Orkney words to know
The dialect of Orkney and Shetland has been greatly influenced by the islands’ history.
Orkney and Shetland became part of Scandinavia from 875AD to 1472AD. During this time the language was used most commonly around the islands slowly changed from Old Norse to Norn
Once a land of the Picts, the language used by these people has been lost, especially after the Vikings arrived in the islands during the 9th Century. The Vikings took their own language, Old Norse, and Orkney and Shetland became part of Scandinavia from 875AD to 1472AD. During this time the language was used most commonly around the islands slowly changed from Old Norse to Norn.
Orkney and Shetland became part of Scotland in the 15th century and Norn began to be used less and less, dying out by the 18th Century . In the present day the Scots language is spoken in Orkney and Shetland, but there are a smattering of words (some used in both island groups) heavily influenced by Norn.
Most English speakers shouldn’t have any problems understanding what Orcadians say, but we have compiled a list of some more unusual words below that you may hear when visiting the islands!
Click here for a list of Shetland Words to know before visiting!
| Orkney Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Abune | above | |
| Auld | old | |
| Bairns | Used to address friends of any age | Weel bairns, ah'll hae to go |
| Bannock | a flat cake of flour | |
| Bere | a type of barley grown in the north of Scotland | |
| Best kens | Goodness knows | Whar is he noo, best kens |
| Beuy | An expression of surprise; a form of greeting used when addressing a familiar male. | Weel beuy, whit's deuan the day? |
| Bide | stay | |
| Birl | spin around | Me head wis fairly birlan |
| Blether | chat / a chatterbox | |
| Blink | a moment | Ah'll just bide a blink |
| Blootered | very drunk | |
| Brae | hill or mound | |
| Breeks | trousers | |
| Bruck | rubbish | |
| Buddo | term of endearment | |
| Buddy | a person | This buddy cam oot o the hoose |
| Byre | a cowshed | |
| Chap | knock | He chappid fower times at the door and got no reply |
| Claes | clothes | |
| Clapshot | Potatoes and turnips cooked and mashed together, usually served with mince or haggis | |
| Clart | Spread something on thickly | Clarted wi gutter |
| Claggie | sticky | |
| Cleg | horsefly | |
| Clipe | tell tales | |
| Cloot | a cloth | |
| Coo | cow - plural kye | |
| Differ | Difference | |
| Doon | Down | |
| Dose | a large amount | Whit a dose o folk wis there |
| Een | one | |
| Fleg | a fright | |
| Flit | move house | |
| Freck | make a fuss / someone who likes you to make a fuss of them | That cat is a right freck |
| Gaan | go, going | |
| Geen | gone, given | |
| Geed | gave / went | |
| Giddy gaad | expression of disgust | |
| Girn | complain in whiny way | |
| Goonie | nightdress | |
| Grain | a small quantity | a peedie grain |
| Grimleens | dusk | |
| Groatie Buckie | a small cowrie shell | |
| Gutter | mud | |
| Haep | many | There was a haep o folk there |
| Hairst | harvest | |
| Hash | quantity | Whit a hash o cars is aboot that hoose |
| Holm | a small island | |
| Home aboot | at home | He always bides home aboot noo |
| Humbug | inconvenience | Ah'll go and no humbug thee |
| Orkney Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Klatter | mess | In a klatter |
| Loons | marshland | |
| Lug | ear | |
| Lum | chimney | |
| Makk | make | Makk thee supper |
| Messages | shopping | I always go for messages on Thursday |
| Mixter-maxter | jumble | |
| Mixture o mercies | a number of odd things | In this drawer I keep a mixture o mercies |
| Neep | a turnip | |
| Never seen the like | Never seen such a thing | |
| Nippit | curt, sharp spoken person | |
| Noust | scraped out hollow where boats are left all winter | |
| Ower well | satisfactory | Oh hid's ower well |
| Partan | edible crab | |
| Peedie | little | |
| Peedie-breeks | small child | |
| Peedie weys | carefully, cautiously | |
| Peelie-wallie | sick, feeble, off colour | |
| Peenie | apron | |
| Pleep | whine | |
| Plitter | a watery mess | |
| Poots | sulking | |
| Puggled | exhausted | |
| Puggie | stomach | |
| Raffle | a mix up | Ah've gotten in a right raffle! |
| Reek | emit smoke or a strong smell | |
| Scunner | sicken, dislike | |
| Selkie | a grey seal | |
| Shoogly | tottering | |
| Skelp | a large extent / slap with flat of the hand | a skelp o land |
| Skirl | make a loud noise | |
| Skite | slide | |
| Slester | make a mess | |
| Smit | infect | |
| Sneck / snib | a door latch | |
| Spoot | razor fish | |
| Stoor | dust | |
| Swadge | rest after eating | |
| Tammie norrie | puffin | |
| Tattie | potato | |
| The day | Today | |
| The morn | Tomorrow | |
| Through by | Next door | |
| Toon (the) | kirkwall | Ah'm gaen tae the toon |
| Toorie | knitted hat | |
| Vexed | sorry | Ah'm that vexed I dinno hiv a sweetie tae the bairns |
| Wheesht | be quiet | |
| Whit like | how are you? | Whit like the day? |
| Yin | that | |
| Yule | Christmas time |
By Magnus DixonOrkney and Shetland enthusiast, family man, loves walks, likes animals, terrible at sports, dire taste in music, adores audiobooks and films, eats a little too much for his own good.
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