Scandinavian influence on Southern Lowland Scotch / A contribution to the study of the linguistic relations of English and Scandinavian

by George T. Flom

Waur, vb. to overcome. Burns, 7, 1, 7; Psalms, CXL, 2. See werr. Cp. Eng. worst as a vb. and superlative of bad, worse.

Weik, vb. to weaken. Scott, 68, 14. Cp. Norse veikja, to weaken, make weak. O. N. væikja, to grow weak, both from adj. væikr, weak, same as O. E. wāc. The Sco. vb. may be formed directly from the adj., in which case its origin becomes uncertain. Skeat says Eng. weak, M. E. weyke (which replaced wook < O. E. wāc), is from O. N. væikr. But the M. Sco. form of O. E. or O. Nhb. wāc was wāke (wēk); our word could come from this. The diphthong, however, rather indicates that it comes from the Norse vb.

Weill-varandly, adv. in a proper manner. R.R., 911. See farrand. Cp. O. N. fara vel, Norse fara vel, to go well, velfaren, gone well.

Welter, vb. to roll, turn, overturn. Bruce, XI, 25; III, 700; Douglas, II, 125, 25; T.M.W., 439; Lyndsay, 342, 770. O. N. valtra, to be unsteady, not firm, easily shaken. O. Sw. valltra, Sw. dial. välltra, to roll.

Werr, were, war, var, waur, adj. worse. C.S., 57; Lyndsay, 428, 1392; R.R., 589, etc. O. N. verr, worse, Norse verr, verre, Dan. værre, Sw. värr, Cu. waar. This is the modern Sco. pronunciation of it. The O. Fr. wirra does not correspond to the Sco. forms of the word. It is most common in Scotland and N.W. England.

Wicht, adj. strong, vigorous, skillful. Bruce, VII, 263; Ramsay, I 253. O. N. vígr, fit for battle, skilled in war, from víg, battle, Sw. vig, active, M. E. wiht, valiant. B-S. queries the word, but thinks it may come from M. L. G. wicht, heavy, thus the same word as Eng. weight. This meaning is, however, not satisfactory. The Sco. usage is that of the Scand. word. The t is inflectional. Cp. O. N. eiga vígt um.

Wick, vb. to make to turn, to strike off on the side, strike a stone in an oblique direction, a term in curling, to hit the corner (Wagner). O. N. víkja, to turn, to veer, Sw. dial. vik, Sw. wika, Norse vikja, vika, to turn (causative). Dan. vige not quite the same word.

Wilkatt, sb. a wild cat, Dalr., I, 723. Ramsay II, 500. O. N. vill + Eng., Norse cat, kat.

Will, vill, adj. adv. lost, bewildered, astray. Dunbar, 228, 74; Douglas, II, 24, 6, "to go will." O. N. villr, bewildered, fara villt, get lost, Norse vill, astray, Dan. vild, Sw. vill. Cp. Cu. wills, doubts, "Aaz i' wills whether to gang or nit."

Wilrone, sb. a wild boar. Scott, 71, 106. O. N. vill, wild, + runi, a boar, a wild boar, Norse rone, raane, Sw. dial. råne, Dan., with metathesis, orne.