Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/179

blindlit, blindlut [blɩnd·lɩt·, blendlot], sb., 1) the light (whitish, slightly yellowish-reddish) colour obtained from the lichen “(sten-) blega”. 2) = blega², stenblega. Fo. prob.: *blindr litr (“blind colour”), denoting a rather undecided colour.

blink [blɩ‘ŋk], sb., 1) a flash; gleam; a b. o’ de ee [‘eye’]; de first b. o’ day, the first peep of day; I got a b. o’ it. From N.I. is reported a tabu-expr., used by fishermen at sea: “I see a b.”, I catch a gleam, i. e. of a fish under the surface of the water (= light i’ de lum!). No., Da. and Sw. blink, Eng. blink, sb. 2) a light band of fog; bluish streak; haze, a (blue) b. alang de shore; Fo. 3) a wink of sleep; doze; he’s ta’en him a b., he has had a short or (ironically) a good sleep (Y^h.); no a b. I got (Fo.); = blind¹ 2 and blont. Meanings 2 and 3 are peculiar to Shetlandic.

blink [blɩ‘ŋk], vb., 1) to gleam; flash; to b. de ee, to blink one’s eyes; to b. de koli, to light the open train-oil lamp (koli) for a moment; N.I. From N.I. is reported a tabu-expr., used by fishermen at sea: “shø [‘she’] blinks”, a fish shows itself (see blink, sb.). 2) to miss; miscarry, hit [‘it’] blinked for me (= hit kjud); Fo. No. and Sw. blinka, Da. blinke, Eng. blink, vb. For meaning 2 of Shetl. blink, cf. Da. glippe, occas.: to gleam; flash, occas.: to miscarry.

blinker [blɩ‘ŋkər], sb., 1) eye, occas. as a tabu-name, sea-term, occas. of a child’s eye; de blinkers is doon [‘down’] (in sleepy children); Fo. 2) star, tabu-word, used by fishermen at sea; Uⁿ.

blit, blitek [blit, blitək], sb., white vein; whitish spot or streak on a rock, = blega¹ and blig, sb. Uⁿ. The current form is now blitek; blit is found in a few names of fishing-

grounds: Blit [bl^eit], Hoddjeblit

[hȯᶁ··ᶁᶎəblit·], Gloffisblit [glåffis-] (Uⁿ.); these names doubtless originate from the fact that the most important landmarks are streaks or veins of a light colour on the rocks, by which these fishing-grounds can be found, blit(ek) assimilates in meaning to No. blik, n., of which it might be either a corrupted form or rather a deriv. (*blikt). A *“blikt” is confirmed by No. blikta, vb., = blika (to gleam; flash), and Fær. bliktalogn = blikalogn (dead calm).

blo- [blo (bᶅo)], adj., dark blue, O.N. blá-, is found as the first part in some compds.: blofinni, sb., mildew; mould, with adjectives: blofinnet, blofinsket, further: blonäild(et), adj., id., and blogummi, sb., a species of wrasse (labrus), — see under finni, finnet, blonäild, blogummi. In place-names e.g. as: Bloberg [blōbærg, bᶅō-], sea-term for “Rønis Hill” (Nmⁿ.), the highest elevation in Shetland, on account of its bluish colour seen from a distance: *blá-berg, Blofell [blōfel, bᶅɔ̄-] (Y^h., Y^s.): *blá-fell; Blogjo [blōgjō] (frequent): *blá-gjá; Blomørna [bᶅomør·na] (Ai.): *blá-mýrrin (mýrina), de Blomørs [blōmərs] (Du^s.): *blá-mýrar, pl.; (de) Blosjøns [blɔᶊəns] (Levenwick, Du.): *blá-tjarnir; Blostakk [blōstak] (Hillswick, Ness, Nm^w.): *blá-stakkr. Alternative use of “blo” and Eng. “blue” is found in Blobrekk [blobræk] (C.): *blá-brekka, = “Blue mire”.

blobelti [blobe‘l·ti], sb., sea-term, tabu-name, for peat (collect.). Nm^s. See belti, sb.

*bloda [blɔda, blȯda], sb., (dirty) bilge water in a boat, tabu-word, used by fishermen at sea. N. *bloti (or *bløyta); Icel. bloti, No. blote, m., and Icel. bleyta, No. bløyta, f., dampness; liquid.

blofinni, sb., see finni, sb.