Cairds

/kerdz/ noun

Definition

Plural of caird; multiple traveling tinkers, beggars, or vagrants, particularly in Scottish dialect.

Etymology

From caird with the standard English plural '-s'. Scots dialect often used this term to refer collectively to the nomadic groups that traveled the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.

Kelly Says

In old Scottish literature, descriptions of 'cairds' gathering tell us stories about traveling communities and how settled societies viewed outsiders—language captures prejudices that history books might ignore!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.