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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CA', CAA, Kaa, v.² and n.² [ka:]

1. v. To drive a school of whales into shallow water in order to capture them. Also intr. Known to Bnff.² c.1890 for Sh. Vbl.n. kaain, a driving of whales; the number of whales in a herd or drove (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.; Sh., Ork. 1880 Jam.⁵).Sh. and Ork. 1898 in E.D.D.:
Whales often appear on the coast in large numbers, when the fishermen put off in their skiffs, get on the outside of the herd, and by making a noise with their oars, throwing stones, shouting, etc., drive or “kaa” the timid animals before them.Ork.(D) 1904 Dennison Orcad. Sk. 3:
Bit whin de fish cam' in tae shald water, an' saw deir ain shadam on de bright sandy botham, de'ilie bit o' them wad ca'.

Hence ppl.adj. caain', kaain, in phr. caain' whale, kaain —, the pilot whale, Globiocephala melaena. (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., kaain — ).Sh. 1931 J. Nicolson Shet. Incidents and Tales 58:
In former years the appearance of large schools of caain' or driving whales round the Shetland coast was a fairly regular occurrence.Ork. 1891 Buckley & Harvie-Brown Fauna Ork. 76: 
From the comparative ease with which they are driven ashore arises their trivial name of "caing," or driving [whales].

2. n. A school of whales (Sh. c.1890 (per Bnff.²)). Cf. Ca', n.¹, I. 3.Sh.(D) 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 26:
“For ae thing,” says William, “der nae grit appearance, an' anidder thing der a scride o' scarfs [cormorants] aboot da shore dis saeson 'at wid drive a caa o' whaals ta da melisheen.”