KOL-ee/
Pamper or dote to soothe
“Mither cöllied the wee bairn an it soon stopped greetin.”
- cölliknoun
/KOL-ik/
edible bivalve shellfish found on shores
“Ah fand a cöllik oan the strand.”
- collynoun
/KOL-ee/
small shallow iron oil lamp
“Da colly's fair gaein oot.”
- collyshangnoun
/KOL-ee-SHANG/
loud, disorderly argument or quarrel
“A collyshang brak oot at da ferry tiday.”
- comeverb
/KUM/
Move or arrive; happen; become
“He'll come roond yet”
- condwinedadjective
/KON-DWYND/
Deserving strong dislike or loathing
“That shop's condwined, fowk gie it a wide berth.”
- coonoun
/KOO/
Shetland dialect word for cow
“Da coo is oot on da brae.”
- coomnoun
/KOOM/
very fine powdery dust particles
“Da coom's aw ower ma claes”
- coorseadjective
/KOORS/
Rough, stormy weather; unsettled conditions
“It's coorse oot.”
- coosenoun
/KOOS/
Heap or mound of things
“Ther's a coose o kelp on the strand”
- cootchverb
/KOOTCH/
coat fishing nets with tar or oil
“Ah'll cootch da net the morn”
- corbienoun
/KOR-bee/
raven; guttural rolled r sound
“Da corbie's sittin on the dyke”
- corpnoun
/KORP/
dead human body; a corpse
“They brung the corp hame yestreen”
- coseverb
/KOHZ/
swap goods or services without money
“Ah'll cose ma tatties for his herrin.”
- coshadjective
/KOSH/
friendly and warmly welcoming in manner
“She's gey cosh tae visitors.”
- cöstpreposition
/KOST/
marks possession, origin, or relationship
“Da boat cöst Willie is i da voe”
- cötnoun
/KUT/
Ankle; also figurative for brooding
“Mind yer cöt on da stane.”
- cöttikennoun
/KUT-ti-ken/
short sock reaching to the ankle
“Dinna forget yer cöttiken.”
- cottsnoun
/KOTS/
Traditional women's petticoats or skirts
“Shi hed her cotts on.”
- coupverb
/KOOP/
To tip over; boat overturning
“Mind da tide, or da boat wull coup.”
- couplenoun
/KUP-uhl/
one of a paired roof rafter
“Haud the couple while A nail the boards.”
- craanoun
/KRAW/
hooded crow with grey body
“Da craa's taen ma bait.”
- craa's treadnoun
/KRAWS-TRED/
Very small hen's egg, seasonal sign
“Ah foond a craa's tread i' t' nest, sae the hen's stoppit layin'.”
- craaheadnoun
/KRAH-HEED/
Chimney head projecting above roof
“Da craahead's spittin oot verra black soot.”
- craataenoun
/KRAA-tuh/
small yellow buttercup-like wildflower
“I seen a wee craatae doon by the burn”
- crabbitadjective
/KRAB-it/
bad-tempered, easily annoyed and sullen
“Da auld man is crabbit tiday”
- crachtlessadjective
/KRAKT-less/
lacking strength or power
“He wis crachtless efter da fever.”
- cracknoun
/KRACK/
lively chat, tale, or good laugh
“Ye'll hae braw crack at the ceilidh.”
- crackernoun
/KRACK-er/
Person from Bressay in Shetland
“Yon cracker's aye ready for a blether.”
- craetirnoun
/KRAY-tir/
pitied or affectionate term for someone
“Da craetir's aiblins no himsel' the day.”
- craignoun
/KRAYG/
the neck or throat area
“Da dug's got a wee nick oan its craig.”
- craigsnoun
/KRAYGS/
rocky coastal ledges used for fishing
“A wis oot at the craigs yestreen.”
- craigsaetnoun
/KRAYG-SAT/
rocky fishing ledge on a crag
“He gaed til da craigsaet tae fish.”
- craigstanenoun
/KRAYG-stayn/
large projecting rock or crag
“A'll meet ye by the craigstane.”
- cramverb
/KRAM/
Scratch or rake with claws
“Da puss aye cram oan da door.”
- crammicksnoun
/KRAM-iks/
sharp nails on a cat's paws
“Mind the crammicks on da cat.”
- crampernoun
/KRAMP-er/
quirky, amusing or eccentric local person
“He's a richt cramper, ken.”
- crangnoun
/KRANG/
remains of a dead animal
“Yon crang's fair stinkit.”
- crappinnoun
/KRAP-in/
Seasoned fish livers cooked in head
“Mither's crappin is aye braw”
- creeksnoun
/KREEKS/
Aching, stiff legs after much walking
“Aw'm creeks efter da lang walk”
- creeksitadjective
/KREEK-sit/
Physically weak; in poor health
“Da auld man canna mak da brae, he's creeksit.”
- creepienoun
/KREE-pee/
low three-legged wooden stool
“Pit the creepie by the ingle.”
