Scottish Gaelic Gàidhlig
Bilingual roadsign in Mallaig:
Pronunciation:	[ˈkɑːlʲɪkʲ]
Spoken in:	Scotland, Canada, United States, Australia
Region:	Parts of the Scottish Highlands, Western Isles, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. In the Gàidhealtachd (the Gaelic-speaking parts of Scotland) the use of the Gaelic language on road signs instead of or more often alongside English Mallaig is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Scottish Highlands ( Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd, Scots: Hielans) include the rugged and Mountainous The Outer Hebrides, ( officially known for local government purposes by the Gaelic name Na h-Eileanan Siar) comprise an island Cape Breton Island ( French: île du Cap-Breton - formerly île Royale, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Cheap Breatuinn, Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Formerly all of mainland Scotland, albeit marginally in the southeast (parts of Lothian and Borders) and possibly eastern Caithness. The Scottish Borders, often referred to simply as the Borders, is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. Geography Caithness extends about 40 Miles (64 Kilometres) north-south and about 30 miles (50 km east-west
Total speakers:	58,552 [1]. 92,400 people aged three and over in Scotland had some Gaelic language ability in 2001[2] with an additional 2000 in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's [3] 1,610 speakers in the United States in 2000. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the [4] 822 in Australia in 2001. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. [5]
Language family:	Indo-European  Celtic   Insular Celtic    Goidelic     Scottish Gaelic
Official status
Official language in:	Scotland
Regulated by:	Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Language codes
ISO 639-1:	gd
ISO 639-2:	gla
ISO 639-3:	gla
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. List of language familiesA language family is a group of Languages related by descent from a common ancestor called the Proto-language of that family The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The term Insular Celtic refers to those Celtic languages which originated in the British Isles, in contrast to the Continental Celtic languages of The Goidelic languages, (also sometimes called particularly in colloquial situations the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) historically formed a Dialect Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. This is a list of bodies that regulate Standard languages Natural languages Auxiliary languages Interlingua The auxiliary language Bòrd na Gàidhlig (b̊ɔːɾd̪̊ nə g̊aːlɪg̊ʲ is a Quango appointed by the Scottish Government with responsibility for Scottish Gaelic. ISO 639-1 is the first part of the ISO 639 international-standard language-code family ISO 639-2 is the second part of the ISO 639 standard, which lists codes for the representation of the names of languages ISO 639 -3 (ISO 639-32007 is an international standard for Language codes The standard describes three‐letter codes for identifying languages In Computing, Unicode is an Industry standard allowing Computers to consistently represent and manipulate text expressed in most of the world's

Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. The Goidelic languages, (also sometimes called particularly in colloquial situations the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) historically formed a Dialect The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. This branch also includes the Irish and Manx languages. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Manx ( Gaelg or Gailck, ɡilk or) also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language once spoken on the Isle It is distinct from the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages, which includes Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany Scottish, Manx and Irish Gaelic are all descended from Old Irish. Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language, or rather the Goidelic languages, for which extensive written texts are possessed The language is often described as Scottish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, or Gàidhlig to avoid confusion with the other two Goidelic languages. Outside Scotland, it is occasionally also called Scottish, a usage dating back over 1,500 years; for example Old English Scottas. Scottish Gaelic should not be confused with Scots, because since the 16th century the word Scots has by-and-large been used to describe the Lowland Anglic language, which developed from the northern form of early Middle English. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Anglic (from Latin Anglicus meaning English, cf Germanic) is a term for what are also known as Englishes, in for example World Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of In Scottish English, Gaelic is pronounced [ˈgaːlɪk]; outside Scotland, it is usually pronounced /ˈgeɪlɪk/. Scottish English is the variety of English spoken in Scotland, also called Scottish Standard English.

History

Gaelic, a descendant of the Goidelic branch of Celtic and closely related to Irish, is the traditional language of the Scotti or Gaels, and became the historical language of the majority of Scotland after it replaced Cumbric, Pictish and Old Norse. Scoti or Scotti ( Old Irish Scot, modern Scottish Gaelic Sgaothaich) was the generic name given by the Romans to the Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Cumbric was the Brythonic Celtic language, often considered to be a Dialect of Welsh, spoken in Northern England and southern Pictish is a term used for the Extinct language or languages thought to have been spoken by the Picts, the people of northern and central Scotland Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age It is not clear how long Gaelic has been spoken in what is now Scotland; it has lately been proposed that it was spoken in Argyll before the Roman period, but no consensus has been reached on this question. Argyll, Archaically Argyle ( Earra-Ghàidheal in modern Gaelic) is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part However, the consolidation of the kingdom of Dál Riata around the 4th century, linking the ancient province of Ulster in the north of Ireland and western Scotland, accelerated the expansion of Gaelic, as did the success of the Gaelic-speaking church establishment. Dál Riata (also Dalriada or Dalriata) was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western seaboard of Scotland with some territory on the northern Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Placename evidence shows that Gaelic was spoken in the Rhinns of Galloway by the 5th or 6th century. The Rhins of Galloway (also known as The Rhins; and can be spelt The Rhinns; Scottish Gaelic: Na Rannaibh) is a hammer-head Peninsula The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era. The 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

The Gaelic language eventually displaced Pictish north of the Forth, and until the late 15th century it was known in English as Scottis. Pictish is a term used for the Extinct language or languages thought to have been spoken by the Picts, the people of northern and central Scotland English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Gaelic began to decline in mainland Scotland by the beginning of the 13th century, and with this went a decline in its status as a national language. By the beginning of the 15th century, the highland-lowland line was beginning to emerge.

One interpretation of the linguistic divide in 1400, here based on place-name evidence.

