The Outlandish Companion

by Diana Gabaldon

  tierce (French)—a fencing parry or guard position

  Ne pétez plus haut que votre cul. (French) [Nay paytay ploo ho kay votr cool]— “Don’t fart above your arsehole.” French proverb, meaning both “Don’t get above yourself,” and “Don’t try to do things you aren’t equipped for.”

  Gu leoir! (Gaelic) [Gu leor]—“Plenty, enough!”

  burras (Gaelic) [Booras]—caterpillars.

  mo charaid (Gaelic) [mo kharaid]—my friend.

  cuir stad (Gaelic) [Cuir stat]—put a stop to.

  arisaid (Scots)—a woman’s long shawl.

  smoor (Scots)—to smother; specifically, to bank a fire.

  gomerel (Scots)—a fool.

  Da nobis hodie … (Latin) “Give us this day,” from the Lord’s Prayer.

  meachin’ (British dialect)—slinking or fawning.

  mozie auld poutworm (Scots)—moldy (or overripe) old grub.

  proddle (Scots)—to prick, goad, or stab.

  mumper (Scots)—one who chews without teeth, one who gums his food.

  nettercap (Scots)—spider.

  pibroch (Gaelic)—IMT says this is English slang for the Gaidhlig “Piobairachd.” [Peeberakd]. Literally, “piping.” “Pibroch” is generally used to describe “classical” pipe music. Gaidhlig speakers call it “Ceol mor”— “big music.”

  kerfuffle (English)—a fuss or flurry.

  mo ghrédh (Gaelic) [mo graag]—my dear

  yeuk (Scots)—“the itch”; colloquial expression for any sort of rash or skin inflammation.

  Mon Dieu, je regrette … (French)— “My God, I am sorry …”; beginning words of the Act of Contrition.

  gowk (Scots)—an awkward fool.

  dogsbody (English slang)—minion or flunky; general assistant.

  deed of Sasine (Scots)—deed transferring property under Scottish law.

  les filles (French) (lay FEE)—“the girls“; colloquially, prostitutes—”les filles de joie“ (the girls of joy).

  gralloch (Gaelic) [grallok]—slaughter, specifically, the knife stroke that disembowels a killed animal.

  clot-heid (Scots)—clot-head or cloth-head; an idiot or imbecile.

  brose (Scots)—a broth, often made of barley or kail (cabbage). [IMT notes: “This is not Gaelic, but the brose I and my fellow islanders knew was a stiff mix of the local grain meal—oats or barley, etc.—cooked with water, butter, and salt. Same ingredients as porridge, but much stiffer consistency. Supposed to be good for you. ’Never liked it myself

  hough (Scots)—shin of beef.

  collops (English)—a pan-sized portion of meat, beaten flat.

  gomeral (Scots)—fool, idiot

  cods (English)—slang for a man’s genitals

  fiddle-ma-fyke (Scots)—a silly, over-fastidious person

  doiters (Scots)—blundering fools

  Mon Dieu! C’est bien, ca! (French)— “My God! That’s good!”

  besom (English)—derogatory term for a woman, implying a scold or slattern

  fash (Scots)—trouble or bother

  girdle (Scots)—a flat iron plate set over the fire, used for cooking. Small girdles were often carried by Scottish mercenaries, swung on their belts, enabling them to make oatcakes in the field. Similar in meaning and derivation to the English “griddle.”

  a mhic an diabhoil (Gaelic) [A vihc an diavail]—“You son of the devil.” A serious Gaelic curse.

  garbel (Scots)—to rumble, as an empty stomach

  moil (Scots)—a difficulty or trouble

  sark (Scots)—a shirt. An ordinary sark was a long, capacious garment, reaching at least to midthigh. A shortened version of this was referred to as a “cutty sark.”

  blowzabella (English)—an attractive woman, not necessarily a whore, but sexually approachable.

  wean (Scots)—child

  sennight (English)—ancient form of “seven nights”—a week

  kine (Scots)—cattle.

  cockchafers (English)—cockroaches.

