"DEVALL."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—The reviewer of " Ochil Idylls," in the Spectator or March 5th, speaks of wondering what the etymology of " devall " may chance to be. The word is by no means an uncommon one, especially in the Buchan district of Aberdeen- shire. It is given in both the " Imperial " and Jamieson's "Dictionary of the Scotch Language," though with different derivations. Jamieson takes it from the old Swedish dalwa, meaning "to cease ; " but the more probable etymology is thatgiven in the "Imperial," from the old French defallir- = dgfailler = "to fail." Is it not one of the not uncommon reminders of the old connection between the North-East Coast of Scotland and the Continent F
A curious instance of its use may be worth mentioning. A friend of mine, a Ceylon man, was engaged to be married to a Miss Duval. The matter had not been announced when he was ordered back to Ceylon. To his amazement,. he was greeted by an old woman in these words : "Eh, Sir, they tell me ye're going back to Ceylon without derail." In her innocence, she meant simply "without delay ; " conscience made him think she had an entirely different meaning. Your
English readers may care to crack the following delightful Scotch nut, with respect to St. Swithin's Day : "It dang doun deleeberate sax ooks an' a day, ohn e'er uppelt or devalt." The etymology of some of these words is interest- ing. Most of the other words mentioned by your reviewer as "really new" are in quite common usage in the North-East Counties, —witness a farmer's remark when he first tasted claret: " 0' a' shilpit drinks, the maist shilpit is that soor
stuff they ca' clairit."—I am, Sir, &c., R. M.
Previous page
