Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/229

compd. be viti, vit [*vætti], a disparaging expr. used of a person (as the second part of the compd.)? The first part, di (de?)- might have arisen through infl. of syn. Eng. and L.Sc. words beginning with “de-”, thus, e.g. the common Shetl. adj., “depooperet”, ailing; poor (from Eng. depauperate, L.Sc. depauper, vb., to make poor; impoverish).

dien¹ [di̇̄ən] and däin [däin], däien [däiən], sb., swamp; marshy hollow; water-hole, de coo [‘cow’] is gane [‘gone’] in a d. Du. dien: Du^{s, e}.; däi(e)n: Du^w. (Irel.). In U. a compd. “dines [d^əi̇̄nəs (däinəs)]-pit” is found in the sense of very deep swamp; very deep hole (water-hole). — dien¹, däi(e)n, dine- must be O.N. (Icel.) dýna, f., swamp; morass (G.V.). — To be classed with this is prob. also donek [donək (dɔnək)], swampy hole; puddle (Du.), with dropped i-mutation. Cf. do in place-names, occas. = dø (swamp, O.N. dý); see further under dø, sb.

dien² [di̇̄ən], sb., = di, sb.

dig [dɩg], vb. a., to stamp, trample something down or together, to d. doon, to trample down. Du. (Sandw.). Either a) the same word as Fær. dika, vb., to beat hard (= díkja), to tramp along, dik, n., vigorous blow or push, also speed; run (O.N. dik, n., running; run), or b) = No. diga, vb., (to shake; rock) in the sense of to press down, compress (acc. to Ross, who, however, gives this definition as somehwat^{[errata 1]} uncertain). See digel, vb., and dikel, sb. and vb.

digel (digl) [dɩgəl] and djigel (djigl) [dᶎɩgəl], vb., 1) vb. a., to stamp; trample something down or together; de eart’ is a’ [‘all’] digeld (djigeld); N.I. 2) vb. n., to work without result, making no head-way; to bungle, to stand d(j)iglin; Ai. 3) vb. a. and vb. n., to shake or to be shaken to

and fro, up and down; to swing, d(j)igel; N.I. — Poss. diff. words; d(j)igel 1, in any case, is a deriv. of dig, vb., see prec; with d(j)igel 3 compare, partly No. diga, vb., to tremble; shake; swing, partly No. dika, vb., in sense of to rock; move slightly to and fro (R.). Cf. further dikel (djikel), sb. In sense 3 the Shetl.-Norn digel, djigel has been blended with Eng. jiggle, vb.

digelmur, -moor [dɩg··əlmūr·], djigelmur [dᶎɩg··əlmūr·], digelsmur [dɩg··əlsmūr·] and diglamur, diglimur [dɩg··lamūr·, dɩg··li-], sb., 1) hard, clayish ground (reddish, rust-coloured); Fo.: digelsmur. 2) thick mud; mire; very sodden ground; Sa.: djigelmur; Esh., Nm^w.: digla- and diglimur. In Esh. esp. of sodden, peaty soil. — These two words treated, seem to be different. With digelsmur (sense 1) cf. Icel. deigulmór, m., potter’s clay (deigull, O.N. digull, m., melting-pot). With djigelmur, digla- and diglimur (sense 2) may be compared, partly No. digemyr, f., quagmire (diga, f., and dige, m., soft mass; soft, muddy bottom), partly No. dikemyr, f., swamp; muddy bottom (dike, O.N. díki, n., mud; slough; morass); see further dikel, sb. 3.

digger [dɩg(g)ər], sb., firmness of texture; strength; quality to withstand wear, of clothes; implements; der’r d. in it, nae [‘no’] d. in it. Y. (Y^h.). From the root *dygg-; O.N. dygð, f., virtue; strength; ability; good quality; a parallel form “dyggleike” in No. = strength; goodness; quality. The ending -er in digger might be due to infl. of the syn. doker.

dikel [dɩkəl] and djikel [dᶎɩkəl], sb., 1) quick motion up and down; violent shaking, esp. commotion in the sea, swell with small, choppy waves; de sea is in a djikel (Uⁿ.).

1. Correction: somehwat should be amended to somewhat: detail