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Gie

Dialect
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To give; the Scots verb of giving, used constantly in verse and song.

Detailed Definition
"Gie" is one of the most frequently used Scots verbs, appearing in everything from Burns's songs to contemporary poetry. Its monosyllabic directness suits the imperative mood, and in poetry it is often used in commands and gifts: "gie me a spark o' nature's fire." The word's brevity makes it metrically flexible, and it carries the generosity and directness that Scots verse prizes. To "gie" something is to give fully and without reservation, and the word embodies that wholehearted quality.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Gie" means to give; Burns uses "gie" throughout, notably "Gie her a haggis" in "Address tae a Haggis"; A poet might write: "Gie me the glen, the open sky, / nae palace wall, nae courtly lie." as a freedom lyric; "She'd gie her last tae those in need — / a generous spirit, generous deed." praises selflessness; "Gie the cold stranger shelter here — / hospitality outlasts fear." calls for compassion; "He'd gie anything tae hear again / the voice now lost tae time's campaign." expresses grief through desire; "Gie sorrow voice before it hardens — / unsaid grief has silent wardens." uses the word as instruction; "Gie thanks for what the morning gives — / the breath, the light, the fact one lives." opens a gratitude poem
Additional Notes
Gie is one of the most frequently occurring verbs in Scots poetry, appearing in commands ("Gie her a haggis!"), wishes ("Gie me a spark o' Nature's fire"), and exchanges of every kind. Its monosyllabic crispness makes it ideal for verse — a single hard syllable that lands with authority. Burns builds whole rhetorical structures on the verb "gie," most famously in "Address to the Unco Guid" and his various addresses and petitions. For students, tracking the use of "gie" in Burns reveals much about his rhetorical strategy: who gives what to whom, and under what conditions, is often the moral heart of the poem.
Also Known As
Give Gie's
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