Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the Norn Language in Shetland Part I.pdf/138

tree”, an oblong piece of wood, nailed down to the foremost part of the plough-beam (Irel., Du.). O.N. hamla, f., beam; swing-beam; swingle-tree (Egilsson); No. homul (humul), Sw. and Da. “hammel” (swingle-tree) of a plough.

aml, ammel [aməl], vb., to put hooks, rings on the swingle-trees of a plough in order to fasten the smaller ones to the foremost and longest (de mester ammel), with team of four (oxen). Du. (Irel.). Though this verb is only preserved in connection with ammel, sb., swingle-tree of a plough, it appears, however, from its use to spring from O.N. hamla, f., in the sense of a noose (grummet for oars; loop through which a sheet-rope is run in order to furl together the sail of a vessel).

amok (amek) [āmȯk, āmək], sb., cuttle-fish. Prob. a compounded word, in which case the first part might be “aa, aka” (Sw. dial.), to evacuate; to soil; mentioned under aga, etc. (cuttle-fish); second part poss. *smokkr; cf. Icel. smokkfiskur, m., cuttle-fish. For the dropping of initial s before a consonant see “bipong” and “bulag”, as well as N. Spr. p. 55. The likeness between Shetl. amok and Greenl. amikok (cuttle-fish) is doubless accidental. Different varieties of amoks answer to the names hwal-a., ling-a., skate-a., (ling-a. = aggek; U.). Cf. aga, ager, aggek, sb. Edm. has: “awmucks, a kind of fish found upon sandy beaches; they possess the power of inflating their bodies. There are ‘ling-awmucks’ and ‘skate-awmucks’ and ‘shell-awmucks’.” No further confirmation of the sense is given by Edm.

amos [āmȯs], sb., 1) alms; is in form the L.Sc. aumous, awmous = almous (alms), but is used in

Shetl. frequently of alms which is promised at sea (in hope of getting better fishing or in time of distress), either to a person (the first person one meets if one again reaches land) or particularly to a church, like Fær, “olmusa”; to lay on a a., to promise alms, to winn a a., to get a promised alms; “he’ll winn a a. ut inunder a sten” is said of a very poor person (Ai.); see below a.-sten; if de kirk o’ Ness (Yⁿ.) winns de a., at [‘that’] we get some fish — if our promise of alms to the Ness church gains a hearing then we shall get some fish —. a.-kirk, church to which one promises alms at sea (while fishing or in distress), a.-sten, stone (wish-stone) which acc. to old custom was thrown upon a heap of stones, an a.-heap, by a passer-by when making a promise of alms. Sometimes “amos” can be heard fig. used in sense (good or bad) action, esp. trick; knavish trick: hit [‘it’] would be a guid [‘good’] a. to dø [‘do’] so and so (Y^e.). Likewise amous in sense of action is a good Scottish use. 2) pitiful creature; poor thing, comm. used adjectivally: poor; wretched; a. creature, puir [‘poor’] a. ting (poor little thing); in this sense also in the older form olemos, o. body (Wests.). O.N. ǫlmusa, f., a) alms, b) wretch; poor thing; Fær. olmusu (Gen. sing.) as first part in compds. or adjectivally: poor; wretched.

amp [a‘mp], sb., restlessness; anxiety; he drew a a. upon him, he had a presentiment of ill (Uⁿ.); esp.: restless state of mind which prevents one from sleeping, der’r [‘there is’] a a. upo me, I canno [‘-not’] sleep; to be “upo de a.” (o’ gaun = going, o’ doin’ somet’in’), to be eager and longing to get away or to do something as soon as pos-