Gillie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ghillie or gillie is a Scottish dialect term that refers to a man or a boy who acts as an attendant on a fishing, fly-fishing or a hunting or deer stalking expedition, primarily in Scotland in the Highlands or on a river such as the Spey River. In origin it referred especially to someone who attended on his employer or guests.
A ghillie may also serve as a gamekeeper employed by a landowner to prevent poaching on his lands, control unwelcome natural predators such as fox or otter and monitor the health of the wildlife.
[edit] Etymology
The origin of this word dates from the late 16th century, from the Scottish Gaelic gille, "lad, servant", cognate with the Irish gile or gi-olla.
Historically, the term was used for a Highland chief's attendant, also sometimes called a Gallowglass if he was also a soldier or guard, but this use became rare before the 20th century.
A gilhie-wetfoot, a term now obsolete (a translation of gillie-casfiiuc/s, from the Gaelic cas foot and fliuch wet), was the gillie whose duty it was to carry his master over streams. It became a term of contempt among the Lowlanders for the 'tail' (as his attendants were called) of a Highland chief.
[edit] See also
- Gamekeeper
- Ghillie Dhu, a Scottish mythological figure whose name means Dark Servant
- John Brown
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
