The Ulster-Scots Dialect Boundaries in the Province of Ulster*

Robert J. Gregg

The Questionnaires — Lexical and Phonological

The Lexical Questionnaire

In the early summer of 1960 a lexical questionnaire was drawn up with the purpose in mind of determining the geographical limits of the US dialect of the Laggan district in E Donegal. It was hoped that a number of the items would yield a bundle of isoglosses that would delineate the boundary between US and the UHE areas.

In compiling the list, recourse was had to the literature relating to Donegal dialects:

(i) H. C. Hart's Notes on Ulster Dialect, chiefly Donegal.(28)

(ii) H. Swan's glossary in Twixt Foyle and Swilly.(29)

(iii) M. Traynor's The English Dialect of Donegal.(30)

The latter was particularly useful. It includes not only Hart's items but hundreds of others — with etymologies —culled from a very full bibliography of Donegal dialect literature of all types.

In the final draft of this questionnaire many other sources were consulted, including the two lexical books circulated by the Linguistic Survey of Scotland, Orton and Dieth's questionnaire for the English Survey, Kurath's items for the American Survey and Henry's for the Irish Survey.

It soon became apparent, however, that many of the Scottish words had spread far beyond the original settlement area as described by the historians of the Laggan plantation, and that their rather haphazard distribution would clearly not give a satisfactory linguistic demarcation line.(31) In other words, for the very particular objective of this investigation, this questionnaire would not serve and something much more specific had to be devised. For purposes of comparison this first questionnaire is added here in full:

The Experimental Lexical Questionnaire (32)

