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
31 core words in Scottish Gaelic
Water
uisge
/ɯʃkʲə/
Fire
teine
/ˈtʲɛnʲə/
Sun
grian
/kɾʲiən/
Moon
gealach
/kʲaɫəx/
Star
reul
/rial/
Mother
màthair
/maːhəɾʲ/
Father
athair
/ahəɾʲ/
I
mi
/mi/
You
thu
/u/
Name
ainm
/ˈɛnɛm/
Eye
sùil
/suːl/
Hand
làmh
/ɫ̪aːv/
Heart
cridhe
/kɾʲiə/
Love
gaol
/kɯːl/
Tree
craobh
/kɾɯːv/
House
taigh
/tʰɤj/
Dog
cù
/kuː/
Cat
cat
/kʰat/
Eat
ith
/i/
Drink
òl
/ɔːl/
One
aon
/ɯːn/
Two
dà
/taː/
Hello
halò
/haloː/
Thank you
tapadh leat
/tʰapə lʲɛt/
Good
math
/ma/
Cuckoo
cuthag
/ˈkʰuhak/
Woof
af af
/af af/
Computer
coimpiutair
/ˈkʰɔimpjutɪrʲ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Celtic languages
| Meaning | Scottish Gaelic | Irish | Manx | Old Irish | Middle Irish | Welsh | English (Scottish) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | uisge /ɯʃkʲə/ | uisce /ɪʃcə/ | ushtey /ˈuʃtʲə/ | uisce /ˈusʲkʲe/ | usce /uske/ | dŵr /duːr/ | water /ˈwɔːtəɹ/ |
| Fire | teine /ˈtʲɛnʲə/ | tine /tʲɪnʲə/ | aile /ailʲ/ | tene /tene/ | tene /tene/ | tân /tɑːn/ | fire /faɪɹ/ |
| Sun | grian /kɾʲiən/ | grian /ɡɾʲiən/ | grian /ɡriən/ | grían /ɡrian/ | grían /ɡrian/ | haul /haɨl/ | sun /sʌn/ |
| Moon | gealach /kʲaɫəx/ | gealach /ɟalax/ | eayst /eːst/ | éscae /eːskai/ | ésca /eːska/ | lleuad /ɬɛɨ̯ad/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | reul /rial/ | réalta /ˈɾˠeːl̪ˠt̪ˠə/ | rollage /ˈrolaːɡ/ | rétla /ˈreːdla/ | rétla /ˈreːtla/ | seren /ˈsɛrɛn/ | star /staɾ/ |
| Mother | màthair /maːhəɾʲ/ | máthair /mɑːhəɾʲ/ | moir /mɔːɾ/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ | mam /mam/ | mother /ˈmʌðəɹ/ |
| Father | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | athair /ahəɾʲ/ | ayr /ɛːr/ | athair /aθirʲ/ | athair /aθirʲ/ | tad /tɑːd/ | father /ˈfɑːðəɹ/ |
| I | mi /mi/ | mé /mʲeː/ | mee /miː/ | mé /mʲeː/ | mé /mʲeː/ | fi /viː/ | I /ʌi/ |
| You | thu /u/ | tú /t̪ˠuː/ | oo /uː/ | tú /tuː/ | tú /tuː/ | ti /tiː/ | you /juː/ |
| Name | ainm /ˈɛnɛm/ | ainm /anʲəmʲ/ | ennym /ˈɛnəm/ | ainm /anʲmʲ/ | ainm /anʲmʲ/ | enw /ˈɛnu/ | name /nem/ |
| Eye | sùil /suːl/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | sooill /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | súil /suːlʲ/ | llygad /ɬəɡad/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Hand | làmh /ɫ̪aːv/ | lámh /lɑːv/ | laue /lɛːu/ | lám /laːv/ | lám /laːv/ | llaw /ɬaʊ/ | hand /hand/ |
| Heart | cridhe /kɾʲiə/ | croí /kɾiː/ | cree /kɾiː/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ | calon /kalɔn/ | heart /hɑɹt/ |
| Love | gaol /kɯːl/ | grá /ɡɾɑː/ | graih /ɡraːx/ | serc /serk/ | serc /serk/ | cariad /karjad/ | love /lʌv/ |
| Tree | craobh /kɾɯːv/ | crann /kɾɑːn/ | billey /ˈbilʲə/ | crann /kran/ | crann /kran/ | coeden /kɔɨdɛn/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| House | taigh /tʰɤj/ | teach /tʲax/ | thie /tai/ | tech /tex/ | tech /tex/ | tŷ /tiː/ | house /hʌus/ |
| Dog | cù /kuː/ | madra /mɑdɾə/ | moddey /ˈmɔðə/ | cú /kuː/ | madra /madra/ | ci /kiː/ | dog /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | cat /kʰat/ | cat /kɑt/ | kayt /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | cath /kɑːθ/ | cat /kat/ |
| Eat | ith /i/ | ith /ɪ/ | gee /ɡʲiː/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ | bwyta /bʊɨta/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | òl /ɔːl/ | ól /oːl/ | iu /juː/ | ibid /iβʲiðʲ/ | ól /oːl/ | yfed /əvɛd/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| One | aon /ɯːn/ | aon /eːn/ | nane /næn/ | oín /oːin/ | óen /oin/ | un /ɨːn/ | one /wʌn/ |
| Two | dà /taː/ | dó /d̪ˠoː/ | jees /dʒiːs/ | dá /daː/ | dá /daː/ | dau /daɨ/ | two /tuː/ |
| Hello | halò /haloː/ | dia duit /dʲiə dɪtʲ/ | moghrey mie /ˈmɔɣrə maɪ/ | fochen /foxʲen/ | fochen /foxʲen/ | helô /hɛˈloː/ | hello /hɛˈlo/ |
| Thank you | tapadh leat /tʰapə lʲɛt/ | go raibh maith agat /ɡɔ ɾɛv mah aɡət/ | gura mie ayd /ˈɡura miː eːd/ | atlochur /atloxur/ | atlochur /atloxur/ | diolch /diːɔlx/ | thanks /θaŋks/ |
| Good | math /ma/ | maith /mah/ | mie /maɪ/ | maith /maθʲ/ | maith /maθʲ/ | da /dɑː/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
| Cuckoo | cuthag /ˈkʰuhak/ | cuach /kuəx/ | cooag /ˈkuːaɡ/ | — | cúach /ˈkuːax/ | cog /koːɡ/ | cuckoo /ˈkʊkuː/ |
| Woof | af af /af af/ | bhuf bhuf /wʊf wʊf/ | — | — | — | wff wff /ʊf ʊf/ | — |
| Computer | coimpiutair /ˈkʰɔimpjutɪrʲ/ | ríomhaire /ˈɾˠiːwəɾʲə/ | co-earrooder /koˈjaːrudər/ | — | — | cyfrifiadur /kəvrɪvˈjaːdɨr/ | computer /kəmˈpjutər/ |
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