at - Hamely Tongue
Source: The Hamely Tongue: A Personal Record of Ulster-Scots in County Antrim
Author: James Fenton
Comments: ‘The Hamely Tongue’ has been widely acclaimed as the authoritative record of contemporary (surviving) Ulster-Scots in its heartland of County Antrim where James Fenton faithfully recorded his dictionary items among a network of other native speakers over a 30-year period. This searchable online version of his book takes its text from ‘Part One’ of the fourth edition of 2014 and includes over 3000 word entries. The book preliminaries, supplementary word lists and end matter have been excluded.
at ~ doing (Whut ir ye at the day?); up to (Thon rascal daesnae know whut tae be at); residing or employed (Whur’s he at noo?); (as) lengthily (He haes been coortin at hir this years); persistently (Ay, mock at - but yin day ye’ll rue it); vigorously (He’s ootby rippin at lake a mad boady). at a pitch in an extreme state of confusion, disorder, etc. (The wie they’r learnin them at school nooadays it’s little wunther the worl’s at a pitch) or of high tension (Things is at a pitch frae he come bak). at ither quarrelling, fighting (They’r at ither the minute ye turn yer bak). at maesel in my normal health (A haenae been at maesel a’ week). at peace not moving, not being restive (Stan at peace, wull ye?). at the heels o the hunt in the end; when all’s said and done (But at the heels o the hunt they’ll vote the wie they aye dae). at the time at a time, in one go. at yersel in one’s right mind (Ir ye at yersel, wumman?). be at berate (She’s at him before he’s richt in the dorr); refer to, bring up the subject of (He wuz at it last nicht agane); approach, tackle (A wuz at him aboot it mair nor yince. Also come at: Did ye come at him aboot thon?). weel at yersel prospering in business; in good material circumstances.
