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.
ONCA, adj., n., v. Also oncall; unco'. [′onkɑ:]
I. adj. In phr. onca(ll)-work, services exacted from a tenant when called on by the farmer or proprietor on whose land he lives.Ork. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 XV. 427:
Some of the on-call work, or undefined services of ancient times, are still exacted.Ork. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 XV. 94:
Paying his rent in small but never-ending and ill-defined personal services, or, as it is expressively called in the country language, “on-ca-work”.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 127:
Paety Toral, mogsan heem Fae wirkin' unco' wark.
II. n. A tenant of land in Orkney whose rent was paid mainly by services as in quot.Ork. 1884 Crofters' Comm. Report App. A. 270:
‘Oncas'. The word cottar is of more modern use in Orkney, but may be regarded as synonymous. The onca held from the large farmer a house, a piece of cultivated land called a haerst fee, one, two or three “coogils” of grass land — a coogil was a cow's grazing — for which he paid in “crish butter,” — that is coarse butter, in spinning, and in fowls. He had right to keep a certain number of sheep on the “hagi” or out pasture common to the district, for which he paid a tenth of the wool and a tenth of the produce of his sheep. The onca wrought to the tenant [of the large farm] in harvest, helped to thatch the steading, to thrash Yule straw, to take up ware — seaweed — in Vore, spring; mell clods in bere seed, to weed thistles and cut peats in summer. In short, he was called on whenever his master required him. And for his occasional labour he received an allowance of bere.
III. v. To drive or hammer on.Abd. 1742 Powis MSS. Accts.:
To Nails for oncaing the bands on my own Shop Door . . . 1s. 0d.
