different between eerie vs peerie

English

Alternative forms

• eery

Etymology

From Middle English eri (“fearful”), from Old English earg (“cowardly, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *argaz. Akin to Scots ergh, argh from the same Old English source. Doublet of argh.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /???i/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /????i/
• Rhymes: -??ri
• Homophone: Erie

Adjective

eerie (comparative eerier, superlative eeriest)

1. Strange, weird, fear-inspiring.

   Synonyms: creepy, spooky
2. (Scotland) Frightened, timid.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:strange

Derived terms

• eerily (adverb)
• eeriness (noun)
• eerisome

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -???i

Adjective

peerie (comparative peerier, superlative peeriest)

1. (chiefly Shetland and Orkney) Small, tiny.

Noun

peerie (plural peeries)

1. A Shetland sheepdog.
2. Alternative form of peery (“spinning top”)

Scots

Etymology 1

Unknown.

Alternative forms

• peedie (Orkney, modern)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?pi?ri/

Adjective

peerie (comparative peerier, superlative peeriest)

1. (Orkney, Shetland) small, little, tiny

Derived terms

• Peerie Sea (a placename, literally “little sea”)
• peerie folk (fairies, literally “little folk”)

Usage notes

• In modern Orcadian Scots, peedie gradually replaces this term.

Etymology 2

From peer (“pear”) +? -ie, due to the resemblance of some spinning tops to pears.

Noun

peerie (plural peeries)

1. A spinning top.

Descendants

• ? English: peery

References

• “peerie” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
• Flaws, Margaret; Lamb, Gregor (1996) The Orkney Dictionary, Kirkwall, Orkney: Orkney Language and Culture Group, published 2001, ?ISBN