By the early 16th century, English speakers gave the Gaelic language the name Erse (meaning Irish) and thereafter it was invariably the collection of Middle English dialects spoken within the Kingdom of the Scots that they referred to as Scottis (whence Scots). Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern This was ironic as it was at this time that Gaelic was developing its distinctly Scottish forms characteristic of the Modern period^[6]. Nevertheless, Gaelic has never been entirely displaced of national language status, and is still recognised by many Scots, whether or not they speak Gaelic, as being a crucial part of the nation's culture. Of course, others may view it primarily as a regional language of the highlands and islands. The Scottish Highlands ( Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghàidhealtachd, Scots: Hielans) include the rugged and Mountainous

Gaelic has a rich oral (beul-aithris) and written tradition, having been the language of the bardic culture of the Highland clans for several centuries. Scottish clans (from Scottish Gaelic clann, "children" give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations The language preserved knowledge of and adherence to pre-feudal laws and customs (as represented, for example, by the expressions tuatha and dùthchas). The language suffered especially as Highlanders and their traditions were persecuted after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and during the Highland Clearances, but pre-feudal attitudes were still evident in the complaints and claims of the Highland Land League of the late 19th century: this political movement was successful in getting members elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Battle of Culloden (Blàr Chùil Lodair (16 April 1746 was the final clash between the French-supported Jacobites and the Hanoverian Year 1746 ( MDCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Highland Clearances ( Scottish Gaelic: Fuadaich nan Gàidheal the expulsion of the Gael were Forced displacements of the population of the Scottish The first Highland Land League emerged as a distinct political force in Scotland during the 1880s with its power base in the country's Highlands and Islands. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The Land League was dissipated as a parliamentary force by the 1886 Crofters' Act and by the way the Liberal Party was seen to become supportive of Land League objectives. The Crofters' Holdings (Scotland Act 1886 is Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created legal definitions of crofting parish and The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the rise of the Labour Party in the 1920s and a third party

The first translation of the Bible into Scottish Gaelic was not made until 1767 when Dr James Stuart of Killin and Dugald Buchanan of Rannoch produced a translation of the New Testament. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Very few European languages have made the transition to a modern literary language without an early modern translation of the Bible. The lack of such a translation until the late eighteenth century undoubtedly contributed to the decline of Scottish Gaelic. ^[7]

Scottish Gaelic may be more correctly known as Highland Gaelic to distinguish it from the now defunct Lowland Gaelic. Lowland Gaelic was spoken across southern Scotland in varying degrees. It was most common in Galloway, where extensive settlement from the Norse/Gaelic communities of the Isles and highland seaboard had taken place in the wake of Scottish conquest. Elsewhere, it was the language of a significant proportion of the elite that governed communities that spoke either the 'native' Brythonic language of the region or the Old English that had greatly increased in significance since the Northumbrian conquests of the seventh and eighth centuries. By the end of the Middle Ages, Lowland Gaelic had largely been replaced by the Middle English/Lowland Scots that descended from the Anglo-Saxon tongue, while the Brythonic language had disappeared. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern There is, however, no evidence of a linguistic border following the topographical north-south differences. Similarly, there is no evidence from placenames of significant linguistic differences between, for example, Argyll and Galloway. Argyll, Archaically Argyle ( Earra-Ghàidheal in modern Gaelic) is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part Galloway ( Gaelic: Gall-Ghaidhealaibh, əŋ ɡauɫ̪ɣəɫ̪əv or Gallobha, Lowland Scots Gallowa) is an area in southwestern Dialects on both sides of the Straits of Moyle (the North Channel) linking Scottish Gaelic with Irish are now extinct. The Straits of Moyle ( Sruth na Maoile in Irish and Scottish Gaelic) or Sea of Moyle is the name given to the narrowest expanse of sea in the The North Channel (known in Irish and Scottish Gaelic as Sruth na Maoile, and alternatively in English as the Straits of Moyle

According to a reference in The Carrick Covenanters by James Crichton (Undated. “Printed at the Office of Messrs. Arthur Guthrie and Sons Ltd. , 49 Ayr Road, Cumnock. ”), the last place in the Lowlands where Gaelic was still spoken was the village of Barr in Carrick (only a few miles inland to the east of Girvan, but at one time very isolated).

Current distribution in Scotland

Geographic Distribution of Gaelic speakers in Scotland (2001)

The 2001 UK Census showed a total of 58,652 Gaelic speakers in Scotland (1. A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. 2% of population over three years old). ^[8] Compared to the 1991 Census, there has been a diminution of approximately 7,300 people (11% of the total), meaning that Gaelic decline (language shift) in Scotland is continuing. Language shift, sometimes referred to as language transfer or language replacement or assimilation, is the progressive process whereby a speech community To date, attempts at language revival or reversing language shift have been met with limited success. Language revitalization is the attempt by interested parties including individuals cultural or community groups governments or political authorities to recover the spoken use of a Language revitalization is the attempt by interested parties including individuals cultural or community groups governments or political authorities to recover the spoken use of a

Considering the data related to Civil Parishes (which permit a continuous study of Gaelic status since the 19th century), two new circumstances have taken place, which are related to this decline:

• No parish in Scotland has a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 75% any more (the highest value corresponds to Barvas, Lewis, with 74. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. Barvas ( Scottish Gaelic: Barabhas) is a place in the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Lewis and Harris ( Scottish Gaelic: Leòdhas agus na Hearadh) in the Outer Hebrides make up the largest island in Scotland 7%).
• No parish in mainland Scotland has a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 25% any more (the highest value corresponds to Lochalsh, Highland, with 20. Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Scottish Gaelic Caol Loch Aillse, "strait of the foaming lake" is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland The Highland Council area ( Sgìre Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd in Gaelic, s̪g̊ʲiːɾʲə kɔ 8%).

