Gàidhlig
Scottish Gaelic
Celtic
Also known as: Scottish Gaelic, Gàidhlig, Gaidhlig
Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a Goidelic Celtic language with ~57K speakers (2011 census; ~87K with some ability) — primarily in the Outer Hebrides (the Western Isles), Skye, parts of mainland Highland, and the Glasgow/Edinburgh diaspora. It is sister to Irish (ga) and Manx (gv); brought to Scotland from Ireland by the Dál Riata kingdom around the 4th-6th c. CE, and remained the dominant Highland language until the post-Culloden (1746) Highland Clearances broke up Gaelic-speaking communities. Phonologically distinctive for its lenition system, broad/slender consonant pairs, and preaspiration; grammatically VSO with initial mutations and inflected prepositions. Recognized as an official UK language by the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, with BBC Alba television (2008) and Gaelic-medium education (Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu and others) supporting revitalization. Rich oral tradition including waulking songs (òrain luaidh), psalm precenting, and bardic poetry.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Scottish Gaelic
Water
uisge
/ɯʃkʲə/
Fire
teine
/ˈtʲɛnʲə/
Sun
grian
/kɾʲiən/
Moon
gealach
/kʲaɫəx/
Mother
màthair
/maːhəɾʲ/
Father
athair
/ahəɾʲ/
Eat
ith
/i/
Drink
òl
/ɔːl/
Love
gaol
/kɯːl/
Heart
cridhe
/kɾʲiə/
Tree
craobh
/kɾɯːv/
House
taigh
/tʰɤj/
Dog
cù
/kuː/
Cat
cat
/kʰat/
Hand
làmh
/ɫ̪aːv/
Eye
sùil
/suːl/
Hello
halò
/haloː/
Thank you
tapadh leat
/tʰapə lʲɛt/
One
aon
/ɯːn/
Good
math
/ma/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Celtic languages
| Meaning | Scottish Gaelic | Irish | Old Irish | Manx | Middle Irish | Welsh | Frisian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | uisge /ɯʃkʲə/ | uisce /ɪʃcə/ | uisce /ˈusʲkʲe/ | ushtey /ˈuʃtʲə/ | usce /uske/ | dŵr /duːr/ | wetter /vɛtər/ |
| Fire | teine /ˈtʲɛnʲə/ | tine /tʲɪnʲə/ | tene /tene/ | aile /ailʲ/ | tene /tene/ | tân /tɑːn/ | fjoer /fjuːr/ |
| Sun | grian /kɾʲiən/ | grian /ɡɾʲiən/ | grían /ɡrian/ | grian /ɡriən/ | grían /ɡrian/ | haul /haɨl/ | sinne /sɪnə/ |
| Moon | gealach /kʲaɫəx/ | gealach /ɟalax/ | éscae /eːskai/ | eayst /eːst/ | ésca /eːska/ | lleuad /ɬɛɨ̯ad/ | moanne /mwɑnə/ |
| Mother | màthair /maːhəɾʲ/ | máthair /mɑːhəɾʲ/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | moir /mɔːɾ/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | mam /mam/ | mem /mɛm/ |
| Father | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | athair /aθirʲ/ | ayr /ɛːr/ | athair /aθirʲ/ | tad /tɑːd/ | heit /hɛit/ |
| Eat | ith /i/ | ith /ɪ/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | gee /ɡʲiː/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | bwyta /bʊɨta/ | ite /iːtə/ |
| Drink | òl /ɔːl/ | ól /oːl/ | ibid /iβʲiðʲ/ | iu /juː/ | ól /oːl/ | yfed /əvɛd/ | drinke /drɪŋkə/ |
| Love | gaol /kɯːl/ | grá /ɡɾɑː/ | serc /serk/ | graih /ɡraːx/ | serc /serk/ | cariad /karjad/ | leafde /lɪəfdə/ |
| Heart | cridhe /kɾʲiə/ | croí /kɾiː/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | cree /kɾiː/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | calon /kalɔn/ | hert /hɛrt/ |
| Tree | craobh /kɾɯːv/ | crann /kɾɑːn/ | crann /kran/ | billey /ˈbilʲə/ | crann /kran/ | coeden /kɔɨdɛn/ | beam /bɪəm/ |
| House | taigh /tʰɤj/ | teach /tʲax/ | tech /tex/ | thie /tai/ | tech /tex/ | tŷ /tiː/ | hûs /huːs/ |
| Dog | cù /kuː/ | madra /mɑdɾə/ | cú /kuː/ | moddey /ˈmɔðə/ | madra /madra/ | ci /kiː/ | hûn /huːn/ |
| Cat | cat /kʰat/ | cat /kɑt/ | cat /kat/ | kayt /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cath /kɑːθ/ | kat /kɑt/ |
| Hand | làmh /ɫ̪aːv/ | lámh /lɑːv/ | lám /laːv/ | laue /lɛːu/ | lám /laːv/ | llaw /ɬaʊ/ | hân /hɔːn/ |
| Eye | sùil /suːl/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | sooill /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | llygad /ɬəɡad/ | each /ɪəx/ |
| Hello | halò /haloː/ | dia duit /dʲiə dɪtʲ/ | fochen /foxʲen/ | moghrey mie /ˈmɔɣrə maɪ/ | fochen /foxʲen/ | helô /hɛˈloː/ | hoi /hɔi/ |
| Thank you | tapadh leat /tʰapə lʲɛt/ | go raibh maith agat /ɡɔ ɾɛv mah aɡət/ | atlochur /atloxur/ | gura mie ayd /ˈɡura miː eːd/ | atlochur /atloxur/ | diolch /diːɔlx/ | tankewol /tɑŋkəvɔl/ |
| One | aon /ɯːn/ | aon /eːn/ | oín /oːin/ | nane /næn/ | óen /oin/ | un /ɨːn/ | ien /iːn/ |
| Good | math /ma/ | maith /mah/ | maith /maθʲ/ | mie /maɪ/ | maith /maθʲ/ | da /dɑː/ | goed /ɡuət/ |
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