Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1919-1949
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†HALTAGONGA, int. Also (h)altagongi (Jak.), haltugong(g)a. An expression used, in fishermen's tabu-language, as a kind of spell to check the running of a big fish after it has been hooked (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., haltugonga, 1914 Angus Gl., haltugongga).Sh. 1919 T. Manson Peat Comm. III. 179:
Oh, "altagongi?" Och, dats da wird at da ould men said at da haaf whin a big turbot wis laek ta set aff wi da line . . . Yon wird means, "stop rinnin."Sh. 1949 Scots Mag. (Nov.) 132:
The halibut was difficult to deal with and when there was a danger of a big fish breaking the line the men would shout out haltagongi (stop running), which in English would have been quite innocuous but in Norn was invariably effective.
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"Haltagonga interj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/haltagonga>
