FOOTNOTES:
[1] Some antiquarian writers are of opinion that “The Green” was the site of ancient Aberdeen. For instance, Sir Samuel Forbes of Foveran, in his Description of Aberdeenshire (1715), says, “From the end of the last-mentioned straight street [the Upper Kirkgate], there runs another southward and obliquely [the Nether Kirkgate], leading also to the town churches, and terminates in a pretty broad street, lying flat, and called the Green, the seat of the ancient city; where the river Dee receives a small rivulet, called the Denburn, covered with a bridge of three arches.”—Turreffs’s Antiquarian Gleanings, 290.
[2] Cruive, a pigstye.
[3] The question occurred, How did the child get amongst the pigs? He could not have climbed over the paling; he must have been lifted over. There was an old sweetheart of the quondam militiaman, whom he had deserted in favour of Margaret Mitchell. It was believed that she had maliciously lifted the child over the palings, and put him amongst the pigs, most probably from spite against her old lover.
[4] In the north, loons and queans are boys and girls.
[5] The pronunciation of the Aberdeenshire dialect is peculiar. For instance, far is where; fat, what; tee, to; dee, do; feel, fool; peer, poor; byeuk, book; been, bone, etc. It is said that Jane Maxwell, the handsome and beautiful Duchess of Gordon, was in the habit of amusing George III. by repeating phrases in Aberdonian doric; and that his Majesty plumed himself on his ability to interpret them. The Duchess one day tried his mettle with the following: “A gangrel bodie oot o’ the toon o’ Stanhive was i’ the way o’ wan’erin the kwintra wi’ a bit basket owre ’er gardie, crying, ‘Fa’ll buy my black doctors fulpit in a peel?’” The gangrel bodie was a leech-seller of Stonehaven, and of course the “doctors” were “whelped” in a pool.
[6] Lum, chimney.
[7] Nickem, a person given to mischievous tricks. The word is also used as an endearing phrase: my bonnie nickem is equivalent to my little dear.
[8] Cooch, a dog-kennel.