INSECTS
1.ANT6.CENTIPEDE11.WOODLOUSE
2.EARWIG7.DADDY-LONG-LEGS12.WILD BEES' NEST
3.FLEA8.HORSE-FLY13.attercap
4.FLY9.LOUSE
5.BEETLE10.SPIDER
WILD ANIMALS
14.SHREW MOUSE20.FOX26.GROPE
15.MOUSE21.FROG27.leister
16.BADGER22.NEWT28.POACH(ER)
17.HEDGEHOG23.WORM29.SALMON LEAP
18.STOAT24.MINNOW
19.RABBIT25.TROUT
BIRDS
30.CHAFFINCH37.LAPWING44.PHEASANT
31.JACKDAW38.HAWK45.BAT
32.SEAGULL39.WREN46.BLIND
33.SPARROW40.HERON47.NESTLING
34.YELLOW-HAMMER41.MAGPIE48.ROB (a nest)
35.CROW42.OWL49.WHISTLE
36.CURLEW43.PARTRIDGE
PLANTS
50.FIR CONE59.NUTS68.APPLE
51.BILBERRY60.DOCK69.scobe
52.VETCHES61.FOXGLOVE70.PEAR
53.HAW62.RAGWORT71.BRANCH
54.ROSEHIP63.SORREL72.ROOT
55.POISONOUS64.THISTLE73.CLIMB
56.BRACKEN65.GORSE74.speel
57.TOADSTOOL66.ELDER75.ROWAN
58.CHARLOCK67.WILLOW76.lith
FARM
77.FARM(ER)101.GUTTER124.LANE
78.YARD102.scobe (thatch)125.vennel
79.TOWN103.SHARPEN126.STREET
80.HOME104.FIRE127.MEAL-BIN
81.AWAY105.BLAZE128.CHEST
82.HOUSE(S)106.POKER129.HASP
83.DOOR107.TONGS130.DOG
84.OPEN108.SHOVEL131.CAT
85.LATCH109.KINDLING132.KITTEN
86.BOLT110.EMBERS133.BYRE
87.KNOB111.CINDERS134.PIGSTY
88.BRASS112.ASHES135.HENHOUSE
89.WINDOW113.ashipet136.STACK-YARD
90.PANE114.coldrife137.BUILD
91.GLASS115.stoor138.PROP
92.CATCH116.RUBBISH139.stale
93.FLOOR117.SMOKE140.PRIME
94.GABLE118.CHAIR141.FLIT
95.WALL119.COUCH142.RUSHES
96.PLASTER120.CRADLE143.UP/DOWN (to Belfast)
97.LADDER121.UPSTAIRS144.UP/DOWN (to Dublin)
98.ROOF122.QUILT145.SHED
99.RIDGE123.BOLSTER146.SHELTER
100.SLATE
POULTRY
147.BROODY HEN152.CROP157.BEAK
148.NARROW153.MOULT158.WATTLES
149.BROOD154.DUCK159.whammle
150.PULLET155.GOOSE160.SUCK (eggs)
151.GIZZARD156.GANDER
NUMERALS
161.DOZEN172.SEVEN183.MOST(LY)
162.ONE173.EIGHT184.NONE (AT ALL)
163.TWO174.ELEVEN185.wheen
164.WHO175.TWELVE186.WHOLE
165.WHERE176.TWENTY187.lock
166.TWO POUNDS (stg.)177.HUNDRED188.OFTEN
167.TWO POUNDS (wt.)178.THOUSAND189.MANY
168.BOTH179.MILLION190.ANY
169.THREE180.ENOUGH191.(AN) OTHER
170.FOUR181.TOO (MUCH)192.ALL
171.FIVE182.NO MORE
FIELDS
193.FIELD200.broo207.FORD
194.BOUNDARY201.TO TRIM HEDGE208.HILLSIDE
195.STONE202.MUD209.PATH
296.STONE DYKE203.CLAY210.MOOR
197.sheugh204.RIVER211.KNOLL
198.slap205.RIVER BANK212.ROLL
199.bunker206.BRIDGE213.POLE
FARM ANIMALS
214.CATTLE227.STRIPPING240.groop
215.COW228.BEESTINGS241.DUNG
216.COWS229.COW-CALL242.DUNG FORK
217.BULL230.QUIET(EN)243.MANURE HEAP
218.HEIFER231.CALF-CALL244.CHEWING CUD
219.stirk232.BUTT245.SOW (n.)
220.mincher233.MOO246.SMALLEST PIG
221.HORNLESS234.BELLOW247.TROUGH
222.UDDER235.boorach248.SNOUT
223.MILKINGSTOOL236.LOOSEN249.EWE
224.CREAM237.LOOSE250.RAM
225.CURDS238.HALTER251.DEAL(ER)
226.WHEY239.COWMAN252.SOLD
THE HORSE
253.STALLION260.HARNESS267.cowp
254.MARE261.straddle268.CHOCK
255.COLT262.SADDLE269.SMITHY
256.PONY263.REINS270.gazen
257.FODDER264.WHIP271.WHEEL-BARROW
258.NEIGH265.COMB272.shire (water)
259.BRAY266.CART273.QUENCH (thirst)
PLOUGHING
274.PLOUGH287.GO ON!300.HOLD
275.COULTER288.BACK!301.OLD
276.MOULD-BOARD289.SOW (vb.)302.SOLD
277.FURROW290.SCARECROW303.TOLD
278.RIDGE291.CROP304.FOLD
