Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LAIG, v., n. Also le(a)g; la(a)g, laug; llauge (Gregor); lyaag, lyaug, lyawg, lyahg, and reduplic. form lyaug-lyaug (ne.Sc.), liag (Abd. 1928 Word-Lore III. 149). Cf. also Lig, v.2, n. [leg, l(j)ɑ:g]

I. v. To talk volubly, to prate, chatter (Sh. (laag), Abd. (laig, lyaag), 1960); to gossip (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 107).Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xlix.:
Ye winna need to sit there a' aifterneen lyaugin' wi' fowk.
Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 241:
Wha's yon du's been laugin wi'?
Abd. 1917 C. Murray Sough o' War 31:
Hearken to the cottar wives lyaug-lyaugin' owre their shanks.
Ags. 1923 H. Beaton Benachie 105:
I jist canna suffer sic laigin', laigin' aye aboot Sauners' wife.
Abd. 1957 Bon-Accord (15 Aug.) 13:
We were sittin' laggin' an' newsin' ae day.

II. n. 1. Talk, speech; idle talk; chatter, gossip (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 100, laig, llauge; Sh. 1960, laag). Also lyawger (Sc. 1911 S.D.D. Add.); 2. one given to gossiping, “mostly applied to women” (Gregor).1. Bnff. a.1829 J. Sellar Poems (1844) 43:
They sat an' tald auld tales and legs.
Kcd. 1844 W. Jamie Muse 71:
The miller left his mill and kiln, To join them in their laig.
Clc. 1852 G. P. Boyd Misc. Poems 73:
The lofty leag o' Albion's quean, . . . Does lack the charm o' Bessy's voice.
Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 100:
That's naething bit the laig o' the queentry.
Sh. 1898 Shetland News (19 Feb.):
Dat's dy daily laag noo for a ook.
Bnff. 1960:
I canna be bather't wi' her lyaag.

[Cf. Norw. dial. laga, to prate, chatter; ultimately from same root as Lay. Cf. lay aff s.v.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Laig v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/laig>

17041

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: