blate

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bleɪt/

Etymology 1

From Scots blate (“timid, sheepish”), apparently a conflation of Northern *Middle English blate, *blait (“pale, ghastly, terrified”), from Old English blāt (“pale, livid, ghastly”), from Proto-Germanic *blaitaz (“pale, discoloured”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰloyd- (“pale, pallid”) and Middle English bleth, bleath (“timid, soft”), from Old English blēaþ (“gentle, shy, cowardly, timid; slothful, inactive, effeminate”), from Proto-Germanic *blauþuz (“weak, timid, void, naked”). Cognate with German blassen (“to make pale”), bleich (“pale, pallid”). More at bleak, bleach.

Adjective

blate (comparative blater, superlative blatest)

1. (Scotland, Northern England) Bashful, sheepish.
   • 1934, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Grey Granite, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 491:

     You'd say Not them; fine legs, and Ma struggling into her blouse would say You're no blate. Who told you they're fine?

2. (Scotland, Northern England) Dull, stupid.

Etymology 2

Verb

1. Archaic form of bleat.
   • 1851, William Maxwell, The Virginia Historical Register, and Literary Note Book:

     Away they fly, like a party of Indians after buffaloes; while along the road, it may be, cattle are bellowing, sheep blating, dogs barking, hens cackling, and crows cawing.

Anagrams

• ablet, bleat, table

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Dutch

Verb

blate

1. (deprecated template usage) (archaic) singular present subjunctive of blaten

Anagrams

• tabel

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Scots

Etymology

Origin uncertain; perhaps from Old English blāt (“pale”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [blet], [blit]

Adjective

blate (comparative blater, superlative blatest)

1. shy, modest, timid, sheepish
   • 1786, Robert Burns, A Bard's Epitaph:

     Is there a whim-inspired fool, / Owre fast for thought, owre hot for rule, / Owre blate to seek, owre proud to snool, / Let him draw near / And owre this grassy heap sing dool, / And drap a tear.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. stupid, easily deceived, dull, unpromising