GLOSSARY OF SCOTTISH WORDS.
In the following Glossary, there is no attempt made to present a dictionary of the Scottish language. Only those words are inserted that are found in the text; and, generally, only the English definitions that belong to the situations in which the words are placed in the text.
Scottish vowels are considerably deeper than English in sound: the short i sounding to an English or American ear like a short e. The pure sound of er, as in the English words berry, ferry, etc.; the guttural ch or gh, as in the German; the affix it, corresponding to the English ed, and pronounced "eet"; and the termination in, corresponding to the English ing, and pronounced "een" ; are some points necessary to be observed.
As to the dialect used in this version, the dialect of Burns, which has become fixed as the literary form of the Broad Scotch, has been mainly followed; and that, notwithstanding many Border predilections on the part of the translator. Burns, Scott, and Hogg are the great dialectic authorities in Scotch, to whose diction all must conform: and the world has accepted, as a representative form of the language, a dialect used by these, which is not strictly peculiar to any definite locality.
Criticism on this work there will be, however rendered; but I have had before me, all throughout, the probability of this translation being counted, in a modest way, as one of the standards of the language in time to come; and have endeavoured to make it consistent with itself, and conformable to already-existing standards; and a help to those who should afterwards write in Scotch.