279.TOP STRIP292.GROW305.WILDERNESS
280.BOTTOM STRIP293.HARVEST306.SHELTER FROM RAIN
281.FURROW HORSE294.SUMMER307.smur
282.LAND HORSE295.WINTER308.SUDDEN FRIGHT
283.TURN LEFT!296.THAW309.ICICLE
284.TURN RIGHT!297.COLD310.WIND (n.)
285.TURN ROUND!298.BOLD311.coldrife
286.STOP!299.GOLD312.TWILIGHT
HAY
313.HAY321.HANDLE329.SQUARE STACK
314.FIELD322.SWATH330.STACK YARD
315.FLAT323.WINDROW331.PITCH FORK
316.LOW324.AFTER332.SHAFT
317.HOOK325.AFTERMATH333.GRASS
318.NOOK326.COLE334.MEADOW
319.STEAL327.RICK335.MOW
320.SCYTHE328.ROUND STACK336.BOTTLE
CORN
337.CORN343.CELEBRATION349.ROPE-TWISTER
338.FIRST SHOOTS344.HARVEST HOME350.FLAIL-JOINT
339.abraird345.STUBBLE351.CHAFF
340.SHEAF346.CORN STACK352.POLE
341.LAST SHEAF347.STRAW353.SUPERSTITION
342.WITCH348.STRAW ROPE354.slomed
FAMILY
355.CHILD(REN)364.SOMERSAULT373.MOTHER
356.BOY365.YOUNG MAN374.BROTHER
357.GIRL366.YOUNG WOMAN375.SISTER
358.TWINS367.MARRIED ON376.SON
359.SCHOOL368.swither377.SUN
360.MASTER369.tae her ain name378.DAUGHTER
361.PLAY TRUANT370.WIDOW379.BROKEN PIECES OF CHINA
362.tawse371.nae freen380.EASTER EGGS
363.SEE-SAW372.FATHER381.LEAD PENCIL
BODY, etc.
382.HEAD402.CORNERS422.SHOES
383.birse403.TOOTH (pl.)423.BOOTS
384.PULL (HAIR)404.GUMS424.BRACES
385.FOOT405.TOOTHACHE425.THONGS
386.SPLAY-FOOTED406.ARM426.COUGH
387.TOE407.SHOULDER427.YAWN
388.CALF408.armpit428.SWEAT
389.THIGH409.WRIST429.SICK
390.EYE(S)410.HAND430.VOMIT
391.BLIND411.TWO HANDS FULL431.A BOIL
392.FIND412.LEFT-HANDED432.FESTER
393.SQUINT413.DEVIL433.(A COLD) on me
394.PEEP414.FIST434.ANKLE
395.LASH415.FINGER STALL435.SCAR
396.BROW416.PALM436.WRINKLE
397.EAR417.THUMB437.SPLINTER
398.DEAF418.FINGER438.PRICK
399.deave419.RAGNAIL439.dwalm
400.hear your ears420.BLOOD440.STAMMER
401.MOUTH421.BONE441.YAWN
FOOD
442.BREAD454.CLAMP466.TOUGH
443.bap455.POTATO BREAD467.WHISKEY
444.barn brack456.farl468.DROUGHT
445.PORRIDGE457.CABBAGE469.SALT
446.BOIL POINT458.meal a crushie470.SCALD
447.sowans459.CHAMP471.TEA
448.EASTER EGGS460.CHIVES472.meskin
449.POTATOES461.SCALLIONS473.WEIGH
450.TEEM462.hum (food for baby)474.SPREAD
451.SMALL POTATOES463.DINNER (TIME)475.BOWL
452.DISCARD SEED464.HUNGRY476.fog (FEED)
453.wale465.STARVING477.gorb
ABUSIVE DIALECT WORDS
478.attercap485.spulpen492.lig
479.ballion486.ashipet493.slooter
480.baghal487.tory-rogue494.amadan
481.gaam488.coldrife cratur495.footer
482.gaam(f)erel489.taapie496.foozhonless
483.gomie490.gulpin497.thraw
484.hurchin491.glype498.snool
WORDS PROBABLY OF GAELIC ORIGIN
499.barn brack512.latrachan525.bocan-bohan
500.geelog513.ablagh526.arcan
501.moily514.fear gortach527.bardugh
502.droily515.giolar528.cailleach
503.kittagh516.ben-shee529.broghan
504.greesha517.meskin530.brock
505.sowens518.baghal531.chay!
506.jelger519.claaber532.clachan
507.spulpin520.bonny claaber533.clib
508.gatha521.brishney534.loy
509.barnyagh522.cashan535.ailian (brood)
510.bouragh523.gulpin536.amsha (ill-luck)
511.(pig) craw524.amadan537.dul (snare)

Introduction | Historical and Geographical Factors | Lexical Questionnaire | Phonological Questionnaire | Discussion | Notes