  A charaid, bi sémhach. (Gaelic) [A kharaid, bi saavak]—“My friend, be quiet.”

  ban-druidh (Gaelic) [Ba-un druii]—female sorceror or worker of magic.

  coneys (English)—rabbits.

  mo nighean (Gaelic) [Mo nee-an]—my girl, my lass.

  codless scut (English)—a coward, literally, a “ball-less cunt.”

  sluire (Scots; typo—should be “sluit”)—a sloven or slut.

  quim (English)—female genital opening (cunt).

  ecchymosis (Latin) (medical term)—an escape of blood into tissue from ruptured blood vessels.

  doits (Scots)—small copper coins.

  Samhain (Gaelic) [Savain]—the ancient Scottish equivalent to the feast of All Hallows; Halloween; October 31.

  asafoetida (Latin)—an aromatic (very) compound, worn in a bag around the neck to ward off infection.

  ratten (Scots)—a rat; also a small person or animal; also a term of endearment.

  clattie imp (Scots)—variant of “clarty”; “dirty imp.”

  poolie (Scots)—a louse.

  neffit qurd (Scots)—“neffit” = pigmy, “qurd”; a clot of excrement.

  hiddie-pyke (Scots)—a miser or niggard.

  knivvle (Scots)—to beat or thrash.

  ked (Scots)—a sheep-louse.

  whoreson (English)—son of a whore.

  skrae-shankit skoot (Scots)—a spindle-legged braggart; term of contempt.

  mo nighean donn (Gaelic) [Mo nee-an down]—my brown one; my brown-haired lass.

  kittle-hoosie (Scots)—whorehouse, brothel.

  hubbies (English)—breasts.

  kivvers (Scots)—covers, bedding.

  skelloch (Scots)—a shout, scream, or cry of alarm.

  nez de Cléopatre! (French)—“Cleopatra’s nose!” Exclamation of alarm or annoyance.

  N’est-ce pas? (French)—“Is it not so?”

  fille de joie (French)—prostitute; literally, “girl of joy”

  crottin (French)—dung, horse dropping.

  anker (English)—a large, tub-shaped cask, used to ship brandy.

  chuckie (English)—slang term (relatively inoffensive) for a prostitute, used in direct address.

  cochon (French)—pig. Used in insult, unless you refer to a real pig.

  Horreurs! (French)—“Horrors!”

  spiled casks (English)—(IMT: “I remember in my youth as a sometimes bartender, handling beer in wooden casks, spiling was a step in the process between taking it from storage to dispensing it. A hole was drilled in one of the bungs and a porous wooden spile was driven into the hole to relieve pressure at a controlled rate for a day or two prior to using it. One had to estimate how many spiled casks’ to have on the rack at any given time.”)

  punked wine (English)—flavorless or

  worthless wine. Post coitum, omne animalium triste est (Latin)—“After sex, all animals are sad.”

  a bhalaich (Gaelic) [a valaik]—boy (vocative case).

  dégustateur de vin (French)—a professional wine-taster.

  wame (Scots)—the belly.

  nez (French)—“nose”; a professional wine appraiser.

  ma petite saucisse (French)—my little sausage.

  abigail (Scots)—a female servant.

  “Eirich ’illean! Suas am bearrach is teich!” (Gaelic) [Airik illan, sooas am bearrak is tiak]—“Up, lads! Over the cliff and run!”

  kebbie-lebbie (Scots)—a commotion.

