Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
CRULGE, Cruldge, Crulj, Croolge, v. and n. [krʌldʒ, kru-]
1. v., intr. To cower, to crouch, to bow down (Bnff.2, Abd.9 (crulge, croolge), Ags.2, Arg.1(croolge, obs.) 1941), “to draw or press together” (Sc. 1818 Sawers Dict. Sc. Lang.), to cramp; to slink (away). Rarely tr.Sc. 1928 J. Wilson Hamespun 72:
Within their hame aroon the lambent lowe The bairnies crulge their chilblain't han's to thowe.Bnff. 1924 Burnie's Jeannie in Swatches 17:
Weel, it [world]'s needin a shak-up fan siller is the idol maist crulj't till.Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 358:
Wha . . . Is forc'd to bide the frost and caul' . . . And, crulgin', lay himsel' twa-faul' And hap his crown.Bch. 1929 (per Abd.1):
Crulge doon in the lythe o' this stook till the shoo'r gangs by.Ags. 1879 G. W. Donald Poems 25:
O, gif I had only, only, Only kent what was t' come, I wad never sat sae lonely Crulgin' ower my hinmost crumb.Ags. 1993 Mary McIntosh in Joy Hendry Chapman 74-5 113:
She crulged ower him and taen the watter boattle frae him. Her haunds wur canny as she sweiled the bluid awaa and rowed up his airm wi the blauded wup. He settled doon seekin tae get some ais frae the stounin.Arg. 1882 Argyllsh. Herald (3 June):
Weel, More took a red face . . . an, croolged awa' as if she had got a gowf on the haffets.Ayr. a.1843 J. Stirrat Poems (1869) 26:
And weel thou kens, I'm seldom able To cruldge my stomach owre a table.Wgt., Kcb. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
crulge to crouch.Uls. 1908 A. McIlroy Burnside ii.:
The cottage had only one bay . . . so that when a dozen of children came in for instruction they were bound to be very considerably crulged for want of space.
†2. n. A conglomeration (Sc. 1808 Jam.).
[Phs. a conflation of Crull. q.v., and cringe.]