The main stronghold of the language continues to be the Western Isles (Na h-Eileanan Siar), where the overall proportion of speakers remains at 61. The Outer Hebrides, ( officially known for local government purposes by the Gaelic name Na h-Eileanan Siar) comprise an island 1% and all parishes return values over 50%. The Parish of Kilmuir in Northern Skye is also over this threshold of 50%. Kilmuir is a village in the north of the Isle of Skye. It is the only place in Scotland (apart from the Western Isles) where Scottish Gaelic Skye or the Isle of Skye ( Scottish Gaelic An t-Eilean Sgitheanach əɲ tʰʲelan s̪kʲiə

Proportions over 20% register throughout the isles of Skye, Raasay, Tiree, Islay and Colonsay, and the already mentioned parish of Lochalsh in Highland. Skye or the Isle of Skye ( Scottish Gaelic An t-Eilean Sgitheanach əɲ tʰʲelan s̪kʲiə Raasay ( Scottish Gaelic: Ratharsair, rˠaarˠs̪əɾʲ is an Island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. Tiree ( Scottish Gaelic: Tiriodh is an Island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides southwest of Coll. Islay (ˈaɪlə Ìle, ˈiːʎə a Scottish Island, known as "The Queen of the Hebrides" ( Banrìgh nan Eilean) is the southernmost Colonsay ( Gaelic: Colbhasa is an Island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, located north of Islay and south of Mull Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Scottish Gaelic Caol Loch Aillse, "strait of the foaming lake" is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland The Highland Council area ( Sgìre Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd in Gaelic, s̪g̊ʲiːɾʲə kɔ

Regardless of this, the weight of Gaelic in Scotland is now much reduced. From a total of almost 900 Civil Parishes in Scotland:

• Only 9 of them have a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 50%.
• Only 20 of them have a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 25%.
• Only 39 of them have a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 10%.

Outside the main Gaelic-speaking areas a relatively high proportion of Gaelic-speaking people are, in effect, socially isolated from other Gaelic-speakers and as a result they obtain few opportunities to use the language.

Orthography

Further information: Scottish Gaelic alphabet

Place names in their original Gaelic are becoming increasingly common on road signs throughout the Scottish Highlands. The Scottish Gaelic Alphabet contains 18 letters five of which are Vowels The letters are (vowels in bold a, b c d

Old Gaelic, the precursor to both Modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic, was written in a carved writing called Ogham. Ogham (ogam ˈɔɣam Modern Irish or, English) is an Early Medieval Alphabet used primarily to represent the Old Irish language (and Ogham consisted of marks made above or below a horizontal line. With the advent of Christianity in the 5th century the Latin alphabet was introduced to Ireland. The Goidelic languages have historically been part of a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland, the Isle of Man, to the north of Scotland. The Goidelic languages, (also sometimes called particularly in colloquial situations the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) historically formed a Dialect A dialect continuum is a range of Dialects spoken across a large geographical area differing only slightly between areas that are geographically close and gradually decreasing

Classical Gaelic was used as a literary language in Ireland until the 17th century and in Scotland until the 18th century. Classical Gaelic (also called Classical Irish was the Goidelic literary language used in Scotland from the 13th to the 18th century Later orthographic divergence is the result of more recent orthographic reforms resulting in standardised pluricentric diasystems. A pluricentric language is a Language with several standard versions both in spoken and in written forms. In Linguistics, in the field of structural Dialectology, a diasystem is a single genetic Language which has two or more standard forms

The 1767 New Testament historically set the standard for Scottish Gaelic. Around the time of World War II, Irish spelling was reformed and the Official Standard or Caighdeán Oifigiúil introduced. Further reform in 1957 eliminated some of the silent letters which are still used in Scottish Gaelic. The 1981 Scottish Examinations Board recommendations for Scottish Gaelic, the Gaelic Orthographic Conventions, were adopted by most publishers and agencies, although they remain controversial among some academics, most notably Ronald Black. ^[9]

The modern Scottish Gaelic alphabet has 18 letters:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U. A letter is an element in an Alphabetic system of writing such as the Greek alphabet and its descendants

The letter h, now mostly used to indicate lenition of a consonant, was in general not used in the oldest orthography, as lenition was instead indicated with a dot over the lenited consonant. Lenition is a kind of Consonant mutation that appears in many Languages Along with assimilation, it is one of the primary sources of historical change In Articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a Speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the upper Vocal tract, the upper vocal The orthography of a language specifies the correct way of using a specific Writing system to write the language The letters of the alphabet were traditionally named after trees (see Scottish Gaelic alphabet), but this custom has fallen out of use. The Scottish Gaelic Alphabet contains 18 letters five of which are Vowels The letters are (vowels in bold a, b c d

The quality of consonants is indicated in writing by the vowels surrounding them. In Phonetics, a vowel is a Sound in spoken Language, such as English ah! or oh!, pronounced with an open Vocal tract So-called "slender" consonants are palatalised while "broad" consonants are velarised. Palatalization or palatalisation (ˌpælətəlɨˈzeɪʃən generally refers to two phenomena As a process or the result of a process Velarization is a Secondary articulation of Consonants by which the back of the Tongue is raised toward the velum during the articulation of the The vowels e and i are classified as slender, and a, o, and u as broad. The spelling rule known as caol ri caol agus leathann ri leathann ("slender to slender and broad to broad") requires that a word-medial consonant or consonant group followed by a written i or e be also preceded by an i or e; and similarly if followed by a, o or u be also preceded by an a, o, or u. Consonant quality (palatalised or non-palatalised) is then indicated by the vowels written adjacent to a consonant, and the spelling rule gives the benefit of removing possible uncertainty about consonant quality at the expense of adding additional purely graphic vowels that may not be pronounced. For example, compare the t in slàinte [slaːntʃə] with the t in bàta [paːtə].

The rule has no effect on the pronunciation of vowels. For example, plurals in Gaelic are often formed with the suffix -an, for example, bròg [proːk] (shoe) / brògan [proːkən] (shoes). But because of the spelling rule, the suffix is spelled -ean (but pronounced the same) after a slender consonant, as in taigh [tʰɤj] (house) / taighean [tʰɤjən] (houses) where the written e is purely a graphic vowel inserted to conform with the spelling rule because an i precedes the gh.

