Scots-Gaelic Pronunciation
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Gaelic | English |
a | a (short, as in bat, hat, etc.; long, as in gate, mate, etc.) |
b | b (as in bet, bat) |
c | k (always hard, as in cat) |
ch | ch (as in Scottish loch or German nacht; also as ch in church) |
chd | chk (as in Loch Katrine) |
d | d (softly) |
dh | gh and y (gh as the ch when in contact with a, o or u and y when in contact with i or e) |
e | e (short, as in bet, let; long as in meet, feet) |
f | f (as in fan, for , etc.) |
fh | mainly silent, though ina few cases sounded as h |
g | g (as in gate, get) |
gh | like the Gaelic dh, above |
h | h (as in hat, horse, etc.) |
i | i (short, as in bit, lit; long as in fire, hire) |
l | long, as in silly |
ll | as lli in million |
m | as in English |
mh | v (as in van, but sometimes silent) |
n | as in English |
ng | ngg (as ng in finger) |
nn | as 'ni' in pinion |
o | o (short, as in bot, hot; long, as in mote, rote) |
p | as in English |
ph | as English 'f' |
r | as in English |
s | as in English |
sh | as English 'h', sometimes as Englsh 'sh' |
t | as in English, but soft like the d |
th | usually silent, but sometimes sounded as h |
u | (short as in but, hut; long as in cute, mute) |
y | as in English |
Handy Phrases
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Tha iud a'sabaid | (Ha ee-ut ah-sa-patch) | They are fighting. (They are after fighting) |
Co thu? | (Kō oo) | Who are you? |
e | (uh) | he or it |
i | (ee) | she or it |
iad | (ee-ut) | they |
Do searbhanta, | (Dō sher-uv-unta) | Your servant, |
Co leis? | (Kō lāsh) | Whose? |
Co as? | (Kō as) | Whence? |
Cuin? | (Kooin) | How? |
De tha seo? | (Jay ha shō) | What is this? |
Ciamar a tha thu an diugh? | (Kay-mar ah ha oo an joo) | How are you today? |
Mo caraid </td> | (Ma ca-ritsh) | My friend |
Mo bhilis </td> | (Ma vilis) | My sweet |
Mo gradh | (Moi rah) | My love |
Gu math | (Goo mah) | Good |
Chi me | Chee mee) | I will see |
Tha me duilich | (Ha mee dō ō-lich) | I am sorry |
Dh'fhan i aig baile | (Chan ee ek bāl-y) | She stayed at home |
Tha agian sig Seumas | Ha skee-an ak Shā-mus) | James has a knife (The knife is at James) |
Tha cu aig Aislinn. | (Ha coo ak Ash-lee) | Aislinn has a dog. (The dog is at Aislinn) |
a toigh leinn... | (stoee leenn) | We like... |
Leann | (lyā-oon) | beer |
An d'fhuar...(thu an leann)? | (Un dōō-ur...oo un lyā-oon) | Did you bring ...the beer? |
Marbhphaisg ort! | (Mār-ashk ort) | Curse you! (literally, 'May a shroud be on you'; colloquially, 'drop dead') |
beadh | (bē-uh) | food |
do bheadh | (dō vee-uh) | Your food |
Tha a ridir | (Ha uh ree-tshir) | He is a knight |
Dh'ol me an leann | (Gho mee un lyā-oon) | I drank the beer |
Tapadh leibh | (tapeh leev) | Thank you |
Gu dearbh | (Goo jer-ev) | Certainly, indeed |
Tha mi fuar | (Haa me. foo-er) | I am cold |
teth | (chā) | hot |
agith | (skee) | tired |
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Vocabulary
There is no word for 'a' inGaelic. Cu means both dog and a dog; agian both knife and a knife; ridir bothknight and a knight.</p>
There are ways of sayingthings called 'colloquial'. If you listen to someone from White Castle speak,or the West Bank in New Orleans, you will know what I mean. To say one hassomething, it translates into Gaelic as something is 'at' one. "I have aharp" becomes 'The clarsach aig mi' or 'The harp is at me'. "It israining" becomes 'Tha an t-uisge ann' (Ha en toosh-ke aunn) or "Therain is in it."
