Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1750-1760, 1875, 1936
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BRUCKLIE, BRUCKLY, Brukli, Brocklie, adj. and adv. [′brʌklɪ̢, ′brɔklɪ̢]
1. adj.
(1) "Applied to persons in a weak state of health, and to unsettled weather; 'It's bruckly weather'" (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.; Bnff.2, Abd.9 1936).Abd.(D) 1875 W. Alexander Life Among my Ain Folk xii.:
Gin ye had seen 'im . . . wi' the littleanie in's oxter, fan oor fowk, aul' an' young, wus at the flaucht to get in a puckle for fear o' the brucklie weather.
(2) Friable (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., brukli; Bnff.2 1936, brocklie).Mry. after 1750 Pluscarden MS. 120:
The Pluscarden peats were wershis bruckly and in handling them when fully dried were apt to be broken to "drush."Ags. 1936 (per Ags.1):
That loaf's gey brocklie.Fif. 1760 Session Papers, Henderson v. Paterson (1 Aug.) 5:
The Coal being a bruckly Kind of Coal.
2. adv. "In a brittle state or manner" (Clydes. 1825 Jam.2).
[From Bruckle, q.v.; cf. Ger. bröckelig (Kluge).]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Brucklie adj., adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Sep 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/brucklie>
