Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BAIRGE, BERGE, Bearge, n.², v.² [berdʒ, bɛrdʒ]

1. n.

(1) The voice lifted up in a strong and loud manner, either in speaking, reading, weeping, or calling after one.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 9:
She geed oot wee a bairge o' a greet.Ib.:
Gee a bairge after 'im, an' tell 'im t' come seen back.

(2) A person who lifts his voice in a strong and loud manner.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 9:
Fah wid hae him for a minister? He's jist a mere bairge, fin he preaches; an' it croons a', fin he praies.Abd.⁷ 1925:
Berge, one who is impetuous in talk.

2. v.

(1) “To speak in a loud and angry manner; to scold, rail, or taunt loudly” (Jam.⁶ 1887 for w. and n.Sc.).ne.Sc.(D) 1922 “The Beylie” in Mair Swatches o' Hamespun 82:
Bit fin muv she widna, he startit up an' berged oot, “Speak up, ye abandoned umman.”Nai. 1813 W. Leslie Gen. View Agric. of Nai. and Mry. 449:
Bearge. To persist in clamourous repetition though disregarded.Bnff.² 1932:
Fat are ye bairgen at? I'm nae deef.w.Dmf. 1894 J. Shaw in Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 142:
Bairge, to scold.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 47:
‡Bairge, to speak volubly, loudly, or scoldingly.

(2) (See second quot.)Bnff.² 1932:
Shut up that noisy brute o' a dog o' yours; he bairges on throw the haill nicht.Bch. 1897 J. Forrest in Buchan Field Club IV. 78–80:
Bairge, to bark like a dog on the chain.

vbl.n. bairgan, the act of lifting up the voice in a strong and loud manner.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 9:
He hauds a sair bairgan o' a' thing intill's lug. He's unco dull o' hearin'.

ppl.adj. bairgin'.

(1) Having the habit of lifting up the voice in a loud manner.Mry.(D) 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sketches v.:
Sandy, remarking that she was a “bairgin' eediot o' a wife yon,” settled down to the mending of my boots in earnest.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 10:
The new minister hiz a bairgin' wye o' readin'.

(2) Much given to weeping noisily.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 10:
He's a bulliein', bairgin' bairn, that o' yours.