In changes promoted by the Scottish Examination Board from 1976 onwards, certain modifications were made to this rule. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For example, the suffix of the past participle is always spelled -te, even after a broad consonant, as in togte "raised" (rather than the traditional togta). In Grammar, a suffix (also postfix, ending) is an Affix which is placed at the end of a word In Linguistics, a participle (from Latin participium, a Calque of Greek μετοχη "partaking" is a derivative of a non-finite

Bilingual sign at Queen Street Station in Glasgow with English and Gaelic

Where pairs of vowels occur in writing, it is sometimes unclear which vowel is to be pronounced and which vowel has been introduced to satisfy this spelling rule.

Unstressed vowels omitted in speech can be omitted in informal writing. In Linguistics, stress is the relative emphasis that may be given to certain Syllables in a word For example:

Tha mi an dòchas. ("I hope. ") > Tha mi 'n dòchas.

Once Gaelic orthographic rules have been learned, the pronunciation of the written language can be seen to be quite predictable. However learners must be careful not to try to apply English sound-to-letter correspondences to written Gaelic, otherwise mispronunciations will result. Gaelic personal names such as Seònaid [ˈʃɔːnɛdʒ] are especially likely to be mispronounced by English speakers.

English orthographic rules have also been used at various times in Gaelic writing. Notable examples of Gaelic verse composed in this manner are the Book of the Dean of Lismore and the Fernaig manuscript. The Book of the Dean of Lismore (Leabhar Deathan Lios Mòir is a famous Scottish manuscript compiled in eastern Perthshire in the first half of the The Fernaig manuscript is a document containing approximately 4200 lines of verse consisting largely of political and religious themes

Pronunciation

Vowels

Gaelic vowels can have a grave accent, with the letters à, è, ì, ò, ù. Pitch The grave accent was first used in the polytonic orthography of Ancient Greek, where it occurred only on the last syllable of a word in cases where the Traditional spelling also uses the acute accent on the letters á, é and ó, but texts which follow the spelling reform only use the grave. History An early precursor of the acute accent was the apex, used in Latin inscriptions to mark long vowels.

A table of vowels with pronunciations in the IPA

Spelling	Pronunciation	English equivalent	As in
a, á	[a], [a]	cat	bata, lochán
à	[aː]	father	bàta
e	[ɛ], [e]	get, late	le, teth
è, é	[ɛː], [eː]	marry, lady	sèimh, fhéin
i	[i], [iː]	tin, sweet	sin, ith
ì	[iː]	evil	mìn
o	[ɔ], [o]	top, boat	poca, bog
ò, ó	[ɔː], [oː]	jaw, donate	pòcaid, mór
u	[u]	brute	tur
ù	[uː]	brood	tùr

Note: The English equivalents given are only approximate. The vowel most commonly found in English cat is not [a] but [æ]. The /a/ in English father is also not phonemically long, but only allophonically, nor is it usually [a:], but instead [ɑː]. The phoneME project is Sun Microsystems reference implementation of Java virtual machine and associated libraries of Java ME with source licensed under the GNU In Phonetics, an allophone is one of several similar speech sounds ( Phones that belong to the same Phoneme. The /a/ in English late is often more like a diphthong rather than the pure vowel [e]. The same is true for the /o/ in English boat, which is often more of a diphthong rather than pure [o].

Digraphs

A table of diphthongs with pronunciations in the IPA

Spelling	Pronunciation	As in
ai	[a], [ə], [ɛ], [i]	caileag, iuchair, geamair, dùthaich
ài	[aː], [ai]	àite, bara-làimhe
ao(i)	[ɯː], [ᵚi]	caol, gaoil, laoidh
ea	[ʲa], [e], [ɛ]	geal, deas, bean
eà	[ʲaː]	ceàrr
èa	[ɛː]	nèamh
ei	[e], [ɛ]	eile, ainmeil
èi	[ɛː]	cèilidh
éi	[eː]	fhéin
eo	[ʲɔ]	deoch
eò(i)	[ʲɔː]	ceòl, feòil
eu	[eː], [ia]	ceum, feur
ia	[iə], [ia]	biadh, dian
io	[i], [ᴊũ]	fios, fionn
ìo	[iː], [iə]	sgrìobh, mìos
iu	[ᴊu]	piuthar
iù(i)	[ᴊuː]	diùlt, diùid
oi	[ɔ], [ɤ]	boireannach, goirid
òi	[ɔː]	fòill
ói	[oː]	cóig
ua(i)	[uə], [ua]	ruadh, uabhasach, duais
ui	[u], [ɯ], [ui]	muir, uighean, tuinn
ùi	[uː]	dùin

Consonants

Most letters are pronounced similarly to other European languages. The broad consonants t and d and often n have a dental articulation (as in Irish and the Romance and Slavic languages) in contrast to the alveolar articulation common in English and other Germanic languages). In Linguistics, a dental consonant or dental is a Consonant that is articulated with the tongue against the upper teeth such as /t/ /d/ /n/ and The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages Alveolar consonants are articulated with the tongue against or close to the superior Alveolar ridge, which is called that because it contains the alveoli (the sockets English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family. Non-palatal r is an alveolar trill (like Italian or Spanish rr. The alveolar trill is a type of Consonantal sound used in some spoken Languages The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents dental Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. )

	Labial	Dental/ Alveolar	Post alveolar	Palatal	Velar
Nasal	m	n̪		ɲ	ŋ
Plosive	p, b	t̪, d̪			k, g
Affricate			ʧ, ʤ
Fricative	f, v	s	ʃ		x, ɣ
Approximant				j
Lateral		l, ɫ		ʎ
Trill		r
Flap		ɾ

