Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/456

phorically of a big, capable fellow. Cf. also the use of No. vondul, m., a wisp of hay, metaph. a clumsy, stumpy fellow. From Yⁿ. and U. is reported an i-mutated form hilgin, in U. in a somewhat divergent sense; q.v. In proper sense, bundle of straw (sheaf of straw), an anglicised form “hallow”, q.v., is used in Shetl.

holi [hɔli], adj., 1) holey, from O.N. hol, n., a hole. 2) uneven, full of hollows, from O.N. hola, f., a hollow. holi grund, uneven sea-bottom, fishing-ground (Nm.; De.). Often applied to the sea: rough; agitated; de sea is turnin’ very h. (Du^w.). For the latter use of the word, cf. holg, sb., holk¹, sb. and vb., and No. hola = holga, adj., concave; steep; precipitous.

holk¹ [hå‘lk, hȯ‘ᶅk], sb., hollow sea; heavy swell with crested waves, a h. i’ de sea, a h. o’ a sea, = holg, sb. N.I., Nm., Deⁿ. hå‘lk: U. occas. hȯ‘ᶅk: U. occas., Y., Fe., Nm., Deⁿ. In sense of hollow sea, holk is either the same word, as holg, with hardening of g to k (as frequently in Shetl. Norn), or more prob. an original *holk-; cf. No. holka, f., a hollow, (O.N.) *holka, vb., to hollow out. From U. is reported a parallel form hok or hokk [håk] with dropped l; with this latter cf. L.Sc. houk, howk = holk, vb., to hollow out, dig. Otherwise, holk, in sense of rough sea with crested waves, might be thought to be associated with No. hulk, n., roughness, etc. Note the use of words such as a) holter, hulter, sb.; b) humpi, adj.; c) hums (hungs, hunks), honki, sb., (prop. denoting unevenness, roughness), used of agitated sea. Cf. also holk² and hulk, vb., in sense of to stump. In holk¹, sb., two different words seem to have been merged together.

holk² [hȯ‘ᶅk (hɔ̇‘ᶅk), hå‘lk], sb., 1) a wooden vessel made of staves, narrower at the top than below, esp. for keeping fish-livers in, and for storing train-oil; a øli [‘oil’]-h. U. [hȯ‘ᶅk (hɔ̇‘ᶅk)]. 2) a big, awkward and clumsy person, unfit for work. U. [hå‘lk]; N.Roe [hȯ‘ᶅk]. In sense of something large and clumsy, appl. to inanimate objects, the word assimilates to the foll. holk³. From U^wg. is reported holok [hɔlɔk] in sense of a clumsy, ill-shaped person, a h. o’ a body. — O.N. holkr, m., a ferrule, a ring-shaped fitting; No. holk, m., a) a ferrule; a ring; b) a wooden vessel made of staves; a keg, with the derivative “hylke”, n., a high, narrow wooden vessel; c) a stiff, clumsy and awkward person. — The different pronunc. of “hå‘lk” (U.), meaning 2, and “hȯ‘ᶅk” (U.), meaning 1, might indicate that “hå‘lk” is an original “holkr”, and “hȯ‘ᶅk” a derived form *hylki (No. hylke, n.).

holk³ [hȯ‘ᶅk], sb., 1) a knot; bump; hunch; a h. upo de back or atween de shooders [‘shoulders’]. U., N.Roe, Du. holk-backed [hȯ‘ᶅk-bakəd], adj., hump-backed (Du.). 2) a lumpy, mis-shapen thing; something large and clumsy; a h. o’ a taati [‘potato’] (N.Roe); also something hastily and loosely built (e.g. a jerry-built house). Sa., Nmⁿ. In Du. esp. applied to something unusually large. In sense 1 holk treated here is doubtless No. hulk, n., knot (knots). Poss. association with the preceding holk², sb. In sense 2 *hulk (given under holg, sb.) is prob. merged with Eng. hulk, sb., and with holk², sb.

holk¹ [hȯ‘ᶅk], vb., 1) to hollow out; to h. a taati, to cut a piece out of a potato; de rabbit is [‘has’] holket ut de heart o’ de neip [‘turnip’], the rabbit has gnawed the