An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language Part 78

An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language Part 78

Mr Macpherson, vo. _Bysynt_, mentions A. S. _bysmorfull_, horrendus.


Isl. _bysmarfull_ has the same sense; _bysna_, to portend; _bysn_, a prodigy, grande quod ac ingens, G. Andr.


BISTAYD, BISTODE, _pret._ Perhaps, surrounded.


_Sir Tristrem._


A. S. _bestod_, circ.u.mdedit, from _bestand-an_, Teut. _besteen_, circ.u.msistere, circ.u.mdare.


BYSTOUR, BOYSTURE, _s._ A term of contempt; the precise meaning of which seems to be lost.


_Polwart._


Several similar terms occur, as Fr. _bistorie_, crooked, _boister_, to limp; _bustarin_, a great lubber.


BIT, _s._ A vulgar term used for food, S.


_Bit and baid_, meat and clothing, S. B.


_Ross._


Although _baid_ be understood of clothing, I suspect that it, as well as _bit_, originally signified food, from A. S. _bead_, a table.


BYT, _s._ The pain occasioned by a wound.


_Douglas._


A. S. _byt_, morsus, metaph. used.


BYTESCHEIP, _s._ A contemptuous term, meant as a play on the t.i.tle of _Bishop_.


_Semple._


BITTILL, _s._ A beetle, a heavy mallet, especially one used for beating clothes.


_Houlate._


_To_ BYWAUE, _v. a._ To cover, to hide, to cloak.


_Douglas._


A. S. _bewoef-an_, Moes. G. _biwaib-jan_, id.


_To_ BIZZ, _v. n._ To hiss. V. ~Bysse~.


_To_ BIZZ, BIZZ _about_, _v. n._ To be in constant motion, to bustle, S.


Su. G. _bes-a_, a term applied to beasts which, when beset with wasps, drive hither and thither; Teut. _bies-en_, _bys-en_, furente ac violento impetu agitari, Kilian.


BLA, BLAE, _adj._ Livid; a term frequently used to denote the appearance of the skin when discoloured by a severe stroke or contusion, S.


_Douglas._


Su. G. _blaa_, Isl. _bla-r_, Germ. _blaw_, Belg. _blauw_, Franc.


_plauu_, lividus, glaucus.


_To_ BLABBER, BLABER, BLEBER, _v. n._ To babble, to speak indistinctly.


_R. Bruce._


Teut. _blabber-en_, confuse et inepte garrire, Jun. vo. _Blab_.


Hence,


BLABERING, _s._ Babbling.


_Douglas._


BLACKAVICED, _adj._ Dark of the complexion, S. from _black_ and Fr.


_vis_, the visage.


_Ramsay._


BLACK-BOYDS, _s. pl._ The name given to the fruit of the bramble, West of S.


BLACK-BURNING, _adj._ Used in reference to shame, when it is so great as to produce deep blushing, or to crimson the countenance, S.


_Ramsay._


Su. G. Isl. _blygd_, shame, blushing; _blygd-a_, to blush; q. the burning of blushes.


BLACK-c.o.c.k, _s._ The Heath-c.o.c.k, black Game, S. Tetrao tetrix, Linn. V.


Penn. Zool. p. 266. Tetrao seu Urogallus minor.--Gallus pal.u.s.tris Scoticus, Gesn. Nostratibus, the _Black c.o.c.k_. Sibb. Scot. p. 16.