Glossary of Scottish Dialect : L

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These definitions are taken from the “Glossary of Scottish Dialect” from The Harvard Classics volume 6, “The Poems and Songs of Robert Burns,” 1909. The volume is in the public domain. Aside from their inherent interest, they are valuable to anyone reading the work of Burns.


Laddie, dim. of lad.
Lade, a load.
Lag, backward.
Laggen, the bottom angle of a wooden dish.
Laigh, low.
Laik, lack.
Lair, lore, learning.
Laird, landowner.
Lairing, sticking or sinking in moss or mud.
Laith, loath.
Laithfu’, loathful, sheepish.
Lallan, lowland.
Lallans, Scots Lowland vernacular.
Lammie, dim. of lamb.
Lan’, land.
Lan’-afore, the foremost horse on the unplowed land side.
Lan’-ahin, the hindmost horse on the unplowed land side.
Lane, lone.
Lang, long.
Lang syne, long since, long ago.
Lap, leapt.
Lave, the rest.
Laverock, lav’rock, the lark.
Lawin, the reckoning.
Lea, grass, untilled land.
Lear, lore, learning.
Leddy, lady.
Lee-lang, live-long.
Leesome, lawful.
Leeze me on, dear is to me; blessings on; commend me to.
Leister, a fish-spear.
Len’, to lend.
Leugh, laugh’d.
Leuk, look.
Ley-crap, lea-crop.
Libbet, castrated.
Licks, a beating.
Lien, lain.
Lieve, lief.
Lift, the sky.
Lift, a load.
Lightly, to disparage, to scorn.
Lilt, to sing.
Limmer, to jade; mistress.
Lin, v. linn.
Linn, a waterfall.
Lint, flax.
Lint-white, flax-colored.
Lintwhite, the linnet.
Lippen’d, trusted.
Lippie, dim. of lip.
Loan, a lane.
Loanin, the private road leading to a farm.
Lo’ed, loved.
Lon’on, London.
Loof (pl. looves), the palm of the hand.
Loon, loun, lown, a fellow, a varlet.
Loosome, lovable.
Loot, let.
Loove, love.
Looves, v. loof.
Losh, a minced oath.
Lough, a pond, a lake.
Loup, lowp, to leap.
Low, lowe, a flame.
Lowin, lowing, flaming, burning.
Lown, v. loon.
Lowp, v. loup.
Lowse, louse, to untie, let loose.
Lucky, a grandmother, an old woman; an ale wife.
Lug, the ear.
Lugget, having ears.
Luggie, a porringer.
Lum, the chimney.
Lume, a loom.
Lunardi, a balloon bonnet.
Lunches, full portions.
Lunt, a column of smoke or steam.
Luntin, smoking.
Luve, love.
Lyart, gray in general; discolored by decay or old age.
Lynin, lining.

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