Search

Shetland sea words used to avoid taboo terms.

Date 1958
Track ID 33903
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1958.183.6

Original Tape ID

SA1958.183

Summary

Shetland sea words used to avoid taboo terms.

Examples of words used at sea to describe unlucky subjects:

cat: scaafin
no [negative]: abeedeay
trout: cold-ironed fish (Fraserburgh term)
minister: upstander
kirk [church]: bonna hoose

Robbie Isbister reckons that the usage of these words is past [in 1958].

Item Notes

For 'scaafin' see 'The Scottish National Dictionary' s.v. skaave (shave, scratch).

See:
'The Scottish National Dictionary', available online [[http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/]] (accessed 6 January 2009)

Recording Location

County - Shetland

Parish - Walls and Sandness

Island - Foula

Item Location

County - Shetland

Parish - Walls and Sandness

Island - Foula

Language

Scots

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good