  Stramash (Scots)—a wrangle or fight.

  lang-nebbit (Scots)—“long-nosed,” figuratively; a nosy person.

  collieshangie (Scots)—an uproar or squabble.

  neb (Scots)—nose.

  tais-toi (French) [tay TWA]—shut up; be quiet.

  mo nighean dubh (Gaelic) [Mo nee-an dooh]—my black-haired lass; my dark one.

  bruja (Spanish) [BROO-ha]—witch or sorceress.

  bai-jai-ai (Mandarin)—mustard seed.

  shen-yen (Mandarin)—kidneys.

  shan-yu (Mandarin)—
eels.

  hotel de joie (French)—literally, “house of joy”; a brothel.

  spalpeen (Irish)—a low fellow; a scamp or rascal.

  an-mo (Mandarin)—pressure with fingers.

  gwao-fe (Mandarin)—foreigner (derogative); foreign devil.

  huang-shu-lang (Mandarin)—weasel.

  Ifrinn! (Gaelic)—“Hell!”

  da-zi (Mandarin)—Chinese character.

  Komma, komma, komma, dyr get (Swedish)—“Come, come, come, dear goat.”

  Guten morgen (Swedish)—“Good morning.”

  Vous etes Anglais? (French)—“Are you English?”

  Hola! (Spanish) [OH-la]—greeting; “Hello!”

  Quien es? (Spanish) [Kee-en es?]— “Who’s that?” (“Who are you?”)

  Mi casa es su casa (Spanish) [Mee cahsa es soo cahsa]—“My house is your house”; traditional Spanish invitation, offer of hospitality.

  Si, claro (Spanish) [See, clahro]—“Yes, certainly” (literally, “Yes, that’s clear”).

  cabron (Spanish) [Cah-BROHN]—literally, a male goat. Idiomatically, a major insult, implying incest with the female parent (i.e., “motherfucker”).

  sala (Spanish)—the main room of a house.

  Merci aux saints (French)—Mercy of the saints, or “Saints have mercy!” Exclamation of surprise and thankfulness.

  Vous etes matelot? (French) [Voo etay mahtehlo?]—Are you a sailor?

  Je suis guerrier (French) [Zhe swee ga-reeayr]—“I am a soldier” (literally, “I am a warrior”).

  pistola (Spanish; corrupt dialect)—pistol.

  “Silence, mes amis. Silence, et restez, s’il vous plait.” (French)—“Quiet, my friends. Quiet, and stay where you are, please.”

  habitant (French)—native.

  mon enfant (French)—my child; used as term of affectionate familiarity or condescension to one younger than the speaker, regardless of age.

  C’est bien. Ce n’est qu’un serpent. (French)—“It’s all right. It’s only a snake.”

  Non. C’est innocent. (French)—“No. It’s harmless.”

  Basta, cabron! (Spanish)—“That’s enough, motherfucker!”

  ceo gheasacach (Gaelic) [Ceo yasagak] (Pronounce the first “a” as in “ape”)— magic mist.

  amiki (taki-taki)—friend

  bene-bene (taki-takt)—it’s good; it’s okay.

  Habla Espanol? (Spanish)—“Do you speak Spanish?”

  Sprechen Sie Deutsch? (German)—“Do you speak German?”

  griffon (French)—a person of mixed blood; one-quarter black.

  An gealtaire salach Atailteach! (Gaelic) [An geealtair salak Atailteak]—“Filthy Italian coward!”

  weirrit (Scots)—strangled; an addition often added to the sentence of burning—a criminal might be allowed the mercy of being strangled before being consigned to the flames.

  bhasmas (Hindi)—ashes of a gemstone.

  nagina (Hindi)—stone of high quality.

  houngan (African/Creole)—a medicine-priest; a voodoo practitioner; a witchdoctor.

  oniseegun (Yorubd)—a priest/practitioner of magic.

  Huwe! (Yorubd)—“Up!” (“Lift it up!”)

  egungun (Yorubd)—crocodile.

  bébé (French)—baby; term of endearment.

  Ils sont arrives (French) [Eel sohn ahree-vay]—“They have come.”

  Aya, gado (Yorubd)—“Yes, child.”

