Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/176

and doubtless the same word; a flour-blastek (by dissimilation for *flastek, *flasmek?). Sa.

†blati [bläƫi], adj., weak; feeble, a b. body. Fe^w. From O.N. blað, n., blade? In L.Sc., blad, sb., is used of a feeble person; but Shetl. blati has the hardening of ð (through d) to t (ƫ), characteristic of the Norn words; see Introd. V (also N.Spr. VII) § 29. A form bladi [bladi] = blati, however, is also found.

blatter [blatər], vb., to flicker; flutter; move to and fro; de light blatters, the light flickers; de sails b., the sails are flapping to and fro (in the wind); blatterin claes (of clothes hung to dry in the wind). *blaktra, from O.N. blaka, blakra, vb., to wave; flap; Fær. blaktra, vb., to flap; flicker. Eng. blatter, vb., has a quite diff. sense.

bled [blɛd, blɛⁱd, blæd], sb., in its form Eng. “blade” (blade of grass; oar-blade; blade of a knife, etc.), but used in a wider sense, of leaves of plants in general, = Eng. leaf; also of leaves in a book. Finally bled is used of a tongue of land, shaped like a leaf; often in place-names, e.g.: de Bled o’ de Er [ēr] (C.), o’ Fiblister (Nm.), o’ Heljer (Nm.). The older form bla [blā] is also found in sense of tongue of land, but now only as a place-name; thus: Ørabla (Housay, Skerries), Jora (Jori)-bla (Brewik, Esh., Nm^w.): *øyrar-blað (from “øyrr”, f., beach; etym. = de Bled o’ de Er, see prec.); “Jorabla” itself is now washed away by the surf. O.N. blað, n., blade, leaf, something shaped like a leaf.

bled [blɛd, blɛⁱd, blæd], vb., 1) to pluck off leaves, esp. cabbage-leaves, = O.N. bleðja, L.Sc., blade, vb., to b. kail (cabbage); de kail is bleded, the leaves have been plucked off the cabbage; Sw. dial. “bläda”, like

L.Sc. “blade”, esp.: to pluck off leaves of cabbage. 2) of plants (except vegetables, cabbage): to leaf; shoot out leaves; de plants is bleded, the plants have got their leaves; Y.

bleg [blēg, bᶅēg], adj., light and rather drab, of colour; esp. of sheep, sheep’s wool: whitish and grayish or whitish and reddish (yellowish), a b. colour, yowe [‘ewe’], a b.-faced lamb or yowe. Fairly comm., esp. on Easts.; on Wests. more often bleget, q.v. In Fo. blega [blega] is used as name for a cow of such a colour: Blega. O.N. bleikr, adj., pale; light-yellow; as name for a cow: *bleika (“the pale one”).

blega¹ [blega], sb., white vein, whitish streak or spot in a rock-formation; Fe. bleg [bleg]: U. O.N. bleikja, f., white colour; whitish, clayey or chalky soil; No. blik, n., white spot, e.g. on a rock. See blig, sb.

blega² [blega], sb., a species of pure white rock-moss, scraped off and used in dyeing; it gives a very light colour, whitish with a yellowish-reddish tinge. U^b., Fo. *bleikja or *blik(a); No. blik, n., (pale shine) light coloured lichen or moss on the rocks; Fær. blik, n., lichen tartareus. Cf. stenblega and blind-lit.

blegd, bligd, bleg, blig [blegd, bleg (blē^əg), blɩg(d)], sb., 1) small wedge; Uⁿ. and occas. Fe^e.: blegd, bligd [blegd, blɩgd]; Uⁿ. also blegdi, bligdi [blegdi, blɩgdi]; Conn.: bleg [bleg]; Fo. and occas. Fe.: bleg, blega [bleg(a)]; blægda: W.Bur., Ai. (Th. Mathewson). 2) longish piece, cut from a fish, esp. from the belly, and used for bait; bleg: Uⁿ., Yⁿ., Fe. [bleg]; U^s. [blē^əg]; blegi [blegi]: U^b., Uⁿ.; blega [blega]: Fe.; blig [blɩg]: Yⁿ.; bligd (blegd), sed [sēd]-b. (a piece of bait, cut from a coalfish): U. occas. In Foula bleg [bleg] de