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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WAUKRIFE, adj. Also wauke-, waukrif(f)e, wa(u)lke-, waak-, wak(e)-, -rife, -rif(f), wakryfe. [′wɑ:krɪf, ′wǫk-]

1. Disinclined or unable to sleep, sleepless, wakeful, able to do with little sleep (Cld. 1880 Jam.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 275; Rnf. 1920; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen.Sc. Also used adv. and subst. Also transf. of nicht = Eng. sleepless night, and wind. Also in n.Eng. dial. Deriv. waukrifeness, sleeplessness, insomnia (Sc. 1825 Jam.).Sc. 1724 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 41:
In my Bosom thou shalt ly, When thou wakrife art or dry.Abd. 1759 F. Douglas Rural Love 21:
Their grating snore Bids wakriff wives their fate deplore.Ayr. 1790 Burns Elegy Capt. M. Henderson x.:
Wail thro' the dreary midnight hour, Till waukrife morn!Per. 1810 Letters J. Ramsay (S.H.S.) 269:
With all my wakerifeness, get six or seven hours of sleep and rise refreshed.Bnff. 1844 T. Anderson Poems 62:
How he laid a waukrif ghaist . . . Whilk in its grave could find nae rest.Clc. 1850 J. Crawford Doric Lays 9:
Waukrife scream'd the bieldless bird.Gall. c.1870 Bards Gall. (Harper 1889) 185:
As I wauner'd roun' the shore, In a kin' o' a waukrife swoon.Ayr. 1891 H. Johnston Kilmallie II. 19:
During this period of wakerifeness he had longed for action of some sort, but could not get up in the dark.Mry. 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 130:
It was a wild, rough night, and the “waukrife ” could hear the roaring and rumbling of the burns.Dmf. 1917 J. L. Waugh Cute McCheyne 37:
Jeems Mouncey had a very waukerife nicht last nicht.Abd. 1924 Scots Mag. (July) 295:
It's jist mysel' that's waukrife-e'ed, An' granein', “O! fat neist?”Slg. 1949 W. D. Cocker New Poems 37:
A' things sleep, sae quate an' still, Save for the waukrife win'.Sc. 1965 Weekly Scotsman (15 July) 19:
Every time I step out of doors with this man is a waukrife time, even when the declared aim is to find a place to sleep.ne.Sc. 1984 Louis Barclay in Joy Hendry Chapman 38 28:
All day long the wind had whipped up the stour in whirls and clouds, but now all was still except for the waukrife peeweets. Slk. 1986 Harvey Holton in Joy Hendry Chapman 43-4 168:
Sae wail yir weird, waukrife wean -
it's sterve ye maun, the stag is mine. Sc. 1996 Fiona Petersen ed. Bairn Sangs 12:
'Hey, Willie Winkie, are ye comin' ben?
The cat's singing grey thrums to the sleeping hen,
The dog's spelder'd on the floor, and disna gi'e a cheep,
But here's a waukrife laddie that winna fa' asleep.' Sc. 1998 Herald 11 Jun 21:
I've been trying to figure out why my Scottish World Cup fever is, this time round, so weirdly sane. Advancing years? Too much book-reading? The nightly dictatorship of a waukrife one-year-old daughter? Dundee 2000 Matthew Fitt But n Ben A-Go-Go 71:
Here a faither giein his waukrife bairn a cuddy roon the room. There a couple cooried doon in front o a music cube.

2. Watchful, alert, vigilant (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Adv. wakrifly.Sc. 1724 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 83:
Sae in saft Slumbers did I ly, But not my wakryfe Mynd.Abd. 1788 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 56:
Now Bydby is intirely o' the catch, Sleeps not a wink, but wakrifly does watch.Kcb. 1806 J. Train Poet. Reveries 117:
The wakryfe cock, ere dawning day Proclaims the morning cheerfully.Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate iv.:
She was up early, and down late, and seemed as wakerife as the cat herself.Ayr. 1822 Galt Provost xxviii.:
There was a wakerife common sense abroad among the opinions of men.s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell Psalms cxxvii. 1:
Gif the Lord keepena the citie, the watcheman is waukrife in vaine.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 116:
Ilka flash disclosed their course To the waukrife watchin' e'e.Sh. 1952 J. Hunter Taen wi da Trow 217:
He wis far mair waak rife Dan ony whaap within da laand.

3. Easily awakened, lightly sleeping (Sc. 1887 Jam.; Ork., Abd., Ags. 1973). Also in n.Eng. dial.Rnf. 1806 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 212:
Abune my breath I daurna speak, For fear I rouse your waukrif daddie.Per. 1835 R. Nicoll Poems 132:
At the clatter, up startit the waukrife auld wife.