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kist

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

In Scots Dialect, a kist is a chest or large wooden box used for storing possessions; it can also sometimes mean a coffin.

Detailed Definition
“Kist” is a traditional Scots word for a chest, especially a sturdy wooden storage chest for clothing, household goods, or personal belongings. In poetry, it may evoke domestic life, memory, and absence because such a chest can stand for the person whose possessions it holds. Although “kist” can also mean “coffin” in some Scots uses, Violet Jacob’s poem uses it in the sense of a storage chest.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Violet Jacob’s “Hallowe’en,” the speaker says: “The bothie fire is loupin’ het, A new heid horseman’s kist is set Richts o’ the lum; whaur by the blaze The auld ane stude that kept yer claes—” Here, the kist is a head horseman’s chest, placed beside the chimney where Lachlan’s old chest once stood. The old kist “kept yer claes” (“kept your clothes”), so its missing presence becomes a painful reminder that Lachlan has died abroad in France.
Additional Notes
Dialect: Scots. Meaning in standard English: chest, trunk, or storage box. Related use: A kist may also refer to a coffin, particularly in older or regional Scots usage. Context determines which meaning is intended. Etymology: The word comes through Scots from Old Norse kista, meaning “chest” or “box.” Usage tip: Do not assume that “kist” always means a coffin. In domestic settings, especially when associated with clothes or household possessions, it usually means a storage chest.
Other Meanings of “kist”
Also Known As
Chest Coffer Wooden Box Treasure Chest
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