It is doubtful whether the cant, the language of travelling people, is really a language at all—consisting as it does of many words from other languages.
The cant was very useful to travelling people—but only to them. One word could have many meanings and could carry the meaning of a whole sentence, depending on the situation and the tone of voice. In fact, a traveller could appear to be having a normal conversation with a non-traveller—but in reality be giving a message, perhaps a warning, to any traveller listening.
It could be used very cunningly indeed. In wartime it was possible for any intelligent traveller to write home what appeared (even to the best censor) an ordinary simple letter. But it could contain much information to a traveller, such as where the sender was and what was going on around him.
This cunning way of using the cant is dying out rapidly and there is no possible way of retaining it. It is quite impossible to teach to anyone: only by being brought up with it from infancy can it be properly learned. We can tell the words to anyone, but how to use them is something which will be lost once the travellers of this generation are gone. Even now only about 150 to 200 words remain.
Only a few words are used by young people and children—and those few are almost as familiar to non-travellers, and young people work side by side with non-travellers, some cant words have been integrated too. But most of our young people are so pleased at being accepted, integrated, that they refuse to learn much cant—and even angrily rebuke their parents for using it.
As you will understand, this is a constant source of frustration, disappointment and sadness to the older folk. They see their children and grandchildren—brought up in towns and almost the same as non-travellers—look blankly and stupidly when cant is spoken, not understanding what is being said. And so, sadly, the cant—like the traveller people themselves—is now almost extinct.
Of course we used many ordinary Scots words as well. Most of these I hope you will understand without having to refer to the list on the following pages. There I have tried to explain them all and have included a few notes which I hope you will find interesting. Some of these words we pronounced differently, others had slightly different meanings, from the ways non-travellers used them—but I have shown only our way.
a’, aa all
abeen above
ablow below
aboot about
aff off
affa awful, terrible; affie awfully, terribly
ahint behind
ain own
aince once
airt direction, way
aneath beneath
arnuts earth nuts, edible plant roots
auld old; Auld Clootie, Auld Ruchie the devil; auld hairy someone who is old and wily for his own ends
awa’ away
aweel ah, well!
babbit an eye to shut an eye
bagle a lazy fellow, one who breaks sexual taboos
baith both
bam a fool
bap a bread roll
barming flighty, foolish
barricade This was the central part of a winter tent, barricaded from the wind and rain, off which the sleeping quarters were built. It was the place for the fire and sitting around; the fireplace was in the middle and a hole in the roof of the barricade allowed the smoke out.
barry good; barriest the best
ben inside
bicker to run merrily and noisily
bide to stay, reside
birse to bristle, feel annoyed or angry
blether to talk nonsense, one who does
booie hole Many inns had a small cubicle no more than a metre square, usually near the door. A woman could slip in there and order a drink without being seen except by the barman. Customers were served through a little hatch which could be pushed up.
bool-nosed round-nosed
bothy a stone hut used as living quarters for unmarried farm workers
box an accordion
braw fine; braws fine clothes
brecham the collar of a working horse
breest the breast
brock-basket a basket for rejected (broken, bruised) fruit
broonie supposedly a very helpful spirit creature: manshaped, ugly, covered with brown hair, with long feet and red eyes. He usually attached himself to a family—nearly always millers or farmers—and did the work of ten men.
brose a kind of porridge made of uncooked oatmeal, boiling water and salted
buckie a winkle shell
bung taken, jailed
burker an intruder. The word originated from William Burke who, in the early nineteenth century, murdered people to provide corpses for medical research or teaching. Travellers were often a target for his activities.
