Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1818-1956
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ILTA, n. Also ilty, elta, iylta-, ¶ilt. [′ɪltə]
1. Anger, passion, resentment, ill-will, spite, malice (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 112; Ork. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 XV. 96, ilty; Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl.; Ork. 1929 Marw., ilty). Ppl.adj. ilted, displeased, angry, disappointed (Ork. 1929 Marw.).Lnk. 1818 A. Fordyce Country Wedding 51:
It's ilt an' ill nature, that's easy seen through.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 104:
His spitefu' he'rt runs ower wi' ilty.Sh. 1898 W. F. Clark North. Gleams 58:
Whin da moarnin' cam, da elta haed worn aff o' Robbie.
Hence iltafu, angry, malicious, full of ill-will or hatred (Ork. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 XV. 96; Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928), ‡Sh. 1958); also used as n. in phrs. oot o' iltafu, out of spite (Jak.), to tak iltafu at (or to), to take a dislike to (Ib.). Also in ppl. form iltifeed.Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 591:
I wiz dat illtafu itt am mear az sertan I widna a left da wratch da ormal o' a lugg.Sh. 1879 Shetland Times (5 April):
I winder what it is 'at's caused dy midder, an' mebbe mair o' you, ta tak sic iyltafaa at Minna.Ork. 1904 Dennison Sketches 11:
Whither hid wus 'at he wus i' sic a iltaefu' meud, I ken no', bit the Laird drank mair or ony o' them that night.Ork. 1931 Orcadian (7 May):
Orrapow jaloused 'at Stinko hed gaen da horse some kind o' poother or ither pushin' an' waas rightly iltafoo ower id.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 209:
"Twin boys," I said, right iltifeed that I didno ken this peece o' news.
2. Remorse, "sorrow at one's own conduct" (Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 152).
[A deriv. of Norw., O.N. ill-, bad, evil, hostile. The exact formation is uncertain, either from the neut. illt, used as a n. or the adv. illa, pronounced [′ɪdlə] in Icel. and certain Norw. dialects, with metathesis.]
