brainyell

Scots

FWOTD – 17 May 2019

Alternative forms

• brainzel

Etymology

Compare Norwegian brengja (“to twist”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbrenjəl/

Noun

brainyell (plural brainyells)

1. an uproar
   • 1865, Thomas Thompson, “The Brownie of Bodsbeck”, in The Works of the Ettrick Shepherd‎^[1], page 23:

     I hears by the grumblin o’ my friend, that he outher saw or smelled something mair than ordinar. I took him aneath my plaid for fear o’ some grit brainyell of an outbrik, thinkin it some sheepstealer

     I understood from the grumbling of my kinsman that he either saw or smelled something out of the ordinary. I took him under my mantle for fear of a great uproar, thinking there was a sheep thief

Verb

brainyell (third-person singular simple present brainyells, present participle brainyellin, simple past brainyellt, past participle brainyellt)

1. to rush violently
2. (with up) to put up a fight
   • 1820, James Hogg, “The Bridal of Polmood”, in Winter Evening Tales, Collected among the Cottagers in the South of Scotland‎^[2], page 36:

     Scho brainzellyt up in ane foorye and dowlicappyd me, and ben richt laith to me ane laitless finger on her, I brankyt in myne gram, and laye smooryng quhille ye claum fra the bar-mykene and redde us.

     She reared up in one motion and violently seized me, and with great reluctance to lay a finger on her, I reined in my passion and lay suffocating while you groped with striking meekness to free me.

References

• “Brainyell, v. and n.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from W[illiam] Grant and D[avid] D. Murison, editors, The Scottish National Dictionary, Edinburgh: Scottish National Dictionary Association, 1931–1976, →OCLC.