C A M P B E L T OW N D I
A L E C T.
Sheriff D. J. McDiarmid.
Campbeltown has, or had, a dialect that is perhaps unique. After several years of research for the Scottish National Dialect Dictionary, Mr. Latimer McInnes, still remembered by the older generation, presented, in the early thirties, a very erudite paper to the Kintyre Antiquarian Society. The paper is in the Campbeltown Library and repays study. In the paper he traces the origins of the South Kintyre dialect, and traces it from three main sources.
In the 17th century, Gaelic was the main language of Kintyre. In that same century was seen the invasion of Kintyre by the royalist forces under General David Leslie, culminating in the siege of Dunaverty. Leslie's army brought with it the bubonic plague, (see Page 2 - Ian) then raging in England. The plague swept through Kintyre, and tradition has it that only three chimneys were left smoking in the whole parish of Southend.
As a result, the Marquis of Argyll brought Lowlanders from Ayrshire to take over the estates. Those so favoured were mostly landowners, but they brought with them their farmer tacksmen, and agricultural workers. Their influence on the area was very marked, and they brought with them their native Ayrshire doric.
A further influence was that of Glasgow. In the latter half of the last century, the Argyll and Bute Militia, recruited mainly from Glasgow, was billetted for three months every year in houses in the town. Now the Ayrshire doric was native and natural, but the militiamen, probably thinking that they were speaking "Scots" were indeed speaking a bastard English, or Glasgow slang. I am afraid that down through the years Glasgow has succeeded in corrupting the dialect of the west of Scotland. In addition to that, the Glasgow accent, whether it be from Kelvinside or Brigton, must be the ugliest in the country.
There was, of course, a further influence - the language taught in schools. To add to that there has, in recent years, been the not inconsiderable influence of the B.B.C. and its standard English.
Nevertheless, in my schooldays in Campbeltown, the native dialect was still in common use, not only in the playground but in the whole community. I was used to it, as my mother, being native borm, used it naturally. One of her favourite sayings when we were young and either encouraged to eat up, or take our medicine, was "Now, down the wee red brae and into clockie's close." The wee red brae was of course our throat, but what the connection was between our stomachs and clockie's close, I do not know. I believe there was a close of that name somewhere round the Broom Brae. My father, who was a native gaelic speaker, used many of the words derived from that language. Much of the dialect has been enshrined in "The Quay Head Tryst" by that great Campbeltonian, and Freeman of the Royal Burgh, the Reverend Doctor Alexander Wylie Blue.
When a fight developed in the school playground among the small boys it was "pit up yer jukes." Now a "juke" is a jaw, and we did not even know that a duke was a fist. Whoever got the worst of it would "never let dab" at home, or he would get a "moulkin" from the auld yin. If anyone fell out with his cronies, and sulked, he was "in the boose" or "boosach." Boys went down to the pier with a bit of string and a bent preen to fish for cuddies or glaishen, and they also went along the shore searching for crubans or clabby dhus or brollachan. The last named was obviously derived from the gaelic. They were mussels.
We never got the belt from teachers. It was "squites." If a boy kicked with his left foot, or was left handed, he was a caitacher; and if he was wild he was "throughither." At rounders - creechie - we had the greaser (the leader), and there was the bawk or dale: and at chasing games there was always a call for a barley or baurley. At marbles there was the glessy, the plunker, ruddy and jarry. And one never asked "What" - it was "hoot." "Hoot are ye daen?" When we were walking home from school we often got a "sail" - a lift in a pony trap or cart. I remember driving our ploughman, Jamie McConnachie, into town one day. Our pony, knowing well who was driving (she always had a look to see who went into the driving seat) stood not upon the order of her going. When we reached our destination Jamie said, "Man, that was a speedy carrant." A favourite description of anything was wild, pronounced "wile." "That's a wile tame cat." And everything would be done "enoo," The Campbeltown Company of the 8th Argylls was known as "the enoos."
There was probably a wider use of the doric among the country folk, because of their Ayrshire origins, although many of the words used, and still used, were from the gaelic. When I had to feed a beast, and asked father how much to give, he would say " Give him a gopan fu'" - as much as you could hold in both hands. If I was awkward or gawky in doing anything I was "cragach." I wonder how many times I heard my mother say "ochanee'~ or "ach-a-soch."
In a cornfield there was always seen "scallach" - wild mustard, though modern spraying has eliminated that. All the Kintyre dairy farms made cheese, amd the "kain" was the total output for the year. With meals on a farm there was always "kitchen" - something to take with tea, sometimes "snasters." Among the cows there were always the "back calvers," and shepherds wore corseckies - and still do. If a maid wore a pinafore it was a daidley. Anyone with a double chin had a "sproggle" or "scroban," and if he was flatfooted or splay footed he was "spragach" or "spagach."
Indoors "oose" was always well removed when dusting. Fluff is a poor word to describe it. And at night mother would make up the kitchen fire with "smuirach" - dross - so that it was ready in the morning to be "riped" and set ablaze again. When your feet got wet it was never "change your socks," but "change your feet," because you didn't want to get a cold "anymore the year."
I have given but a few selections which come readily to mind, but I an sure many of your readers could add to the selection. It would be a great pity if so many of those very expressive words were to be lost. Many of them are enshrined in the poem "Flory Loynachan" which appear in No. 3, page 8 of this Magazime. (Page 2, Issue 3 - March 97 of the online edition - Ian).
HERRING FISHING REGULATIONS IN
1811.
John R.H. Cormack, B.D.
When the Reverend John Cormack, Campbeltown, was clearing out an old Presbytery box he found a copy of fishing regulations of 1811. In those days of heavy fines for fishing offences, the fine to be imposed in the 19th century does not seem high, until it is recalled that £40 was the annual wage of a fisherman.
"WHEREAS, notwithstanding repeated Intimation has been given, that the Indulgence hitherto granted with regard to the Size of the Meshes of Nets was to cease at the Expiration of the present Fishing Season, and that the Law, in that respect, would thereafter be fully enforced; an expectation is still entertained by Fishermen and others that such indulgence will be still further continued: The Commissioners for the Herring Fishery hereby again give public notice, that from and after the 5th day of April 1811, no Net shall be used for the purpose of catching Herrings, the Meshes whereof are less than One Inch from Knot to Knot, otherwise the same shall be seized, and the Owner thereof prosecuted according to Law. And to the end that no Person may plead Ignorance of what the Law is, a copy of the 12th Section of the Act 48 Geo III Cap. 110, is hereto subjoined.
SECTION 12:- "And be it further enacted, That from and
"after The first day of June One thousand eight hundred
"and nine, no Person shall use in any River or Loch, or
"at Sea, in or on the Coast of Great Britain, any
"Herring Net, or any Traul Net, Drag Net, or other Sea
"Net, for the taking of Herrings, which hath a Mesh of
"less than One Inch from Knot to Knot, or any false or
"double Bottom, Cod or Pouch, or shall put any Net,
"though of legal size, behind the others to destroy the
"small Fish; and that every Person offending herein
"shall forfeit every such Net as foresaid, and the sum
"of Forty Pounds for every such Offence; and it shall be
"lawful for the Commissioners for the Herring Fishery,
"to be appointed pursuant to this Act, to cause every
"such Net to be burnt."
By Order of the Commissioners,
JAS DUNSMURE, Secy.
Office for the Herring Fishery,
Edinburgh, 22nd January 1811.
Page 2: The Great Pestilence in Kintyre
Page 3: Crops Grown in Kintyre Around 1800
Page 4: Campbeltown's American Trade in the 18th Century