Aspiration vs Voicing of Gaelic Stops

The "voiced" stops /b, d, g/ are not phonetically voiced [+voice] in Gaelic, but rather voiceless unaspirated. Labials are consonants articulated either with both lips ( bilabial articulation or with the lower lip and the upper teeth ( labiodental articulation Coronal consonants are articulated with the flexible front part of the Tongue. Postalveolar consonants are Consonants articulated with the tongue near or touching the back of the Alveolar ridge, placing them a bit further back in the Palatal consonants are Consonants articulated with the body of the tongue raised against the Hard palate (the middle part of the roof of the mouth A nasal consonant (also called nasal stop or nasal continuant) is produced with a lowered velum in the mouth allowing air to escape freely through the A stop, plosive, or occlusive is a Consonant sound produced by stopping the airflow in the Vocal tract. Affricate Consonants begin as stops (most often an alveolar, such as or) but release as a fricative (such as or or occasionally into Fricatives are Consonants produced by forcing air through a narrow channel made by placing two articulators close together Approximants are speech sounds ( Phonemes) that could be regarded as intermediate between Vowels and typical Consonants In the articulation of approximants Laterals are "L"-like Consonants pronounced with an occlusion made somewhere along the axis of the tongue while air from the lungs escapes at one side or both The Velarized Alveolar lateral approximant, which may actually be Pharyngealized, also known as dark l is a type of Consonantal sound In Phonetics, a trill is a Consonantal sound produced by vibrations between the articulator and the Place of articulation. In Phonetics, a flap or tap is a type of Consonantal sound which is produced with a single contraction of the muscles so that one articulator (such as the Phonation has slightly different meanings depending on the subfield of Phonetics. A stop, plosive, or occlusive is a Consonant sound produced by stopping the airflow in the Vocal tract. Voice or voicing is a term used in Phonetics and Phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless Description Voiceless consonants are produced with the Vocal cords open and voiced consonants are produced when the vocal folds are fractionally closed Thus Gaelic /b, d, g/ are really phonetically [p, t, k] [-voice, -aspirated].

The "voiceless" stops /p, t, k/ are voiceless and strongly aspirated (postaspirated in initial position, preaspirated in medial or final position). That is, in syllable onsets Gaelic /p, t, k/ are phonetically [p^h,t^h,k^h], but they are [hp,ht,xk] in syllable-final position. Note that preaspirated stops can also be found in Icelandic. Icelandic ( is a North Germanic language, the language of Iceland. Because of these facts, it can be argued that Gaelic /p, t, k/ are [-voice, +aspirated].

In some Gaelic dialects, stops at the beginning of a stressed syllable become voiced when they follow a nasal consonant, for example: taigh 'a house' is [tʰɤi] but an taigh 'the house' is [ən dʰɤi]; cf. A syllable ( Greek:) is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds A nasal consonant (also called nasal stop or nasal continuant) is produced with a lowered velum in the mouth allowing air to escape freely through the also tombaca 'tobacco' [tʰomˈbaxkə].

Broad vs Slender

Scottish Gaelic along with Modern Irish, Manx and Old Irish contains what are traditionally referred to as broad and slender (palatalized) consonants. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Manx ( Gaelg or Gailck, ɡilk or) also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language once spoken on the Isle Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language, or rather the Goidelic languages, for which extensive written texts are possessed Palatalization or palatalisation (ˌpælətəlɨˈzeɪʃən generally refers to two phenomena As a process or the result of a process Historically, Primitive Irish consonants preceding the front vowels /e/ and /i/ developed a [j] onglide similar to the palatalized consonants found in Russian (Thurneysen 1946, 1980). Primitive Irish is the oldest known form of the Goidelic languages, known only from fragments mostly personal names inscribed on stone in the Ogham alphabet in Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Celtic linguists traditionally transcribe slender consonants as /C´/.

Modern languages contrast from Gaelic in the assumed meaning of "broad" and "slender". In modern languages, the phonetic difference between "broad" and "slender" consonants are more complex than mere 'palatalization'. For instance, the Gaelic slender s, phonetically transcribed as /s´/, is actually pronounced as the postalveolar fricative [ʃ], not as [sʲ]. Postalveolar consonants are Consonants articulated with the tongue near or touching the back of the Alveolar ridge, placing them a bit further back in the Fricatives are Consonants produced by forcing air through a narrow channel made by placing two articulators close together See the consonant chart below for details.

Lenition and spelling

The lenited consonants have special pronunciations: bh and mh are [v]; ch is [x] or [ç]; dh, gh is [ʝ] or [ɣ]; th is [h], [ʔ], or silent; ph is [f]. Lenition is a kind of Consonant mutation that appears in many Languages Along with assimilation, it is one of the primary sources of historical change Lenition of l n r is not shown in writing. Lenition is a kind of Consonant mutation that appears in many Languages Along with assimilation, it is one of the primary sources of historical change The digraph fh is almost always silent, with only the following three exceptions: fhèin, fhathast, and fhuair, where it is pronounced as [h].

A table of consonants with pronunciations in the IPA. Based on Gillies (1993).

