ONlwSG

ròlaisteach adj. [ˈɍɔːɫ̪əʃtʲəx, -[ax], -[ɔx]. While noting that MacLeod and Dewar’s (1831) dictionary defines the word [SG ròlaisteach] as ‘to be given to exaggeration’, Mackay (1897, 92) explains that in Sutherland rollaisteach [sic] refers to ‘the restless disposition of children’, citing Ice. rolaus (leg. ró-lauss) ‘restless’. McDonald (≈2009, 396) claims that a number of related Scottish Gaelic terms with related meanings occur, although he only cites ròlaist (see below); he concludes that the loan is at best uncertain, ‘there being no other satisfactory derivation’ provided by MacBain (1911) or MacLennan (1925). A degree of confusion between two otherwise distinct lexemes may be involved.

A. SG ròlaist n., ròlaisteach adj.
SG ròlaist 

HSS 1828; MacLeod & Dewar 1831; MacEachen 1842; MacBain 1911; MacLennan 1925; Wentworth 2003, s.v. banter: [ʀɔ:ʟɑʃt’], Gairloch; AFB^˄: /RɔːLɪʃdʲ/; spelt rolaist in error in Dwelly 1911 (corrected to ròlaist in AFB^˄); spelt ròlaisd in McDonald 1972 (sd and st are indistinguishable phonetically).

includes the senses ‘romance (fictitious tale); declamation, exaggeration; rigmarole; banter, repartee; fib, porky; ludicrous story, absurd tale’. The derivative adjective ròlaisteach 

HSS 1828; MacLeod & Dewar 1831; MacEachen 1842; Dwelly 1911; AFB^˄: /RɔːLɪʃdʲəx/.

includes the senses ‘fabulous; given to exaggeration or declamation; far-fetched’.

Cf. also the derivative ròlaisdear ‘romancer’ (McDonald 1972: South Uist), ròlaisteach ‘a spinner of yarns, tall tales etc.’ (Faclan bhon t-Sluagh^˄: North Uist) and rolaisteach (leg. ròlaisteach) ‘someone who tells stories’ (ibid.: Barra).

B. SG roileis n., roileiseach adj.
SG roileis etc. 

There is considerable variation in consonant quality in forms of this lexeme: the lateral is either [lʲ] /l´/, [l̥ʲ] /l´h/ or [ɫ̪] /ʟ/; the sibilant is either [ʃ] /s´/ or [s̪] /s/, or becomes [ʃkʲ] /s´ɡ´/ (occasionally [ʃtʲ] /s´d´/) or [s̪k] /sɡ/: roileis (CG IV, 119; Angus Matheson (ibid.): Applecross); roithleis (Dwelly 1911: see roileasg), roithleais (Wentworth 2003, s.v. excitement: [ʀɔl̥’hɑʃ], Gairloch) and roithleas (Dwelly 1911: see roileasg; MacBain 1911, s.v. roileasg; CG IV, 119); rolais (Dwelly 1911; CG IV, 119; MacLennan 1925); roileisg (M^cAlpine 1832: Islay); roileasg (HSS 1828; MacLeod & Dewar 1831; MacEachen 1842; Dwelly 1911; MacBain 1911; MacLennan 1925; Dieckhoff 1932: [Ròl´əsg], Glengarry; AFB^˄: /Rɔləsg/); rolasg (McDonald 1972: South Uist).

includes the senses ‘confused joy, haste or hurry; confused or unstable person; confusion through haste; the noisy excitement of children playing happily; boisterousness; hasty work, a slipshod way of working; jumbling speech, spoonerism’. The derivative adjective roileiseach 

Roileiseach (Dwelly 1911; Angus Matheson in CG IV, 119, s.v. roileis: Applecross; AFB^˄ /Rɔlɪʃəx/); roithleaiseach (Wentworth 2003, s.v. slapdash: [ʀɔl̥’hɑʃɔx], Gairloch); rolaiseach (Dwelly 1911; AFB^˄: /RɔːLɪʃəx/); roileasgach (HSS 1828; MacLeod & Dewar 1831; MacEachen 1842); rolasgach (McDonald 1972: South Uist).

includes the senses ‘confused with joy; confused haste; frisky; slapdash, slipshod’. Note also the nominal forms roileisteach ‘a flurry of confusion in speech’ and rollaisteach ‘a confused mixture’ (Faclan bhon t-Sluagh: Scalpaigh), with interpolated t, cf. sineag, sìneag > sinteag, sìnteag ‘wick’ (s.v. siobhag), or, if via *roileisgeach, cf. SG gràisg > gràist ‘rabble’ (Robertson 1907a, 112: Sutherland).

Confusion of ròlaist and roileis
Mackay’s rollaisteach n. ‘the restless disposition of children’ is probably for ròlaisteach adj. ‘restless (of children)’, 

So Dwelly (1911): ròlaisteach ‘fabulous; given to exaggeration or declamation; restless (of children) – Sutherland’.

cf. Wentworth (2003: Gairloch), who, besides ròlaiseach [ʀɔ:ʟɑʃɔx] (s.vv. rowdy, boisterous), gives ròlaisteach [ʀɔ:ʟɑʃt’ɔx] (s.vv. restless, unsettled), all of which may suggest a degree of confusion between ròlaist and roileis, in these derivative forms at least.

The etymology of SG ròlaist
While ON ró-lauss adj. ‘restless’ might formally yield SG *[ˈɍɔːɫ̪as̪], which might conceivably yield SG ròlaist, the primary sense ‘long story’ may ultimately derive from Eng. rolls, plural of roll in the sense ‘a register or list of people, things, or deeds belonging to a particular group, category, or designation’ (OED^˄, s.v. roll, I.2.a); cf. MacBain’s comparison of ròlaist with Scots and Eng. rigmarole (probably < Ragman 

‘(The name of) a statute of Edward I of 1276, which provided for the appointment of justices to hear and determine complaints of injuries done during the preceding 25 years’ (OED^˄).

roll (OED^˄)). For the stressed vowel, cf. SG ròisgeul ‘fable etc.’ (< rò ‘excess’ + sgeul ‘story’). For the Gaelic reflex of the English plural morpheme, cf. SG briogais < Scots breeks (s.v. briogais).

SG *ròlais might arise directly from a disyllabic, plural MEng. rollis; cf. Ir. cáipéis ‘document’ (Ó Dónaill 1977) < Eng. (pl.) copies.

For -s > -st, cf. SG a-rithis > a-rithist ‘again; later’ (EG arithissi).

The etymology of SG roileis etc.
While MacBain associates the form roileasg with SG roille ‘a fawning or too cordial reception’ (?< intensive ro- + (len.) toil ‘exceeding pleasure’ (ibid.)), and while Matheson (in CG VI, 119, s.v. roileis) compares the form roileis with (p. 142) troilis, troilisg ‘disorder’, 

Cf. Dwelly (1911): troileis ‘any trifling thing; childish merriment’; McDonald (1972): troileasg ‘incessant insipid talk’; and MacLennan (1925): troileis, truileis ‘trash; sloppy stuff’.

roileis etc. may ultimately go back to Eng. relish (or its variant rallish), as a verb ‘to take pleasure or delight in; to enjoy greatly’, as a noun ‘enjoyment of the taste or flavour of something; the tasting or enjoying of something agreeable’ (OED^˄), with the vocalism of the stressed syllable in Gaelic perhaps formed by analogy with intensive ro-.