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Present
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tha mi | (ha mee) | I am |
tha thu | (ha oo) | Thou are or you are |
tha e | (ha eh) e as in get | He is |
tha i | (ha ee) | She is |
tha sinn | (ha sheeng) | We are |
tha shiv | (ha shiv) | You (plural) are (you all are) |
tha iad | (ha ee-ut) | they are |
a'dol | (ah dol) | going, a'going |
tighinn | (tshee-ing) | coming |
ag'cadal | (akatal) | sleeping |
ag coisheach | (akawah-aehk) | walking |
ag òl | (ak-awl) | drinking |
spioradan | (spee-rut-un) | liquor |
phiob | (pee-up) | pipe |
Las do phiob. | (las doh pee-up) | Light your pipe. |
Las phiob. | (las pee-up) | Light the pipe. (remember there is mostly no identifying article before nouns) |
Dh'innis e sgeul. | (Yee-ish eh skay-l) | He told a tale. |
Thig! | (Heek) | Come! |
Stad | (stat) | Stop |
Diol! | (Jee-ul) | Pay! |
Thoir dhomh | (Hawr-ghaw) | Give (to) me |
Sin | (shin) | that |
Sìn | (sheen) | Hand over! |
òrd | <![if !supportEmptyParas]><![endif]> | hammer |
coidich | (och-eech) | help |
figh | (fi) i as in pine | find |
tòisich | (tawsh-eech) | begin, start |
nigh | (nnee) | wash |
ro fhluich | (roh ūch) | too wet |
fàg | (fask) | leave (you) |
fan | (fan) | stay |
Slàn leat. | (slan le-ut) | Good bye, ta-ta |
Tha mi cinnteach | (Ha mee keen-tshach) | I am certain. |
Na behil an duine. | (Na vale aun doon-a) | Don't strike the man. |
Tha an t-acras orm. | (Ha sun āchkras awrm) | I am hungry (The hunger is on me) |
Bha am pathadh ort. | (Vah aum pā-ugh ort) | You were thirsty (The thirst was on you) |
Gu'nrobh maith agad! | (Gō-ō-ro-mā akut) | Thank you. |
Mar sin leatsh | (Mār shin le-uhtshuh) | Same to you. |
a chionn gu | (a chy-ō-on-goo) | because |
Is a do bheatha | (Ishēh-do-veh-a) | You are welcome (literally 'It is your life') |
Tha e mor (or) Tha mor. | (Ha eh more) | It is big he is (he is big) |
Tha i ban (or) Tha ban | (Ha ee bahn) | She is fair. |
Seaumus beag | (Shay-mus bay-ek) | Little James |
Dana | (Dah-na) | bold, cheeky, co*cky |
O chionn ghoirid | (Oh chee-oyn gaw-ritsh) | A while ago |
Mabh! | (Mar-uv) | Kill! |
Ut! Ut! | (Oot, oot) | Don't! Don't! |
ceilidh | (cay-lee) | visit (usually means 'party') |
Is mise a rinn sin. | (Is mish-uh ah rine shin) | I did that. |
Cha do chuir. | (Chah doh choo-ir) | I did not. |
Tha caise aca. | (Ha kay-sheh aka) | They have cheese. |
bonn | (baun) | coin (money) |
airgiod | (ar-ri-kit) | money |
Cunnt | (Koont) | Count |
Tha fhios agam | (Ha fees akam) | I know that (Knowledge is at me) |
Am faca tu? | (Um fach-ka too) | Did you see? |
Chan fhaca. | (Chan ach-ka) | I did not see |
Is cairdean sibh. | (Is kair-tshin sheen) | We are friends ('Tis friends we are) |
Is air an lar e. | (Is air un lar eh) | He's on the ground ('Tis on the ground he is) |
Cho dona sin? | (Cho doe-nah shin) | As bad as that? |
Chunnaic mi Rudi aig an dorus. | (Choo-nik mee Roo-dee ek un doh-rus) | I saw Rudi at the door. |
An sin | (ahn shin) | There, then. |
Is Baintighearnachd. | (Is Bayn-tyurn-achc) | It is her Ladyship. |
Is Ban-ukselo i. | (Is Bahn-ukseel-oh ee) | She is a Lady. |
Baintighearn or Ban-ridire | <![if !supportEmptyParas]><![endif]> | Baroness; Lady Knight |
Bean-oukselo (Old Celtic) | (Ban-ukseel-oh) | Lady; noble lady |
Oukselo | <![if !supportEmptyParas]><![endif]> | Nobleman; lord |
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