- creeshnoun
/KREESH/
Greasy fatty substance used for cooking
“Pit the creesh oan the pan”
- creeshyadjective
/KREE-shee/
Oily and slippery; covered in fat
“Mind ye, da pier's creeshy.”
- crexverb
/KREKS/
harsh throat clearing cough sound
“He gied a crex an spat.”
- crimverb
/KRIM/
short cough to show disapproval
“She gied a wee crim at him.”
- crimpadjective
/KRIMP/
Tight-fitting or small in size
“Da tee's crimp oan me.”
- cringnoun
/KRING/
pair of lambs joined by ring
“Ah saw a cring at da pen this morn”
- cronoun
/KROH/
small enclosed cupboard-like storage nook
“Gie me the candles frae the cro”
- crönoun
/KRUH/
Stone built pen for sheltering sheep
“Shut the ewes intae the crö.”
- crölnoun
/KROEL/
rounded hump on a back
“Da pony hev a wee cröl.”
- crooelsnoun
/KROO-uhlz/
Oozing tubercular skin ulcers
“He haes crooels oan his leg.”
- croogverb
/KROOG/
squat down close to the ground
“She croog doon by the dyke.”
- crooknoun
/KRUK/
hook for pot; sheep ear mark
“Da crook's missin frae the beam.”
- crook baaknoun
/KRUK-BAAK/
Beam over hearth for hanging pots
“Hing the pot oan the crook baak.”
- croon ida liftnoun
/KROON-EE-dah-LIFT/
Point directly overhead in sky
“Luk up tae da croon ida lift.”
- croonernoun
/KROO-nur/
reddish bottom-dwelling sea fish
“Ah hed a bonnie crooner yestreen.”
- crooseadjective
/KROOS/
Cheerful, lively; in good spirits
“Da bairn's croose wi' his new toy”
- croppenedadjective
/KROP-uhnd/
shrunken and puckered out of shape
“Ma jumper's croppened efter bein left oan t' line.”
- crubnoun
/KRUB/
small round stone cabbage enclosure
“Yon crub's ful o' kail.”
- crubbitadjective
/KRUB-it/
kept in a small cramped space
“Da bairn's aw crubbit i' that sma room.”
- crugverb
/KRUG/
crouch down for shelter from weather
“They crug agin the dyke.”
- crugsetverb
/KRUG-set/
Drive animals into a confined spot
“Ah'll crugset the lamb intae the pen.”
- crumpverb
/KRUMP/
crunching underfoot on ice or snow
“I heerd a crump unner ma shuin.”
- cruttlenoun
/KRUT-ul/
soft throaty bubbling gurgle
“Da kettle mek a wee cruttle.”
- cryverb
/KRAI/
to call out or proclaim
“He gied a wild cry at da harbour”
- cry reckadverbial phrase
/KRAI-REK/
Close enough to be heard
“I shoutit frae da shore an Fergie wis cry reck on da pier”
- cuddienoun
/KUD-ee/
small hanging basket for holding salt
“Pit the cuddie oan the ingle.”
- cuddynoun
/KUD-ee/
small cabin or sheltered nook
“He sat i' the cuddy wi a wee lamp.”
- cuggleverb
/KUG-uhl/
to make sway or wobble
“Dinnae cuggle the cradle, the bairn's near asleep.”
- cugglyadjective
/KUG-lee/
Unsteady on one's feet; slightly tipsy
“He cam hame cuggly.”
- cummelverb
/KUM-mel/
Turn something upside down
“Dinna cummel the boat, ye'll tak in watter.”
- cüriousadjective
/KYUR-ee-us/
eager and keen to learn
“A'm cürious fit ye'll dae.”
- curl dodienoun
/KURL-DOH-dee/
Shetland name for wild orchid
“Ah saw a bonnie curl dodie on the brae.”
- curnnoun
/KURN/
small tart berry used for preserves
“Ah'll mak curn jam the morn.”
- curn loffnoun
/KURN-LOF/
Sweet yeast loaf with dried fruit
“Tak a slice o curn loff, it's gey braw.”
- curny puddinnoun
/KUR-nee PUD-in/
Shetland steamed pudding with currants
“We'll hae curny puddin efter tea.”
- currieadjective
/KURR-ee/
Causing affection; charming and lovable
“Da wee bairn is pure currie.”
- curry raagnoun
/KUR-ee-RAHG/
Someone's business or social dealings
“Dinna meddle wi the curry raag o' the neebors.”
- cussienoun
/KUS-ee/
affectionate name for a small cow
“Ah'll aye keep the cussie wi' me.”
- cutnoun
/KUT/
a large portion or helping
“Gie me a cut o the cake”
- cuttanoynoun
/KUT-uh-noy/
noisy commotion; fuss or disturbance
“Gae see the cuttanoy at da harbour.”
- cuttynoun
/KUT-ee/
short stubby clay tobacco pipe
“Gie me ma cutty”