Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MARTIN BULLION, n. Also Martin o(f) Bullion, Mark —; Marco Bullion, Marcabillin; Martin Bulg; Maitlan Bulg (Kcd. 1914 T.S.D.C.). In combs. Martin Bullion's day, Martinabullimus (-mass), -day, the day of the Feast of the translation of St. Martin, 4th July [old style], 15th July [new style], St. Swithin's day (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff.2 1937; Sh. 1962). Cf. Bullion's Day, Bulgan's Day.Sh. 1822 S. Hibbert Descr. Shet. 512:
I tink Martinabullimus dae fearnyear wis da warst dae I ever saw.
Sc. 1864 R. Chambers Book of Days II. 20:
In Scotland this [4 July] used to be called St. Martin of Bullion's Day, and the weather which prevailed upon it was supposed to have a prophetic character. It was a proverb that if the deer rise dry and lie down dry on Bullion's Day, it was a sign there would be a good gose-harvest.
Abd. 1898 Sc. Antiquary XII. 138:
St. Martin's day was known on Donside as “Martin Bulg's Day”; in the Buchan district of Aberdeenshire it is called “Marcabillin's Day”.

[From the summer feast of St Martin, called in Fr. S. Martin d'été or le bouillant (boiling, i.e. in the hot season or chaud, Lat. Martinus bulliens or calidus), as opposed to his winter feast on Nov. 11 (Martinmas) (Lat. Martinus hiemalis).]

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

"Martin Bullion n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/martin_bullion>

18236

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: