Scots-Gaelic Pronunciation
|
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
|
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
|
Vocabulary
There is no word for 'a' in
Gaelic. Cu means both dog and a dog; agian both knife and a knife; ridir both
knight and a knight.</p>
There are ways of saying
things 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 has
something, it translates into Gaelic as something is 'at' one. "I have a
harp" becomes 'The clarsach aig mi' or 'The harp is at me'. "It is
raining" becomes 'Tha an t-uisge ann' (Ha en toosh-ke aunn) or "The
rain is in it."
Present
|
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 |
|
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, cocky |
|
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 |
|
Baroness;
Lady Knight |
|
Bean-oukselo
(Old Celtic) |
(Ban-ukseel-oh) |
Lady;
noble lady |
|
Oukselo |
|
Nobleman;
lord |
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