It must be borne in mind, however, that as to nonsense the burden of proof rests always upon the expositor. His personal inability to dispose of a reading is not conclusive; his convictions may be strong, but patience and caution are his part and self-restraint as to conjectures.
It is with a strong feeling of what ‘a kindly Scot’ signifies that I offer my thanks to many gentlemen who have favored me with comments on lists of words submitted to them. Especial acknowledgment is due to Dr Thomas Davidson, a native of Old Deer, who has made his home in the United States, and to Mr William Walker, of Aberdeen. Besides these, I have to mention with gratitude the Rev. Robert Lippe, Rev. Dr Walter Gregor, the late Dr William Alexander, Principal Sir W. D. Geddes, Dr James Mori, Messrs William Forbes, James Aiken, David Scott, W. Carnie, W. Cadenhead, and William Murison, all of Aberdeenshire; Dr James Burgess, Messrs J. Logie Robertson and William Macmath, of Edinburgh; Professor A. F. Murison, of London, and Dr Robert Wallace, M. P.; Professor James Cappen, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario; Rev. Professor J. Clarke Murray and Principal Dr W. M. Barbour, of Montreal; Rev. Dr Alexander McDonald, St Francis Xavier’s College, Antigonish, N. S.; Rev. Dr Waters, of Newark, N. J. For some difficult English words help has been given by Dr W. Hand Browne of Johns Hopkins University, Professor Manly of Brown University, and Professor Kittredge of Harvard College.
It will be observed that ballads in the Skene MS which were derived from the “Old Lady’s Collection” are not glossed, but the originals, which should be substituted for Skene’s more or less incorrect copies.
[References are usually to volume, page, and stanza.]
A
a’, aa, aw, all.
a’=every. a’man, I, 68, 27; II, 71, 16; 75, 13; 193, 24; IV, 46, 5, 6; 235, 10; V, [169], 6; [221], 10; [224], 22; [237], 8; 239, 36; 260 b, 5. a’body, V, [273] a.
a, abridgment of have, I, 315, 11; III, 215, 10; 440, 13; 441, 26; V, [55], 26; [79], 33; [213], 10; [224], 28; [251], 36.
a=he, III, 54, 3, 7.
a=I, in the phrase a wat (a wait, a wite, etc.), II, 159, 11, 16, 19; 160, 10-16, 19; III, 299, 9: I know, verily, assuredly. II, 230, 6: used by a mere trick, with hardly a meaning. a’s, V, [266], 9: I’s, I shall, will.