burn a stream
but and ben a two-room cottage with a room on either side of the entrance door
byre a cowshed
cam came
cam’ to call
camaschacht clumsy, a stupid person
camp a tent; camp sticks tent poles
cannae cannot
canny sensible and safe, moving around carefully, cautious ca’ canny take care
canter to make mouth music imitating the pipes; canterach a cantering sound
cauld cold
caw the rope to move your arm as you do when working the rope for someone skipping or when you urge a horse forward
champ to crush; champed tatties mashed potatoes
chap to knock
chirming the singing of birds
chuckie stanes small stone pebbles
claes clothes
claiking clucking, chattering
cleek to walk arm in arm
clocking brooding (hen)
cloots clothes, bedclothes
conyeeched spoiled, petted
cor a stupid person
coronach a Highland dirge, a mournful song
cottar a small house or cottage; one who lives in such a dwelling
couldnae couldn’t
country hantle the settled, house-dwelling, country people
coup to fall, tumble, overturn
couthy kind, sympathetic
crack to chat, gossip; sociable conversation
cratur creature
cromack a crummock, a walking stick with a curved handle
Cruelty ‘A Cruelty’ was what we called an Inspector of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children or any official of a local authority
cutty pipe a short clay pipe
dae to do
daed a lump
dander, daunder a stroll, leisurely walk. ‘To go for a dander’ might also mean to stroll away to relieve oneself
darry a sudden aggressive lunge at someone
daurnae dare not
dee to die
diddle to make mouth music imitating the fiddle
di-does contrary behaviour
dinnae don’t
dirty bagle a man who breaks sexual taboos
dirty tail a prostitute
dochter daughter
doldrums in low spirits; weak and confused by drink
doon down
doot to doubt, to think or reckon (depending on the context)
dowie sad
drappie a drop
dreel a drill or row; also a basket
dreich dull, wearisome
drookit drenched, soaked
dunt a thump or knock
durst dared
dwam a faint or swoon
dyke a stone wall
een eyes
eneuch enough
fa’ fall
fae from
faet fault
fairy a child who sees much more than most children do; who shows an almost uncanny intuition about things
fang the venomous side of one’s nature; go off the fang to lose one’s temper
farm toun a farmstead, a farmhouse, cottages and other buildings
fin when
fit what
fitless and han’less footless and handless; apt to stumble, clumsy with the hands
flichtering fluttering
floorie a flower
foo daed . . .? how do . . .?
forfochen worn out
forgie forgive
foundered collapsed
fower four
fricht afraid, fright
fushion vigour, strength
gadgie man
gaen, gaun going
gaered made to (do something)
gailie this was something like a barricade, which I have described. A gaille, however, was a bit different in shape: it was all one height, longer and lower than a barricade
galoot an idiot, a stupid person.
ganch, gansh to talk too much, to bore someone by talking in too much detail
gang to go, travel
garron a strong horse you could depend on, even though it might be of inferior breed
gaswork cinders coke
gaun going
gear possessions
gey very
gie to give; gie us a crack give (me) some conversation, let’s have a chat; gie him his tatties give him what he deserves
gin if
glaikit silly, senseless
glaur mud, ooze
glebe land assigned for a parish minister’s use
gled glad
glisk a sparkle
gloaming dusk, twilight
go off the fang to lose one’s temper
gogged eggs half-hatched eggs
graip a pitchfork
granny sooker a pan drop, a peppermint sweet
greet to weep; grat wept
grumfie a pig
grund the ground
guffie a boorish, unfeeling, cruel person
gulder a loud angry shout
gutters muddy puddles
hae to have
haet a small piece, a morsel
hailie-wracket muddle-headed, yet daring to try or say anything
hairst harvest
hap to dress a child; to tuck up in bed
hardie strong, robust
haud to hold
haver to talk nonsense
hert a heart; hert of corn the salt of the earth, none better
hoo how
hooch the shout given during the dancing of the reel
hornies the police
how-an-ever however
howlet an owl
huke a sickle
hunkered huddled, squat, low down
hurl a lift on the road
in-aboot in-about: a traveller expression which cannot be translated by ‘come in’ because you do not come in to an encampment as you come in to a house. You come within the general area of tents, fire, parked carts and tethered ponies. You come in-aboot from any direction and may move about greeting people at their various occupations in different parts of the encampment.
inbye nearer
ither other
jeely-jar jam-jar
jill a gill
John Barleycorn whisky
jugal a dog
kist a box or chest for storage
knowe a small hill
laich low
lee-lang whole
lee-leaf-alane quite alone
limmer a rascal or rogue; a loose girl
loon a lad
loo-ral a shout (The sound ‘loo-ral’ carries a long way)
loup to jump, leap; loup a laich dyke to jump over a low wall
lowsing time unyoking (loosening) time, time to stop work
lug an ear
mairt, mart a market
mannies men
marrow a partner, equal; marrowless odd, without a partner
maun must; maun dae is a guid maister ‘must do’ is a good master
meal poke a meal bag, a bag for food
meek a quiet sound made by an infant or by a pet, to mew or whine
midden a rubbish heap or dung heap; a term of abuse, particularly to a woman
min man
mind, mind on to remember
miscaa’ to miscall, to scold, to call names
moich foolish, mad
mony many
moo mouth
moose a house
mootyay a rabbit
muskin a mutchkin, a measure of liquid
na, nae no
nakens travellers
nane none
nash avree! get moving!
