Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1908-1934
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BERG, n.
1. (See quots.)Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
Berg. Is still occas. used of a (small) rocky hill.Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
Berg, a prominent, conspicuous rock.Sh.4 1934
2. Used of rocky soil with a thin stratum of earth.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
"Here is naet'in' ['nothing'] but a shauld ['shallow'] b[erg]," said of a very thin layer of earth which, on cultivation, quickly shows the rocky stratum underneath.Sh.4 1934
3. Extended to mean a big protuberance on the nose.Sh.1908 Jak. (1928) s.v. Berg:
(He has) a b[erg] on de nose.
Comb.: bergfall, "a great fall, such, for instance, as rocks falling from a cliff into the sea" (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; also Jak.).
[O.N. berg, rock.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Berg n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Sep 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/berg>
