Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
WARBLE, v., n.1 Also wurble (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Sc. form and usages in Piping:
I. v. To embellish or ornament a tune with a group of grace notes (n.Sc. 1905 E.D.D.). Vbl.n. warbling, such embellishment. Deriv. warbler, the group of grace notes, amounting to five or more (n.Sc. 1905 E.D.D.).Sc. 1818 “Amateur” Bagpipe Preceptor 22:
Here is another scale for you to practice, called the Warbling Scale. The figures placed above the notes are called Warblers, because the expression which they give the Bagpipe-music somewhat resembles the warbling of the lark. With respect to B, C, D, they are seldom warbled.Sc. 1854 Encycl. Brit. IV. 365:
The players introduce among the simple notes of the tune a great number of rapid notes of peculiar embellishment, which they term warblers.Sc. 1886 Stevenson Kidnapped xxv.:
He then wandered into variations, which, as he went on, he decorated with a perfect flight of grace notes, such as pipers love, and call the “warblers.”Arg. 1896 N. Munro Lost Pibroch 251:
Heard him fill the night-fall with the ‘Bhoilich' of Morar, with the brag of a whole clan in his warbling.
II. n. A four-note embellishment or group of grace-notes.Sc. 1900 C. S. Thomason Ceol Mor 2:
A “Warble” (Ceileirich) is composed of a repeat [a combination of three grace notes] with a grace note preceding or following it.
