An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language Part 79

An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language Part 79

V. ~Capercailye~.

BLACK FISH, fish when they have recently sp.a.w.ned.

V. ~Reid Fische~.

BLACK-FISHING, _s._ Fishing for salmon, under night, by means of torches, S.

V. ~Leister~.

_Statist. Acc._

BLACK-FOOT, _s._ A sort of matchmaker; one who goes between a lover and his mistress, endeavouring to bring the fair one to compliance, S.

p.r.o.nounced _black-fit_; synon. _Mush_, q. v.

BLACK-HEAD, _s._ The Powit-gull, Shetl.

_Neill._

BLACK-MAIL.

V. ~Mail~.

BLACK PUDDING.

V. ~Mart~.

BLACK SPAUL, a disease of cattle, S.

_Essays Highl. Soc._

BLAD, BLAUD, _s._ A large piece of any thing, a considerable portion, S.

expl. "a flat piece of any thing," Gl. Burns.

_Polwort._

"A _blad_ of bread," is a large flat piece. "I gat a _great blad_ of Virgil by heart;" I committed to memory a great many verses from Virgil.

To _ding in blads_, to drive in pieces.

_Melville's MS._

This word, as perhaps originally applied to food, may be from A. S.

_blaed_, fruit of any kind; _blaed_, _bled_, also denoted _pot-herbs_; Ir. _bladh_, a part; _bladh-am_, I break.

_Blads and dawds_, is still the designation given to large leaves of greens boiled whole, in a sort of broth, Aberd. Loth.

BLAD, _s._ A person who is of a soft const.i.tution; whose strength is not in proportion to his size or looks; often applied to a young person, who has become suddenly tall, but is of a relaxed habit, S. B.

Allied, perhaps, to A. S. _blaed_, as denoting, either the boughs or leaves of trees, or growing corn; as both often shoot out so rapidly as to give the idea of weakness; or, to Germ. _blode_, the original sense of which is, weak, feeble.

BLAD, _s._ A portfolio, S. B.

As the E. word is comp. of Fr. _porter_, to carry, and _feuille_, a leaf; the S. term has a similar origin, being evidently from Su. G.

_blad_, A. S. _blaed_, folium.

_To_ BLAD.

1. Used impers. "Its _bladdin on o' weet_," the rain is driving on; a phrase that denotes intermitting showers accompanied with squalls, S.

2. To abuse, to maltreat in whatever way. Aberd. Corn is said to be _bladdit_, when overthrown by wind.

3. To slap, to strike; to drive by striking, or with violence, S. _Dad_, synon.

_Evergreen._

Germ. _blodern_ is used in the first sense. _Es blodert_, it storms and snows; also, _blat-en_, to blow. Isl. _blaegt-a_ indeed signifies, to be moved by the wind, motari aura; O. Fr. _plaud-er_, to bang, to maul.

BLAD, _s._ A squall; always including the idea of rain, S. A heavy fall of rain is called "a _blad_ of weet," S. B.

~Bladdy~, _adj._ Inconstant, unsettled; applied to the weather. "A _bladdy_ day," is one alternately fair and foul.

BLAD, _s._ A dirty spot on the cheek, S. perhaps q. the effect of a blow, Gael. _blad_, however, is synon.

BLADARIE, _s._ Perhaps, vain glory.

_R. Bruce._

Teut. _blaeterije_, jactantia, vaniloquentia.

BLADDERAND, BLADDRAND.

V. ~Blether~.