brismak

English

Etymology

Ultimately from Old Norse brosma, compare dialectal Norwegian bresma; ultimately related to English bream, which see for more.

Noun

brismak (plural brismaks)

1. (Shetland, Orkney) A torsk, a tusk (fish).
   • 1804, Edward Donovan, The Natural History of British Fishes: Including Scientific and General Descriptions of the Most Interesting Species and an Extensive Selection of Accurately Finished Coloured Plates, Taken Entirely from Original Drawings:

     The Torsk it seems, from his account, or as it is called in the Shetlands, Tusk and Brismak, is a northern fish, which as yet has not been discovered lower to the southward than the Orknies, and is even rather scarce there.

   • 1886, "A---d B---y", "Letter in the Dialct of the Shetland Isles", in George Laurence Gomme, Dialect, Proverbs and Word-lore: A Classified Collection of the Chief Contents of The Gentleman's Magazine from 1731-1868, page 31:

     itt I wiz kummin hemm frae Ska, / whaar I wiz rowin dat simmer, / ee setterdey nycht wi a biudie o' / ling hedds an peerie brismaks, an / bruk o' dat kynd apo ma bak,

     that I was coming home from / Ska, wheere I was fishing that / summer, one Saturday night with a creil [or basket] ling heads / and small tusk-fish, and scaps / of that kind upon my back,

   • 1898 April 2, Shetland News:

     Twa brismaks, a stäblin', an' four krooners [grey gurnards]!

Anagrams

• Bakrism, imbarks