Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1772-1985
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YELLOCH, v., n. Also yellach, -agh (Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick I. xi.), -owch, yilloch; reduced forms yello' (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 81), ellach, -ich (Abd.). [′jɛləx]
I. v. 1. To cry, scream, shriek, yell, to make a loud, shrill noise (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 496; n.Sc., Fif. 1825 Jam.). Vbl.n. yellochin.Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 91:
Then there's sic yellowchin and din, Wi' wives and wee-anes gablin.Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 202:
Mirran, wi' her shoelin' cloots, Ran, yellochan an' greeting.Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 10:
Help, Muse, to mourn in dronin verse, Wild yallach till yir craig grow herse.Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate xxx.:
An auld useless carline flung herself right in my sister's gate, and yelloched and skirled.Dmf. 1826 A. Cunningham Paul Jones III. x.:
The yellochin of daft young queans from night till morn.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 210:
The youngsters, affrighted, did yelloch and jauk.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin vi.:
She heard us yellochin' a' throughither.Kcd. 1871 Stonehaven Jnl. (1 June) 3:
They yalloched an' sought him through country an' town.
2. Transf. of a cooking pot: to make a bubbling hissing noise in boiling or frying, only in phr. in quots., = "to keep the pot boiling."Abd. 1924 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 59:
Lat's see ower the clowe to mend up the lowe to keep the pottie ellichin.Abd. 1957 Huntly Express (28 June):
A lad who was a good snarer of hares and rabbits, or a good fisher, could help tae "haud the pottie ellachin'".
II. n. A yell, shriek, scream (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.), of persons or animals.Dmb. 1777 Weekly Mag. (4 Dec.) 231:
Free frae the yelloch o' auld maiden aunts, Wha pester youngsters wi' their hav'rel taunts.Ayr. 1818 J. Kennedy Poet. Wks. 42:
Scraiching Jean, wi' yilloch strange.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Let. xi.:
Sir Robert gied a yelloch that garr'd the Castle rock!m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 210:
Some whustle-whaup we've raised, settin' up a yelloch as it flew awa.Dmf. 1898 J. Paton Castlebraes 49:
That brocht the Craytur tae his knees wi' a yelloch.Kcb.4 1900:
Yelloch: the expiring cry of one drowning, or of a hare caught in a girn.m.Sc. 1985 William J. Rae in Joy Hendry Chapman 40 19:
The ither bird clappit his wings wi delicht and cried, "Cuckoo!" wi a muckle yelloch you micht hae heard faur awa up in the hills.
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"Yelloch v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/yelloch>
