Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
gardens round their cottages with common fruit and vege- 
tables and borders of flowers, such as scarcely any Border 
cottage is ever without. Such cottages with attendant 
kailyaird were probably the earliest form of garden. Indeed, 
the word “yard,” pronounced yaird, comes from the Anglo- 
Saxon geard, meaning an enclosure, and has been used for a 
garden since time immemorial. Chaucer talks of “ yerde ” 
for garden ; indeed, I feel much more able to understand 
Chaucer since I live in Scotland. After work-a-day hours 
the Borderer may frequently be seen delving in his bit 
patch among the berry-bushes or the flowers ; and though, 
perhaps, the result may not always be as effective to 
the eye as in more southern sunkissed parts of Britain, yet it 
is not for lack of gentle care and tending. The following are a 
number of Scottish words showing kindred words in Danish, 
Swedish, Anglo-Saxon and Icelandic. The abbreviation 
Su.-G. means Sueo-Gothic, or ancient language of Sweden. 
The pronunciation of these words is, I believe, generally 
the same as the Danish. 
SCOTCH ENGLISH FOREIGN EQUIVALENTS 
Allars 
Alders 
Elletraer (Danish) ; Air (Anglo- 
Saxon). 
Airt 
Quarter of the heavens 
Vart (Icelandic). 
Aik 
Oak 
Eik (Icelandic) ; Ac (Anglo-Saxon). 
Aron 
Arum or Cuckoopint 
Aronsoert (Swedish). 
To ax 
To ask 
Axian (Anglo-Saxon). 
Bakbword 
Bakingboard 
Backbword (Danish). 
Bairn 
Child 
Bam (Danish). 
Bide 
To stay 
Bie (Danish). 
Bid 
To invite 
Byde (Danish). 
Big 
To build 
Bigge (Danish) ; Byggie (Icelandic). 
Biggin 
Building 
Bygning (Danish) ; Byegan (Anglo- 
Saxon) ; Bigging (Icelandic). 
Byke 
Hive of bees 
Biikar (Icelandic) ; Biebuyck (Teu- 
tonic). 
Byre 
Cowhouse 
Byr (Danish). 
Birk 
Birch 
Biorki (Icelandic) Birc (Anglo- 
Saxon). 
Bittie 
A little bit 
Bitte (Danish). 
Blaeberry 
Bilberry 
(Vaccinium Myrtillus) 
Blaber( Icelandic) ; Blabaer( Swedish). 
Braw 
Finely dressed 
Braer( Icelandic ) ; Braf (Sueo-Gothic). 
Brig 
Bridge 
Brygge (Sueo-Gothic); Bricg (Anglo- 
Saxon). 
Blackadder 
Name of a river 
From Awweddur, running water in 
Celtic-Gothic dialect. 
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