I always understood the meaning of " muckle " to be - " much " ! Isabella ----- Original Message ----- From: Norman Tulloch <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 12:10 pm Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] a muckle confusing? To: [email protected] > stephen davie wrote: > > Seems like expressions of old bear out the idea of a muckle  > being  > > either a lot or a little. > > > > I don't think so.  Muckle used as an adjective means big or > used as a > noun means a lot. > > In Scots, there is also the word mickle, meaning a small amount, > hence > the saying, "Many a mickle makes a muckle": many small things > can make a > big one. Just to confuse things further, Burns often uses > "meikle" to > mean the same as "muckle". > > I don't think the word "mickle" is used in Orkney, though. > > Norman Tulloch > > _______________________________________ > Orcadia Group Photo Album > http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > Isabella