  Mana, mana (Yorubd)—Thank you, thank you.

  grandmére (French)—grandmother.

  certainement (French) [ser-tan-MON]— certainly, surely.

  loa (African dialed)—spirit, either the spirit of a dead person or a voodoo deity, speaking through an oracle.

  buckra (African/Caribbean dialect)—disparaging term for a white person.

  A Mhicheal bheannaichte, dion sinn bho dheamhainnean (Gaelic) [a vi-icheal veanaihte, dion shin vo yoainean]—“Blessed Michael, defend us from demons.”

  Sionnach (Gaelic) [Shionak]—fox.

  a shionnach (Gaelic) [A hionak]—o fox (vocative).

  Mar shionnach (Gaelic) [Mar hionak]— like a fox.

  Pog mo thon! (Gaelic) [Po-og mo hoon]—“Kiss my ass!”

  Gabhainn! A charaid! (Gaelic) [Gavain! a karaid]—“Gavin! My friend!” (NB: IMT says “More correctly would be ’A Ghabhainn! A charaid!’”)

  Balach biodheach (Gaelic) [Balak bauiak]—beautiful boy.

  Mac Dubh (Gaelic) [Mac DOO]—“Son of the Black One.” Abbreviation of the longer expression (Jamie’s formal Gaelic appellation) “Seaumais, an fhearr mac dubh.”

  Sléinte (Gaelic) [Slaainte]—health; also used as a drinking toast; “To your good health.” “Sléinte mhath.”

  tannasg (Gaelic) [tannasg]—spirits or ghosts.

  tannasgach (Gaelic)—ghosts, spirits (NB: IMT says “This takes the adjective form. In this context, should probably be tannasgan—plural noun”).

  caithris (Gaelic) [Cairish]—to be awake all night; a wake over a dead person. Also a formal lament (also known as a “coronach”), sung during a funeral procession, recalling the details of the departed person’s life.

  Tha sinn cruinn a chaoidh ar caraid, Gabhainn Hayes (Gaelic) [Ha shinn cruin a kuii ar caraid, Gavain Hayes]—“We are met to weep and cry out to heaven for the loss of our friend, Gavin Hayes!” (Pronunciation tip: “In ’chaoidh’ and ’haou,’ the letters ’ao’ are pronounced like the ’ue’ in the German name “Mueller.’” [IMT])

  Eisd ris! (Gaelic) [Aaishd ris]—“Hear him!” (“Listen to him.”) Long “a” pronounced as in “hay.”

  Rugadh e do Sheumas Immanuel Hayes agus Louisa N’ic a Liallainn an am baile Chill-Mhartainn, ann an sgire Dhun Domhnuill, anns a bhliadhna seachd ceud deug agus a haon! (Gaelic, rather obviously) [Roogag e do Haamas Immanuel Hayes agus Louisa nihc a Lialain an am bala Kille-Vaartain, an an sgiire“ Goodn Do-onuil, a-uns a vliana seac ciad diag agus a haon]—”He was born of Seaumais (James) Emmanuel Hayes and of Louisa Maclellan, in the village of Kilmartin in the parish of Dodanil, in the year of Our Lord seventeen hundred and one!”

  A Shasunnaich na galladh, ’s olc a thig e ghuibh fanaid air bas gasgaich. Gun toireach an diabhul fhein leis anns a bhas sibh, direach do Ifrinn!! (Gaelic) [A Hasunaik na gallag, ’s olc a hig guiv fanaid air baas gashciak. Gun toireag an diavol haan laish auns a vaas sheev, deerak do Ifrinn]—“Wicked Sassenach dogs, eaters of dead flesh! Ill does it become you to laugh and rejoice at the death of a gallant man! May the devil himself seize upon you in the hour of your death and take you straight to hell!”10

  Lumen Christi (Latin) [LOO-men KREE-stee]—Light of Christ. Sung as a repeated invocation during the procession of an Easter Vigil liturgy.