Radical			Lenited
Orthography	Broad	Slender	Orthography	Broad	Slender
b (initial)	[p]	[pj]	bh	[v]	[vj]
b (final)	[p]	[jp]	bh	[v]	[vj]
c (initial)	[kʰ]	[kʰʲ] or [cʰ]	ch	[x]	[ç]
c (final)	[xk]	[kʰʲ] or [çkʲ]	ch	[x]	[ç]
d	[t̪]	[ʤ]	dh	[ɣ]	[ʝ]
f (initial)	[f]	[fj]	fh	silent	silent
f (final)	[f]	[jf]	fh	silent	silent
g	[k]	[kʲ] or [c]	gh	[ɣ]	[ʝ]
l	[ɫ̪]	[ʎ]	l	no change	[ʎ] or [l]
m	[m]	[mj]	mh	[v]	[vj]
n	[n̪ˠ]	[ɲ]	n	[n]	[ɲ] or [n]
p (initial)	[pʰ]	[pjʰ]	ph	[f]	[fj]
p (final)	[hp]	[jhp]	ph	[f]	[fj]
r'	[rˠ]	same as broad	r	[ɾ]	[ɾ]
s	[s̪]	[ʃ]	sh	[h]	[hʲ]
t (initial)	[t̪ʰ]	[tʃʰ]	th	[h]	[hʲ]
t (final)	[ht̪]	[htʃ]	th	[h] or silent	[hj] or [j]

Stress

Stress is usually on the first syllable: for example drochaid 'a bridge' [ˈtroxaʤ]. (Knowledge of this fact alone would help avoid many a mispronunciation of Highland placenames, for example Mallaig is [ˈmaʊɫækʲ]. Mallaig is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. ) Note, though, that when a placename consists of more than one word in Gaelic, the Anglicised form is liable to have stress on the last element: Tyndrum [taɪnˈdrʌm] < Taigh an Droma [tʰɤin ˈdromə]. Tyndrum ( Taigh an Droma in Gaelic is a small village in Scotland. This is because, unlike English, Gaelic word order places the specific element - adjectives, genitives - after the generic.

Epenthesis

A distinctive characteristic of Gaelic pronunciation (which has influenced the Scottish accent – cf. girl [gʌrəl] and film [fɪləm]) is the insertion of epenthetic vowels between certain adjacent consonants, specifically, between sonorants (l or r) and certain following consonants:

tarbh (bull) — [t̪ʰarav]

Alba (Scotland) — [aɫ̪apa]. In Phonology, epenthesis (/əˈpɛnθəsɪs/ Ancient Greek ἐπένθεσις - epenthesis from epi "on" + en "in"

Elision

Schwa [ə] at the end of a word is dropped when followed by a word beginning with a vowel. In Linguistics, specifically Phonetics and Phonology, schwa can mean the following An unstressed and toneless neutral Elision is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a Vowel, a Consonant, or a whole Syllable) in a word or phrase producing a result that is easier For example:

duine (a man) — [ˈt̪ɯɲə]

an duine agad (your man) — [ən ˈt̪ɯɲ akət̪]

Tones

Word tones are a linguistic device for distinguishing otherwise identical-sounding words. Tone is the use of pitch in Language to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning—that is to distinguish or inflect words The most well-known cases of languages using word tones are Chinese and Vietnamese, but tonal languages are also to be found in Europe, e. Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) A tonal language is a language that uses tone to distinguish words g. Norwegian and Swedish. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Of all the Celtic languages, only the dialects of Lewis (Ternes 1980) and Sutherland (Dorian 1978, 60-1) in the extreme north of the Gaelic-speaking area have tones. Phonetically and historically, these resemble the tones of Norway, Sweden and western Denmark. We may assume that the presence of these tones in Lewis and Sutherland is to be attributed to Viking influence. Several hundred pairs can be found in the Scandinavian languages differentiated by having Tone 1 and Tone 2. In Lewis Gaelic it is difficult to find minimum pairs. Among the rare examples are: bodh(a) (underwater rock) and bò (cow), both pronounced as bò; and fitheach (raven) and fiach (debt), both pronounced as fiach. Another example (with svaranhakti) is the tonal difference between ainm (Tone 2) and anam which has the tonal contour appropriate to a disyllable. These tonal differences are not to be found in Ireland or elsewhere in the Scottish Gaeltachd. ^[10]

Grammar

Main article: Scottish Gaelic grammar

Official recognition

Bilingual signs in English and Gaelic are now part of the architecture in the Scottish Parliament building completed in 2004. This article describes the grammar of the Scottish Gaelic language The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

After centuries of persecution, prejudice and neglect,^[11] Gaelic has now achieved a degree of official recognition with the passage of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. The Gaelic Language (Scotland Act passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2005 is the first piece of legislation to give formal recognition to the Scottish

Media

As well as being taught in schools, including some in which it is the medium of instruction, it is also used by the local council in the Western Isles, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The BBC also operates a Gaelic language radio station Radio nan Gàidheal (which regularly transmits joint broadcasts with its Irish counterpart Raidió na Gaeltachta), and there are also television programmes in the language on the BBC and on the independent commercial channels, usually subtitled in English. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta n̪ˠə ˈɡeːɫ̪t̪ˠəxt̪ˠə ( RnaG; Irish for Radio of the Gaeltacht) is the Irish-language Radio Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent The ITV franchisee in the north of Scotland, Grampian Television, has a studio in Stornoway. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Grampian Television (now legally known as STV North Ltd and referred to on-air as STV) is the ITV franchisee for the North of Scotland based Stornoway ( Steòrnabhagh in Scottish Gaelic) is a Burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland Viewers of Freeview a non-subscription digital TV service can receive the channel TeleG, which broadcasts for an hour every evening. Freeview is an operator of free Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard TeleG was established as the first daily digital Gaelic TV channel in Scotland on 31 October 1999.

Gaelic Digital Service similar to S4C in Wales and TG4 in Ireland, is due to be launched in March 2008. S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales TG4 ( Spoken as TG Ceathair or TG a Ceathair; tiː dʒiː kʲahəɾʲ is a Television channel in Ireland, aimed As in Wales, the showing of programmes in the language as opt-outs on the main channels has been regarded as inadequate for the 58,552 who speak it. In fact, this annoyance may be largely assumed: the evidence is that at least one Gaelic television programme produced by the BBC attains viewing figures in excess of the number of Gaelic speakers that could view it in Scotland. No complaints are being received by the BBC about Gaelic-language television programmes on BBC TV channels.

