Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1800-1824
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†ERLISH, adj. Unearthly, uncanny. Also ¶erlich. Also s.Sc. variants †yerlish, yirlich, yirlish. See P.L.D. §74.1.wm.Sc. c.1800 in Folk-Lore Rec. I. 236:
When they cam' the kirk within, An erlish cry he made.Sc. 1802 Scott Border Minstrelsy II. 242:
Up there raise an erlish cry.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales II. 220:
That hallo so erlich and shrill.Slk. 1820 Hogg Tales (1866) 110:
Sche sett up sic ane yirlich skrighe.Rxb. 1824 Trans. Hawick Arch. Soc. (1922) 36:
With a yerlish shraik, with a squelch and a groan.
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"Erlish adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/erlish>
