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brek - 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.

brek ~ break; (of a boil, etc.) begin to run. brek oot (of livestock) leave the field by breaking through a hedge or fence. brek the mooth (a crude but fairly common threat: For very little A’d brek yer mooth). brek the neck spoil (a child) so completely as to mar or handicap for life. brek up (of weather) become open and bright; (of cultivation) plough land which has lain fallow. brek wae a full han go bankrupt while in fact having (hidden) money in plenty. mak a brek suddenly cast off or break through all restraints or confining circumstances (Yin o these days he’ll mak a brek, an jaist wait tae ye see then).

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