Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
GALL, n. Also gaul, gaal, †gaule, †ga. Sc. forms of Eng. gale, the bog-myrtle, Myrica gale (Sc. 1726 W. Macfarlane Geog. Coll. I. 388, 1777 J. Lightfoot Flora Scot. II. 613, gaul; Dmb. 1794 D. Ure Agric. Dmb. 86, Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 217, gall; Bwk. 1842 Proc. Bwk. Nat. Club 13, ga(ll), gaule; Mry. 1925; w.Abd. (gall), Arg.1 (gaal) 1945; Bnff., Abd., Peb., Gall. 1953). Also attrib. with buss, plant. Also in Cum. and Dev. dial. Hence adj. gally, covered with bog-myrtle. [gɑ(:)l]w.Sc. 1773 Boswell Tour (1785) 200:
The sweet-smelling plant which the Highlanders call gaul.Sc. 1805 R. Forsyth Beauties Scot. II. 258:
The hazel, the dwarf willow, the gall plant.Abd. 1839 A. Walker Deil at Baldarroch 30:
Thy gally bogs an' swardy howes.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Lilac Sunbonnet xi.:
Bog myrtle — or, as he would have said, “gall busses.”Arg. 1896 N. Munro Lost Pibroch 36:
He wore the dull tartan of the Diarmaids, and he had a sprig of gall in his bonnet, for he was in Black Duncan's tail.Kcb. 1909 Crockett Rose of the Wilderness xix.:
There were scents of childhood that made me cry, that of the “gall” or bog-myrtle, chief of all.