neeps turnips; neep-tasted tasting of turnips
nicker to whinny
o’ of
ower over
oxter armpit
pea-alleys the game of hop-scotch
pech, peek to pant for breath
peeked-looking sickly-looking
pickle, puckle a small quantity, a few
plank! hide!
ploo a plough
ploops the police
plouter to potter about on trifling tasks
pluchie a ploughman
plukie-faced pimple-faced
plunk to pluck out
polis the police
prig to plead
puckle a small quantity, a few
puddock a frog
quean, queen, quine a girl
raise the wind to earn enough to survive
ranny a bold unruly person
rax to stretch, overstrain
reed a cattle pen
reel-rail helter-skelter
rin to run
ripe, rype to search
rive to tear apart, to eat ravenously
roon round
rowed wrapped up
rummle to shake
sair, sairly sore, sorely
sateen a linen or cotton cloth woven in such a way that it has a gloss like satin
sax six
scaffie street sweeper
scaffy, sciffy a maidservant, also a refuse collector
scald to cause grief or pain
scaldified behaving like scaldies, town-dwellers of the lowest class. (Scaldie originally meant ‘bare’: bare of feet, money, clothes)
scalpions roguish young men, eager to work off high spirits by tormenting others
scarify to scrub all over very roughly
sconce to tease, especially in a way which belittles the person
scoor, scoorin’ to scatter, scattering
scouff, scouth freedom, sufficient space to romp and play
scranny thin, wizened
scrunted a scrunted tree is one that is still standing but is decayed inside and covered with moss and lichens
scud to smack, a smack
scuddle to scurry or hasten, particularly in order to avoid work or responsibilities
shaness! an exclamation meaning ‘bad word’, ‘bad deed’ or ‘bad situation’ but it can be used in many different ways
share sure
shern cow dung
shuch the private part of a woman
siller silver
skirlie seasoned fried oatmeal
skirling shrill screaming
sleekit sly, cunning
smeeked smelling of, and cheery with, drink
sneck a latch
snooled made to feel low and downtrodden
soo a heap of loose hay or straw
soaken to soak
sook to suck
souch, sough a murmur: of the sea, a river, the wind, distant voices, birds’ wings, for example
spall, spawl to spald, tear apart
speekit a spigot, a tap. Actually a speekit was a small hole in a barrel with a stopper. Often country people had to use water from a barrel which had a tap to turn on the water, so in course of time a tap came to be known as a speekit.
spey-wife a woman fortune-teller
spin-drift fierce hail or snow which seems to come from all directions
spit a likeness
stall to stop, keep one’s self-control
stane a stone
stirr to get someone excited, all worked up
stovies sliced potatoes steamed with fried onions
stooks sheaves of grain set up against each other to dry
swey a fire iron. It hung above the fire and had a hinge which allowed it to be swung forward to remove a pot or kettle. It could then be swung back over the fire or to the side if not needed.
syne since
tail a loose woman
tak’ to take; tak’ tent take notice
tap to top, to cut the tops off turnips or sugar beet. The tool used was called a tapner.
tappie a decoration made of straw for the top of grain stacks
tatties potatoes
telt told
thocht thought
thon that one
thrang crowded, close together
thrawn obstinate
til to
toadied spoiled, fussed over
toich a smell
troosh to humble or frighten someone
troot a trout
tuggery fine clothes
twa two
umman body a woman
waa’ a wall
wad would
walsh dried up and bad-tasting
wassle to wrestle
watter water
waur worse
wean a child
wee little, small
weel well
wha, whae who
whammle to turn upside down
whaur where, why? for what reason?
wheeple to whistle
wheesht! hush! be quiet!
whin the gorse bush
whittle a knife similar to a butcher’s chopper; to cut away in woodcarving
wi’ with
wid would
winna, winnae will not
wonner wonder
wordie a word
wrang wrong
wye way
yin one
yirdy a toad
yoke a pony and cart (that is, the two yoked together); to attach a pony to a cart
yon yonder, that one
yowe a ewe