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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

NORROWAY, prop.n. Also nor(r)awa(y), norowa(y). Sc. forms and usages of Norway (I. and ne.Sc. 1964). Also attrib. [′nɔrəwə]Sc. 1700 Edb. Gazette (25–25 July):
The Charles of Borrowstounness, Thomas Aier Master from Norroway with Dales.Sc. 1734 J. Cockburn Letters (S.H.S.) 9:
I wish Capt. Mathie's Ship may gett in time for getting Norraway or Swedish fir Seed.Sc. 1803 Scott Minstrelsy III. 64:
To Noroway, to Noroway, To Noroway oer the faem.Ags. 1818 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 117:
Here Noroway is always talked of as the land to which witches repair for their unholy meetings.Kcd. 1914 J. C. Watt Mearns of Old 52:
Gales that travel from the hills of Norroway (as the name is pronounced by the fisher folk here).Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 138:
I got hid fae me folk that cam' fae Norraway.

Combs. and Phrs.: (1) Norrowa carpenter, a large wave, a breaker in the sea (see quot.); (2) Norway haddock, the bergylt, Sebastes marinus (Sh. 1899 Evans and Buckley Fauna Sh. 218, Sh. 1964); (3) Noraway kitt, a small tub or barrel of a type made in Norway or with Norwegian wood; (4) Norraway skafe, a small light boat, a skiff. See Skaff, n.²; (5) Norway trout, the bull trout, Salmo trutta; (6) Norawa wifie, the little auk, Alle alle; (7) Norway woodpecker, the great spotted woodpecker, Dryobates major (Sh. 1899 Evans and Buckley Fauna Sh. 103); (8) Norrowa yole, a light double-ended open fishing boat with a single square sail, of similar build to the Fowerereen, so called because the parts were prefabricated in Norway and exported to Shetland (Sh. 1964); (9) the Black Bull of Noroway, see Bull, n.³ and R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes (1870) 95 sqq. Phr. a voice like a Norowa' bull, a loud reverberating voice.(1) Abd. 1885 Folk-Lore Jnl. III. 306:
The large breakers that roll over a wreck on the beach go by the grim name of “Norrawa carpenters.”(2) Sh. 1828 J. Fleming Brit. Animals 212:
In Zetland, where I have found it, it is termed Bergylt, or Norway Haddock.(3) Ork. 1747 in P. Ork. A.S. XII. 52:
2 litle noraway Kitts with covers.(4) Ork. 1771 P. Fea Diary (11 June):
Jas. Cursater dressing my Norraway skafe.(5) em.Sc. 1836 W. Yarrell Fishes (1859) I. 236:
[The bull trout] . . . is said by Mr. White to be the Norway trout of the Fishermen in the firth of Forth.(6) Bnff. 1850 in S. Smiles Sc. Naturalist (1876) 248:
The bird is known in our locality by the curious term of the “Nor-a-wa wifie”, from the suppositon that it comes from Norway.(9) Sc. c.1800 J. Leyden Remains (1819) 85:
A wild fanciful popular tale of enchantment, termed “The Black Bull of Noroway”.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 42:
This Will has a voice like a Norawa' bull.