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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.

YELLOCH, v., n. Also yellach, -agh (Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xi.), -owch, yilloch; reduced forms yello' (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 81), ellach, -ich (Abd.). [′jɛləx]

I. v. 1. To cry, scream, shriek, yell, to make a loud, shrill noise (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 496; n.Sc., Fif. 1825 Jam.). Vbl.n. yellochin.Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 91:
Then there's sic yellowchin and din, Wi' wives and wee-anes gablin.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 202:
Mirran, wi' her shoelin' cloots, Ran, yellochan an' greeting.Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 10:
Help, Muse, to mourn in dronin verse, Wild yallach till yir craig grow herse.Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate xxx.:
An auld useless carline flung herself right in my sister's gate, and yelloched and skirled.Dmf. 1826 A. Cunningham Paul Jones III. x.:
The yellochin of daft young queans from night till morn.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 210:
The youngsters, affrighted, did yelloch and jauk.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin vi.:
She heard us yellochin' a' throughither.Kcd. 1871 Stonehaven Jnl. (1 June) 3:
They yalloched an' sought him through country an' town.

2. Transf. of a cooking pot: to make a bubbling hissing noise in boiling or frying, only in phr. in quots., = “to keep the pot boiling.”Abd. 1924 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 59:
Lat's see ower the clowe to mend up the lowe to keep the pottie ellichin.Abd. 1957 Huntly Express (28 June):
A lad who was a good snarer of hares and rabbits, or a good fisher, could help tae “haud the pottie ellachin'”.

II. n. A yell, shriek, scream (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.), of persons or animals.Dmb. 1777 Weekly Mag. (4 Dec.) 231:
Free frae the yelloch o' auld maiden aunts, Wha pester youngsters wi' their hav'rel taunts.Ayr. 1818 J. Kennedy Poet. Wks. 42:
Scraiching Jean, wi' yilloch strange.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Let. xi.:
Sir Robert gied a yelloch that garr'd the Castle rock!m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 210:
Some whustle-whaup we've raised, settin' up a yelloch as it flew awa.Dmf. 1898 J. Paton Castlebraes 49:
That brocht the Craytur tae his knees wi' a yelloch.Kcb.⁴ 1900:
Yelloch: the expiring cry of one drowning, or of a hare caught in a girn.m.Sc. 1985 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 40 19:
The ither bird clappit his wings wi delicht and cried, "Cuckoo!" wi a muckle yelloch you micht hae heard faur awa up in the hills.