Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

URLAR, n. In a pibroch: the basic theme of the tune played at the beginning and repeated in a more complex pattern with variations. Gael.Sc. 1900 C. S. Thomason Ceol Mor 5:
The Ground or Urlar, which corresponds to the Thema or Theme of ordinary modern music.Sc. 1925 J. P. Grant Piobaireachd 27:
All that appears is the Urlar and a Doubling. The first and third lines of the Urlar correspond with Angus MacKay's MS.Sc. 1949 Scotsman (2 Sept.):
Urlars — the ground work or adagio in all pibrochs.Sc. 1968 S. McNeill Piobaireachd 42:
A piobaireachd begins with a slow statement of the Theme. This is called the urlar.