Geography

Bilingual road signs (in both Gaelic and English) are gradually being introduced throughout the Gaelic-speaking regions in the Highlands and elsewhere across the nation. In many cases, this has simply meant re-adopting the traditional spelling of a name.

The Ordnance Survey has acted in recent years to correct many of the mistakes that appear on maps. Ordnance Survey (OS is an Executive agency of the United Kingdom government They announced in 2004 that they intended to make amends for a century of Gaelic ignorance and set up a committee to determine the correct forms of Gaelic place names for their maps.

Parliament

Historically, Gaelic has not received the same degree of official recognition from the UK Government as Welsh. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic With the advent of devolution, however, Scottish matters have begun to receive greater attention, and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act was enacted by the Scottish Parliament on 21 April 2005. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The key provisions of the Act are^[12]:

• Establishing the Gaelic development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, (BnG), on a statutory basis with a view to securing the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland commanding equal respect to the English language and to promote the use and understanding of Gaelic. Bòrd na Gàidhlig (b̊ɔːɾd̪̊ nə g̊aːlɪg̊ʲ is a Quango appointed by the Scottish Government with responsibility for Scottish Gaelic.
• Requiring BnG to prepare a National Gaelic Language Plan for approval by Scottish Ministers.
• Requiring BnG to produce guidance on Gaelic Education for education authorities.
• Requiring public bodies in Scotland, both Scottish public bodies and cross border public bodies insofar as they carry out devolved functions, to develop Gaelic language plans in relation to the services they offer, if requested to do so by BnG.

An electronic noticeboard displaying
Fàilte gu stèisean Dùn Èideann
("Welcome to Edinburgh station")

Following a consultation period, in which the government received many submissions, the majority of which asked that the bill be strengthened, a revised bill was published with the main improvement that the guidance of the Bòrd is now statutory (rather than advisory).

In the committee stages in the Scottish Parliament, there was much debate over whether Gaelic should be given 'equal validity' with English. Due to Executive concerns about resourcing implications if this wording was used, the Education Committee settled on the concept of 'equal respect'. It is still not clear if the ambiguity of this wording will provide sufficient legal force to back up the demands of Gaelic speakers against the whims of public bodies.

The Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament unanimously, with support from all sectors of the Scottish political spectrum on the 21st of April 2005.

Education

The Education (Scotland) Act 1872, which completely ignored Gaelic, and led to generations of Gaels being forbidden to speak their native language in the classroom, is now recognised as having dealt a major blow to the language. People still living can recall being beaten for speaking Gaelic in school. ^[13] The first modern solely Gaelic-medium secondary school, Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (‘Glasgow Gaelic School’), was opened at Woodside in Glasgow in 2006 (61 partially Gaelic-medium primary schools and approximately a dozen Gaelic-medium secondary schools also exist). Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom A total of 2,092 primary pupils are enrolled in Gaelic-medium primary education in 2006-7.

In Nova Scotia, there are somewhere between 500 and 1,000 native speakers, most of them now elderly. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's In May 2004, the Provincial government announced the funding of an initiative to support the language and its culture within the province. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

In Prince Edward Island, the Colonel Gray High School is now offering two courses in Gaelic, an introductory and an advanced course, both language and history are taught in these classes. This is the first recorded time that Gaelic has ever been taught as an official course on Prince Edward Island.

The UK government has ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Gaelic. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ( ECRML) is a European Treaty (CETS 148 adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe Along with Irish and Welsh, Gaelic is designated under Part III of the Charter, which requires the UK Government to take a range of concrete measures in the fields of education, justice, public administration, broadcasting and culture.

The Columba Initiative, also known as colmcille (formerly Iomairt Cholm Cille), is a body that seeks to promote links between speakers of Scottish Gaelic and Irish. The Columba Project or Iomairt Cholm Cille, formerly known as the Columba Initiative is a program for Gaelic speakers in Scotland

However, given there are no longer any unilingual Gaelic speakers,^[14] following an appeal in the court case of Taylor v Haughney (1982), involving the status of Gaelic in judicial proceedings, the High Court ruled against a general right to use Gaelic in court proceedings. The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland. ^[15]

Under the provisions of the 2005 Act, it will ultimately fall to BnG to secure the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory

Church

In the Western Isles, the isles of Lewis, Harris and North Uist have a Presbyterian majority (largely Church of Scotland - Eaglais na h-Alba in Gaelic, Free Church of Scotland and Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Lewis ( Leòdhas ʎɔːɣəs̪ ( Norse: Ljoðhús "home Harris ( Na Hearadh in Scottish Gaelic nə hɛɾəɣ is the southern part of the largest island of the Western Isles of Scotland or Outer North Uist ( Scottish Gaelic: Uibhist a Tuath) is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland ( Scottish Gaelic: "An Eaglais Shaor Chlèireach" was formed in 1893 and claims to be the spiritual descendant of the ) The isles of South Uist and Barra have a Catholic majority. South Uist ( Scottish Gaelic: Uibhist a Deas) is an Island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. The Isle of Barra or Barraigh/Eilean Bharraigh (in Scottish Gaelic) is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". All these churches have Gaelic-speaking congregations throughout the Western Isles.

