Language quiz
Here are a few words in Shetland(ic). Do you know or can you guess what they mean?
1. hobrigdi
2. gyoppm
3. penga
4. toosk
5. brunga wheedie
If you don’t know, just make up some possible definitions.
February 3rd, 2013 in
Language, Quiz questions

I’m guessing #3 is money. Like “pengar” in Swedish.
Ah! Beat me to it! My guess too for #3.
#4: German? (Cf. Danish Tysk.) Probably not since I doubt it would pop up on a random list of words that are likely part of everyday conversation.
For a nice poem in Shetlandic, look up ‘Waanderin Fram’ on YouTube.
I don’t know any Scots let alone Shetlandic, so these are wild guesses.
1. hobrigdi — Halloween: literally, ‘the day (di) of the kingdom (rig; cf. Ger. Reich; Dutch rijk) of the hobs (hobgoblins)’◂
2. gyoppm — go shopping (a simple contraction)◂
3. penga — coin; small change (cf. E. penny; Swed. pengar)◂
4. toosk — Indian ink (cf. Ger. Tusche; I don’t remember the exact Swedish word, but it was like German)◂
5. brunga wheedie — person with bizarre manners; foreigner (originally, an un-Scottish person who habitually has wheat for brunch, ‘brunch-wheatie’)◂
1. Harvest day (guess)
2. Some kind of meat (wild guess)
3. Money (Danish “penge”)
4. German is a boring (if likely) choice, so I’ll guess the meaning has changed and it means “nonsense.”
5. Dance the traditional way (wild guess)
Here are the answers:
1. hobrigdi = basking shark
2. gyoppm = an amount of anything which be gathered in both hands
3. penga = money
4. toosk = tuft of hair; matted or tangle mass
5. brunga wheedie = cormorant
You can see the Scandinavian influence in “hobrigdi” (basking shark)
Danish: brugde
Faroese: brugda; brugða
Icelandic: beinhákarl; barði; beinagráni
Norwegian Bokmål: brugde
Swedish: brugd
‘Gyoppm’: I like that! I think I should start using it!