wallydraigle

English

Etymology

Precise etymology is unclear. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary suggests the word may come from Scots wally, a variant of wallaway, an interjection expressing woe. The Oxford English Dictionary agrees that the word is Scots, and suggests that the source of the second element is Scots draigle or English drag, both derived from Old English dragan (“to draw; to pull”). The term is attested since the 16th century.

Noun

wallydraigle (plural wallydraigles)

1. A feeble or underdeveloped person or animal.

References

• “wallydraigle”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “ˈwallydrag, ˈwallyˈdraigle, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2000.

Scots

Etymology

See the English section, above.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈweɪliːˌdreɪɡəl/, /ˈwɑliːˌdreɪɡəl/

Noun

wallydraigle

1. a wallydraigle
   1. a worthless or slovenly person
2. the youngest member of a family or the youngest bird in a nest