Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1832-1950
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0]
‡WHILLIE, n. Also whilly, whilli; whullo (Ork.); kwilli (Jak.); and reduced forms whull, quill (Ork.). The smallest size of fishing-boat, a skiff (see quots.) (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928); Ork. 1929 Marw., whull(o)). [Sh. ′ʍɪli, ′kwɪl-; Ork. ′ʍʌl(ɪ)]Sh. 1832 Old-Lore Misc. VII. i. 19:
A large six-oared boat was unnecessary, and we crossed the whole six miles of sea, between Cullivoe and Fetlar, in a small whilly.Sh. 1856 E. Edmondston Sketches 9:
The boats are of all sizes, from eight to twenty feet in keel. The former are called “whillies” — the others are “four oared” or “six oared”.Sh. 1898 W. F. Clark Northern Gleams 18:
In the summer time he went to the fishing in his own little whillie.Sh. 1924 T. Manson Peat Comm. III. 170:
I wid go to Foola in a ould, laeky whillie ta get da fedders I promised.Sh. 1950 New Shetlander No. 22. 41:
Board efter board wis biggit on da whilli.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Whillie n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/whillie>
