Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1877
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FINGAUL, n. An inhabitant of the parish of Kirkmaiden in Wigtown (Wgt. 1951). [fɪn′gɒ: l]Gall. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 17:
Traditions . . . that Norsemen . . . came across from Ireland and the Isle of Man, and formed settlements at the Isle of Whithern, the High-end of Kirkmaiden. . . . The truth of this tale is to some extent borne out by the fact, that distinct races of people — or rather the remains of them — inhabit such places — and they are still called in derision Fingauls by their immediate neighbours. The inhabitants of the South end of Kirkmaiden for example are still called “Fingauls” by the other natives of the Rhinns.
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"Fingaul n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/fingaul>
