Scots Blog
The Scots language has a rich tradition, and abounds with marvellous words. This blog will regularly show a different Scots or Gaelic word with its English equivalent. I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do!
Linda Gilmore Sutherland
PARTAN 26/09/16
by Linda - 01:01 on 26 September 2016
PARTAN = CRAB
I learned this word when I lived in Stonehaven, a coastal town south of Aberdeen. Every once in a while there would be a knock on our door, and it would be a young lad who asked me 'Are you needin' a partan?' I was puzzled initially, but then saw that he was holding a couple of crabs which he had just caught in his creel. Of course I always answered 'yes' to this question - and I always found the concept of 'needing' a crab charming.