  “Ifrinn an Diabhuil! A Dhia, thoir cob-hair!” (Gaelic) [Ifrin an Diavuil! A Yia hoir co-ar!]—“Devil’s hell! God help us!

  Sacrée Vierge (French) [SAC-ray Veeurj]—“Sacred Virgin!” An invocation of the Blessed Virgin, commonly used as an exclamation of astonishment.

  “Arrétes, espéce de cochon!” (French)— “Stop, you species (type) of pig!”11

  a luaidh (Gaelic) [looai]—my dear.

  Requiem aeternam dona ei, et lux per-petua luceat ei (Latin) [Re-kwee-em ay-ter-nahm do-na ay-ee, et loox per-peh-too-ah loo-chay-aht ay-ee]—“Eternal rest grant unto him, (O God) and let perpetual light shine upon him.”12

  craicklin’ (Scots)—hoarse croaking or snoring sound.

  Asgina ageli (Cherokee)—person close to the Otherworld.

  Miserere nobis (Latin) [Mee-say-ray-ray NO-bees]—“Have mercy on us.”

  ceilidh (Gaelic) [KAY-lee]—a festivity or party, often with music and singing.

  bodhran (Gaelic) [BOH-ran]—a flat, circular drum, with a stretched skin head over a wooden frame, beaten with a short, double-headed stick.

  alagruous (Scots)—grim or woebegone.

  coccygodynious (English) [cok-see-go-DIN-ee-us]—literally, a pain in the region of the coccyx (the tailbone).

  camstairy (Scots)—obstinate,
riotous, unmanageable.

  Is fhearr an giomach na ’bhi gun fear tighe (Gaelic) [Shearr an giomak na vi goon fer taie]—“Better a lobster than no husband” (Scottish proverb).

  bumf (English slang)—a hodgepodge of miscellaneous papers, of dubious use. Abbreviation of “bum-fodder,” i.e., toilet paper.

  Casteal Dhuni (Gaelic) [Cashed Doon]— war cry of clan Fraser

  Iain says: “My aunt Margaret (Margaret Beedie) had been to Aberdeen City Library and badgered a young man there to help her research the Fraser war cry. They found no reference so she went for the name of the castle. It showed up as Castle Dounie. This is the same as your research showed and my finding from the Moncrieffe of that Ilk.

  I asked her how the name Downie figured into all this. “It doesn’t.” Quite indignantly, “Indeed why should it?

  This was always Fraser property. If this castle was built on or close to a previous fortification as it very likely was, then it’s quite obviously Caisteal an Déin. It just got twisted round, as the English usually do, and the current name got quite separated from the real name.“ Bingo!

  Caisteal an Déin. [Cashte-al an Doo-in] Castle of the fort. You may want to try it out on your neighbors. It’s easy to imagine a couple of hundred hairy Frasers charging and sounding “Casteal an Déin“ in their customary free-for-all, mis-timed discordant manner with hyper-elongated ”OO’s.“ To the poor helpless little English soldiers, it must surely have been the chorus from hell.”

  Comme deux chiens … aux culs [French)—“Like two dogs … (sniffing) at (each other’s) backsides.”

  sehr schén (German)—very beautiful.

  gute Nacht (German)—good night.

  Foeda est in coitu et brevis voluptas, Et taedat Veneris statis peracte (Latin)—“Doing, a filthy pleasure is— and short. And done, we straight repent us of the sport.”13

  Virtus praemium est optimum. Virtus omnibus rebus anteit… (Latin)— see Appendix III for complete poem text and translation.

  duine uasal (Gaelic) [Duine ooasal]— man of worth, a solid citizen, a gentleman; man of means, man of integrity.

  kebbie-lebbie (Scots)—an altercation where a number of people talk at once.

  thole (Scots)—to put up with (“I canna thole that”; “I won’t put up with that.”)

  ban-lighiche (Gaelic) [Ba-un li-ike]—a female physician or healer.