PREFACE

[To the Original Work.]

SOME affect to despise all etymological researches, because of their uncertainty. But many other branches of science are equally liable to this objection. Was it a clear proof of the wisdom conferred on our common parent, that he gave names to all the inferior creatures, according to their peculiar natures? And may we not discern a considerable vestige of his primeval state, in the propriety of many of the names imposed on things, even in modern languages? An inquiry into the reasons of these is not, therefore, a matter of mere unprofitable curiosity. It is no contemptible mean of investigating the operations of our intellectual powers.

The structure of language is, indeed, one important branch of that philosophy which so nearly interests man,-the philosophy of his own mind;—a branch which, although less attended to than many others, and often more obscured than elucidated by system, extends its influence through all nations; is, practically at least, as well known to the peasant as to the prince, to the savage as to the man of letters; in the most lively manner, in many instances, delineates the objects with which we are conversant, exhibiting to others a faithful copy of the impressions which these make on our own minds; forcibly illustrates, as far as the oblique signification of words are concerned, the singular associations of our ideas; appears, by its striking analogies, as a grand link among the various individuals of the same species, how remote soever from each other as to situation; frequently affords a proof of the near affinity of particular nations; and, by the general diffusion of certain primitive terms, or by certain rules of formation universally adopted, assigns a common origin to mankind, although scattered "on the face of the whole earth."

Since the union of the kingdoms, how beneficial soever this event has been in other respects, the language of Scotland has been subjected to peculiar disadvantages. No longer written in public deeds, or spoken in those assemblies which fix the standard of national taste, its influence has gradually declined, notwithstanding the occasional efforts of the Muse to rescue it from total oblivion.

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This decline may be traced still further back. The union of the crowns, although an event highly honourable to Scotland, 300n had an unfavourable influence on the ancient language of the country. She still indeed retained her national independence, but the removal of the court seems to have been viewed as an argument for closer approximation in language to those who lived within its verge. From this time forward, as living authors in general avoided the peculiarities of their native tongue, topographers seem to have reckoned it necessary to alter the diction even of the venerable dead. In thus accommodating our ancient national works to the growing servility of their times, they have in many instances totally lost the sense of the original writers.

In this manner, even the classical writings of our ancestors have been gradually neglected. The alterations occasionally made by editors, although sufficient to disfigure them, were not carried so far as to keep pace with the ideal refinement of their contemporaries.

It is surprising that no one has ever attempted to rescue the language of the country from oblivion by compiling a Dictionary of it. Had this been done a century ago, it would most probably have been the means of preserving many of our literary productions, which it is to be feared are now lost, as well as the meaning of many terms now left to conjecture.-Till of late, even those who pretended to write Glossaries to the Scottish books which they published, generally explained the terms which almost every reader understood, and quite overlooked those that were more ancient and obscure. The Glossary to Douglas's Virgil formed the only exception to this observation.

Within these few years, a taste for Scottish literature has revived both in Scotland and England. Hence the want of an Etymological Dictionary has been felt more than ever; and it may well be supposed, that all who possess a genuine taste for the literary productions of their country, must feel disposed to encourage a work which is necessary, not merely for illustrating their beauties, but in many instances even for rendering them intelligible. The use of such a work is not confined to our edited books, but may, in a great measure, prove a key to our ancient MSS. It must facilitate the progress of those, whose studies or employments lay them under the necessity of investigating the records of antiquity, and who, especially in their earlier years, are apt to be disgusted at their professions, from the frequent occurrence of terms at the meaning of which they can only guess. It is undeniable, indeed, that from the strange neglect of our vernacular language, the signification of some of our law terms is already lost; and that the meaning of others, on the interpretation of which not only private property, but public justice depends, is so doubtful, as to leave room for almost endless litigation. Even these invaluable remains of antiquity, which record the valiant deeds of our ancestors, delineate their manners, or exhibit their zeal for religion, excite little interest in our time, because they are in a great measure unintelligible.

Those who possess old libraries, that have been handed down, perhaps through

many generations, must be convinced of the necessity of a work of this kind; because the books which were perfectly familiar to their fathers, and which communicated instruction to their minds, or kindled up the flame of patriotism in their breasts, are now nearly as completely locked up to them, as if they were written in a foreign tongue.

Such a work is necessary for preserving, from being totally lost, many ancient and emphatic terms, which now occur only in the conversation of the sage of the the hamlet, or are occasionally mentioned by him as those which he has heard his fathers use. It may also serve to mark the difference between words which may be called classical, and others merely colloquial; and between both of these, as far as they are proper, and such as belong to a still lower class, being mere corruptions, cant terms, or puerilities.

Many ancient customs, otherwise unknown or involved in obscurity, come also to be explained or illustrated, from the use of those words which necessarily refer to them. The importance of any thing pertaining to the manners of a nation, as constituting one of the principal branches of its history, needs not to be mentioned; and, as the knowledge of ancient manners removes the obscurity of language, by a reciprocal operation, ancient language often affords the best elucidation of

manners.

Such a Dictionary, if properly conducted, should not only throw light on the ancient customs of Scotland, but point out their analogy to those of other Northern nations. So striking indeed is the coincidence of manners, even in a variety of more minute instances, between our ancestors and the inhabitants of Scandinavia, as marked by the great similarity or absolute sameness of terms, that it must necessarily suggest to every impartial inquirer, that the connexion between them has been much closer than is generally supposed.

