Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1908-1934
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BERG, n.
1. (See quots.)Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
Berg. Is still occas. used of a (small) rocky hill.Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
Berg, a prominent, conspicuous rock.Sh.4 1934
2. Used of rocky soil with a thin stratum of earth.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
"Here is naet'in' ['nothing'] but a shauld ['shallow'] b[erg]," said of a very thin layer of earth which, on cultivation, quickly shows the rocky stratum underneath.Sh.4 1934
3. Extended to mean a big protuberance on the nose.Sh.1908 Jak. (1928) s.v. Berg:
(He has) a b[erg] on de nose.
Comb.: bergfall, "a great fall, such, for instance, as rocks falling from a cliff into the sea" (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; also Jak.).
[O.N. berg, rock.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Berg n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 12 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/berg>
