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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HUNK, n.², v. Also hunks, hungs, hjongs (Jak.); dim. hunkey and freq. form hunkle.

I. n. A lift or heave upwards (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Sh., Cai. (hunkle) 1957); a shrug, a hitch into a more comfortable posture.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 77, 95:
He spat wi care ita da aess, An gae himsell a hunkle . . . We'd finn a aald plank noo an dan, An hyst him wi a hunk.

Phr.: to set one's hunkey, to annoy or enrage one, to “get one's back up.” Cf. Humph, n.¹, Phrs. (3) (b) and (4).Sh. 1898 Shetland News (19 Feb.):
A news correspondant 'e caad de a donkey, Güd trath du's nedder man ir monkey, His letter truly set de hunkey.

II. v. 1. To lift with the shoulders, shove, heave up, raise on the shoulders, to shrug the shoulders (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., hunks, Sh. 1957); to hitch up (clothes). Also refl. to give oneself a shrug or hitch (Sh. 1957).Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 5:
An he sleekit da croon o his lang sheenin hat, An hunkled himsell, for his cott wis geen swint.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
To shrug one's shoulders, to hungs (hunks) upon anesell . . . to push up . . . a burden on one's back; to hungs (hunks) op a kessi . . . de troosers.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 42:
As shü hungsd da lamb farder up apon her neck.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 49:
Henry wis a bumshayvelt billie, wi hudderie hair an a dowp that didna haud up the girth o his trousers, fur he aye hunkit them up wi ae haun, ...

Hence ppl.adjs.: (1) hunkled, crouched, bent, huddled. The discrepancy in district, however, suggests that the form is a mistake for hurkled, Hurkle, v.¹; (2) hunksit, -et, hungs-, hjongs-, h(j)ums- (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)), and metathetic form hunsket (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.), high-shouldered, having the head sunk between the shoulders (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1897 J. Jakobsen Norsk in Shet. 64, Sh. 1957); misshapen, up in one shoulder (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Also prefixed by ill- (Jak.).  (1) w.Lth. 1896 Poets Lnl. (Bisset) 263:
Wha cares noo for hunkled bogie?

2. To move with a heavy rolling gait, to lurch (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), hunks).