Scottish word

Jacobsmom · Post by **Jacobsmom** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:28 am

Hi, have a question. In reading some letters from 1916. I've come across a word that I cannot decipher. A word that means, old man wind? I can't really read the word........Gatnmic?

Thank you,
Stephanie

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:31 am

Hi Stephanie

The word is not ringing bells with me at all, not does it chime with anything in the Scots Dictionaries I have.
would it be possible to scan in a section of the letter and post it up on the board so we can take a stab at deciphering it.

Sometimes you need to see a word in context to extract the meaning as the same word can have different interpretations in different parts of the country.

Russell

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:16 pm

The Scots Gaelic word for wind is "gaoth", with "gaothach" meaning "windy" - could it be something corrupted from that?

Chris

Jacobsmom · Post by **Jacobsmom** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:41 am

Russell, I wish I could scan it, but this is a copy of the letter and I do not have access to a scanner. I will try and see if my sister will be kind enough to scan it.

Thanks,
Steph

Jacobsmom · Post by **Jacobsmom** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:45 am

Chris,

Thanks for the Scottish word for wind. What does it mean if the 'a' has what looks like a bulls horn?

Take care,
Steph

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:52 am

Erm, it's bovine?!

There are two accents used in Gaelic, which look like the French acute and grave accents. Both are used for the same purpose - the acute tends to be used almost exclusively in Irish Gaelic (and found occasionally in older Scots Gaelic texts), whilst the grave is used exclusively in Scots Gaelic. They are used to lengthen the sound of the vowel. Beyond that, I would really need to see it to hazard a guess!

Chris

Jacobsmom · Post by **Jacobsmom** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:29 pm

Thank you again, as usual my comp at home is down. We're having cable problems in our area. I am going to call my sister and see if she'd be kind enough to scan that letter for me. Also I have one more word for you
"Guid". Can I assume that means good or great? I'm having a blast dechipering these letters, this William Anderson seemed like a great fellow. Amazing how at the beginning of his service he was extremely happy to be at war then a year or so later his attitude changed. He has mentioned a William Robertson and a Tom Hill, so I am searching also for them. I am assuming they were from the Falkirk area also.

Take care,
Stephanie

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:42 pm

Hi Stephanie, "guid" just means "good" in Scots.

The letters sound fascinating!

Chris

Jacobsmom · Post by **Jacobsmom** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:16 pm

Hi Chris,

Thanks for comfirming that. If you don't mind I'll type a short one out for you.

27-12-16 France

Dear Jenny

I write to thank you for the nice card which I received from you but you will have to excuse me for not sending you one in return as we can't get one here where we are but I wish you the Best Regards of the season you seem to be keen to emigrate you would do more than I would do crossing the water just now I wouldnt come to wish it old ____
might blow you up in the air but I suppose you will risk it After this is finished and I manage to get out of it I mean to go aboard myself well I hope you succeed once you get across I have never seen Marten yet but I will be on the look out of him
Well Jenny I will close as I have a good deal of writting to do
With heaps of love and XXXXX
Willie
Write soon

The ______ is where that G word is, so I left it blank in my handwritten letter that I carry with me. Yes, I'm obessed with it all at the moment so my notes go with me to work. LOL I find it fascinating that he never used punctuation.

Take care,
Stephanie

Post by **SarahND** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:23 am

Hi Stephanie,
Might the G word be a reference to the war? Old whoever-it-was (I'm sure someone on the board can come up with something plausible) might bomb the ship?

Well, it's an idea

Sarah