Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
HALLACH, n. Also hal(l)yoch. [′hɑləx]
1. The strange gabbling noise heard when one is listening to others speaking in a language unknown to one.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 252:
Thus a club of Manxmen together are said to haud an unco gabbie labbie o' a hallyoch wi' ither.
2. A guffaw, a noisy outburst (of laughter) (Abd.27 1956).Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) xviii.:
Pottie was juist in the middle o' a great hallach o' a lauch, when I grippit him by the collar.
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"Hallach n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/hallach>
