Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/165

field (de tun) with the help of a dog; 2) to plant seed-potatoes (see bet, sb. 3.), to b. de roddek (Nm.) = to set de geng (Ai., etc.), to plant a single row of potatoes on part of a field; 3) in the compd. granbet, vb.; q.v. — O.N. beita, vb., to set on or upon; hunt with hawk or hound; also: to let graze; to use for grazing.

betek [bētək, bē^ətək, bɛ̄^ætək], sb., a piece of old or poor bait that the fish not will rise to. O.N. beita, f., a bait. — Differs in its restricted use from Eng. “bait”.

better [bæ‘tər], adj. and adv. compar., better, is certainly Eng. “better”, but the use of the adv., in certain connections, is more in accordance with Norse usage (O.N. betr, adv.), thus, e.g.: to drink better = Eng. to drink more, No. drikka beter, to drink more; tak’ de table better in to dee! (Fe.), draw the table nearer to you! Cf. best, sup.

†bevel [bævəl], sb., lump; unevenness; projecting knot or swelling; der’r a b. upo de wa’ [‘wall’]. W. Connection with the foll. word, doubtful. Bevla is found as a place-name in St.

†bevel [bævəl], vb., to work assiduously, with implied notion of awkwardness: to b. atill ony [‘any’] kind o’ wark [‘work’]. Wests. Prop. to strike; thrust? Poss. Conn. with L.Sc. bevel, sb., a blow; (violent) push.

beverslutsi [bē^ə·vərslut·ᶊı], sb., jocular exclamation to a person; my b.! Nm. Etym. uncertain.

*bi, sb., see *bø², sb.

†bibo [bi̇̄·bō·], sb., small, insignificant thing, a trifle. S.Sh. Conn. with Sw. dial. bibba, f., something lumbering or large, ironically used in opp. meaning? More prob. Eng. dial. bee-baw, sb., lullaby.

bid [bıd], sb., small length of line, fastening the hook to the fishing hand-line or long-line, bid on a

long-line is comm. a small length of line of twisted hemp or horse-hair, fixed to the so-called tom (a smaller line hanging from the main-line). Prob.: *bit or biti. O.N. bit, n., a bite; biti, m., a bit; a small piece. Cf. hemp, sb.

bid [bıd], vb., essentially = Eng. “bid”, but in a few exprs. of special Norn origin (O.N. bjóða, vb., to bid); thus: 1) b. in, to invite (cf. inbø, sb.), esp. of the cat: de cat is “biddin’ in”, the cat “invites”: raises one of its hind-legs, while in a sitting posture, and licks its tail, which is supposed to foretell the coming of visitors; 2) b. ut, to call out; Fe.; Fær. bjóða út; also: b. on. — “bid” [bıd], sb., invitation.

bidi [bıdi], sb., 1) cake of barley- or oat-meal, brøni; in Unst of a large “brøni”, in Nm^w. of a small “brøni”; bursten-b. (Du.), see bursten, sb.; fatti-b. (De.) = fatti-brøni. At some places, esp. of the barley- or oat-cakes constituting the deep-sea fishermen’s provisions: sea-b. (Fo.). 2) small object or child, bigger than circumstances warrant, a great b. 3) sheep-mark; small, semicircular cut (piece cut out) on the side of a sheep’s ear (= kruk); Fo.; cf. bit, sb. O.N. biti, m., a bit; piece.

bidin [bıdin], sb., on a long-line: small line, fastened to the main-line. Y., Fe. Deriv. of bid, sb.

*bigd, sb., see bigg².

*bigg¹ [bıg] and *biggin¹ [bıgın], sb., barley. Nm. (bigg); Uⁿ. (biggin); now comm. “bere” (L.Sc.). biggin is partly preserved as tabu-name (sea-term). Also *bugga [boga]: Fo. O.N. bygg, n., barley.

bigg² [bıg], sb., 1) a collection of houses, = biggin²; Fe. a large, fine house; Yⁿ. In Edm.: bigd, a building, a house. — Bigd and Bigg are found as sea-terms, names for a