Language, it is universally admitted, forms one of the best criterions of the origin of a nation; especially where there is a deficiency of historical evidence. Our country must ever regret the want, or the destruction, of written records. But an accurate and comparative examination of our vernacular language may, undoubtedly, in part repair the loss; as well as throw considerable light on the faint traces which history affords, with respect to the origin of those, who for many centuries have been distinguished from the Celtic race, as speaking the Scottish language.

I do not hesitate to call that the Scottish Language, which has generally been considered in no other light than as merely on a level with the different provincial dialects of the English. Without entering at present into the origin of the former, I am bold to affirm, that it has as just a claim to the designation of a peculiar language as most of the other languages of Europe. From the view here given of it to the public, in the form of an ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY, it will appear that it is not more nearly allied to the English, than the Belgic is to the German, the Danish to the Swedish, or the Portuguese to the Spanish. Call it a

dialect, if you will: a dialect of the Anglo-Saxon it cannot be; for, from the Dissertation prefixed to the Dictionary, it must appear to the unprejudiced reader, that there is no good reason for supposing that it was ever imported from the southern part of our island.

How far the work proposed possesses the requisites mentioned above, the public must judge. I shall only say, that I have still kept these things in view, as necessary recommendations of a work of this kind. Particularly, as far as my opportunities led me, I have paid attention to the more ancient terms used in our laws; without unnecessarily encumbering the work with many words of Latin origin, as to the meaning and derivation of which there can be no difficulty.

Many of our nation, not only in the higher, but even in the middle ranks of life, now affect to despise all the terms or phrases peculiar to their country, as gross vulgarisms. This childish fastidiousness is unknown not only to intelligent foreigners, but to the learned in South Britain. Well assured that the peasantry are the living depositaries of the ancient language of every country, they regard their phraseology nearly in the same light in which they would view that of a foreign people.

A learned and elegant writer of our own country seems to regret that the language of Scotland has been so much neglected. "If the two nations," he says, "had continued distinct, each might have retained idioms and forms of speech peculiar to itself; and these, rendered fashionable by the example of a court, and supported by the authority of writers of reputation, might have been considered in the same light with the varieties occasioned by the different dialects in the Greek tongue; might have been considered as beauties; and, in many cases, might have been used promiscuously by the authors of both nations. But, by the accession, the English naturally became the sole judges and lawgivers in language, and rejected, as solecisms, every form of speech to which their ear was not accustomed." Robertson's Hist. of Scotland, B. viii. ad fin.

Our best writers have felt the disagreeable consequences of the national servility. No man, educated in Scotland, can entirely divest himself of its peculiar idioms. Even the learned writer quoted above, Hume, and many others, who have justly acquired celebrity in other respects, have not escaped censure, because they have been found guilty of using national barbarisms.

In consequence of the late publication of a variety of curious works of Scottish antiquity, and of some modern works of genius in this language, the English literati are now convinced, that a more extensive acquaintance with it is necessary for understanding many terms in their own ancient writings, which have formerly been common to both countries, but have become obsolete in South Britain.

Even before the revival of a taste for Scottish antiquities, the great Lexicographer of England, although not partial to our country, expressed his wish for the preservation of its language. Boswell gives the following account of what Dr. Johnson said to him on this subject. "October 19, (1769)-he advised me to complete

a dictionary of words peculiar to Scotland, of which I shewed him a specimen.

Sir, (said he,) Ray has made a collection of north-country words. By collecting those of your country, you will do a useful thing towards the history of the language. Life of Dr. Johnson, ii. 86-87. Lond. edit., 1804.

It must be evident to every person of ordinary reflection, that a native of any country, or one at least who has long resided in it, can alone be qualified to compose a Dictionary of its language. There is a copiousness in the Scottish, of which the native of another kingdom can scarcely form an idea. Although I have spent my time in this quarter of the island, and devoted no inconsiderable attention to this subject, I find it necessary to acknowledge, that I have met with a variety of words and phrases, which, although in common use, I find it extremely difficult to explain.

On every word, or particular sense of a word, I endeavour to give the oldest printed or MS. authorities. I have had the best opportunities of doing so, not only from the kindness of my literary friends, but from the access I have had, in consequence of the liberality of the Faculty of Advocates, to their valuable Library, which contains a variety of Scottish books and MSS. not to be found elsewhere. I am not so fastidious, however, as to reject every word that cannot be supported by written authority. In this case, many of our most ancient and expressive terms would be for ever buried. Having resided for many years in the county of Angus, where the Old Scottish is spoken with as great purity as any where in North Britain, I collected a vast number of words unknown in the Southern and Western dialects of Scotland. Many of these I found to be classical terms in the languages of Iceland, Sweden, and Denmark. I have also endeavoured, as far as I could, to collect the terms belonging to the different provinces of Scotland. It could not be expected that literary men would use such diligence, in preparing the way for a Scottish Dictionary, as was used with a view to the publication of the Vocabulario della Crusca; when books were composed, containing such words as had formerly occurred only in conversation, for the express purpose of supplying the compilers of that celebrated work with written authorities. I have therefore been obliged to give these words, as I found them, on the authority of the nation at large, or of particular provinces. This, I humbly apprehend, is fully as good authority as that of a variety of later writers, whose works have scarcely had any other claim to the attention of their countrymen, than as they tended to preserve the vernacular tongue. If the first compilers of Dictionaries had rejected all the terms which they did not find written, many that now pass for classical would never have appeared in print to this day.

This work is not professedly a Dictionary of old English words. But such as occur in Scottish works, or seem to have been common to both nations, are explained, as well as those that are peculiar to the North; while their sense is illustrated by references to the most ancient English writers, or to Vocabularies of Provincial terms. Notwithstanding the length of time that I have been habitu

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