There are Gaelic-speaking congregations in the Church of Scotland, mainly in the Highlands and Islands, but also in Edinburgh and Glasgow. A few Church of Scotland congregations mainly in the Western Isles have regular Sunday services in Gaelic. Notable city congregations with regular services in Gaelic are St Columba's Church, Glasgow and Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, Edinburgh. The Church of Scotland congregation of St Columba in Glasgow dates back to 1770 Greyfriars Kirk, today Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, is a Parish Kirk ( church) of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh Leabhar Sheirbheisean - a shorter Gaelic version of the English-language Book of Common Order - was published in 1996 by the Church of Scotland, ISBN 0-907624-12-X. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)

The relationship between the Church and Gaelic has not always been an easy one. The widespread use of English in worship has often been suggested as one of the historic reasons for Gaelic's decline. Whilst the Church of Scotland is supportive today, there is, however, an increasing difficulty in being able to find Gaelic-speaking ministers. The Free Church also recently announced plans to reduce their Gaelic provision by abolishing Gaelic-language communion services, citing both a lack of ministers and a desire to have their congregations united at communion time. ^[16]

Personal names

Gaelic has a number of personal names, such as Aiden, Ailean, Aonghas, Dòmhnall, Donnchadh, Coinneach, Murchadh, for which there are traditional forms in English (Alan, Angus, Donald, Duncan, Kenneth, Murdo). There are also distinctly Scottish Gaelic forms of names that belong to the common European stock of given names, such as: Iain (John), Alasdair (Alexander), Uilleam (William), Catrìona (Catherine), Raibert (Robert), Cairistìona (Christina), Anna (Ann), Màiri (Mary), Seumas (James), Pàdraig (Patrick) and Tómas(Thomas). Some names have come into Gaelic from Old Norse, for example: Somhairle ( < Somarliðr), Tormod (< Þórmóðr), Torcuil (< Þórkell, Þórketill), Ìomhair (Ívarr). Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age These are conventionally rendered in English as Sorley (or, historically, Somerled), Norman, Torquil, and Iver (or Evander). There are other, traditional, Gaelic names which have no direct equivalents in English: Oighrig, which is normally rendered as Euphemia (Effie) or Henrietta (Etta) (formerly also as Henny or even as Harriet), or, Diorbhal, which is "matched" with Dorothy, simply on the basis of a certain similarity in spelling; Gormul, for which there is nothing similar in English, and it is rendered as 'Gormelia' or even 'Dorothy'; Beathag, which is "matched" with Becky (> Rebecca) and even Betsy, or Sophie.

Many of these are now regarded as old-fashioned, and are no longer used (which is, of course, a feature common to many cultures: names go out of fashion). As there is only a relatively small pool of traditional Gaelic names from which to choose, some families within the Gaelic-speaking communities have in recent years made a conscious decision when naming their children to seek out names that are used within the wider English-speaking world. These names do not, of course, have an equivalent in Gaelic. What effect that practice (if it becomes popular) might have on the language remains to be seen. At this stage (2005), it is clear that some native Gaelic-speakers are willing to break with tradition. Opinion on this practice is divided; whilst some would argue that they are thereby weakening their link with their linguistic and cultural heritage, others take the opposing view that Gaelic, as with any other language, must retain a degree of flexibility and adaptability if it is to survive in the modern world at all.

The well-known name Hamish, and the recently established Mhairi (pronounced [va:ri]) come from the Gaelic for, respectively, James, and Mary, but derive from the form of the names as they appear in the vocative case: Seumas (James) (nom. The vocative case is the case used for a Noun identifying the person (animal object etc ) → Sheumais (voc. ), and, Màiri (Mary) (nom. ) → Mhàiri (voc. ).

The most common class of Gaelic surnames are, of course, those beginning with mac (Gaelic for son), such as MacGillEathain (MacLean). The female form is nic (Gaelic for daughter), so Catherine MacPhee is properly called in Gaelic, Caitrìona Nic a' Phì. [Strictly, "nic" is a contraction of the Gaelic phrase "nighean mhic", meaning "daughter of the son", thus Nic Dhomhnuill, really means "daughter of MacDonald" rather than "daughter of Donald". ] Although there is a common misconception that "mac" means "son of", the "of" part actually comes from the genitive form of the patronymic that follows the prefix "Mac", e. g. , in the case of MacNéill, Néill (of Neil) is the genitive form of Niall (Neil).

Several colours give rise to common Scottish surnames: bàn (Bain - white), ruadh (Roy - red), dubh (Dow - black), donn (Dunn - brown), buidhe (Bowie - yellow).

Loanwords

The majority of Scottish Gaelic's vocabulary is native Celtic. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. There are a large number of borrowings from Latin, (muinntir, Didòmhnaich), ancient Greek, especially in the religious domain (eaglais, Bìoball from Ekklesia and Biblia), Norse (eilean, sgeir), Hebrew (Sàbaid, Aba) and Lowland Scots (aidh, bramar). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern

In common with other Indo-European languages, the neologisms which are coined for modern concepts are typically based on Greek or Latin, although written in Gaelic orthography; television, for instance, becomes telebhisean (cian-dhealbh could also be used), and computer becomes coimpiùtar (aireamhadair, bocsa-fiosa or bocsa-sgrìobhaidh could also be used). A neologism (from Greek neo = "new" + logos = "word" is a word that although devised relatively recently in a specific time period has been Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Although native speakers frequently use an English word for which there is a perfectly good Gaelic equivalent, they will, without thinking, simply adopt the English word and use it, applying the rules of Gaelic grammar, as the situation requires. With verbs, for instance, they will simply add the verbal suffix (-eadh, or, in Lewis, -igeadh, as in, "Tha mi a' watcheadh (Lewis, "watchigeadh") an telly" (I am watching the television), instead of "Tha mi a' coimhead air a' chian-dhealbh". Lewis ( Leòdhas ʎɔːɣəs̪ ( Norse: Ljoðhús "home This was remarked upon by the minister who compiled the account covering the parish of Stornoway in the New Statistical Account of Scotland, published over 170 years ago. Stornoway ( Steòrnabhagh in Scottish Gaelic) is a Burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland However, as Gaelic medium education grows in popularity, a newer generation of literate Gaels is becoming more familiar with modern Gaelic vocabulary.

Going in the other direction, Scottish Gaelic has influenced the Scots language (gob) and English, particularly Scottish Standard English. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Loanwords include: whisky, slogan, brogue, jilt, clan, strontium (from Strontian), trousers, as well as familiar elements of Scottish geography like ben (beinn), glen (gleann) and loch. Strontian is the main Village in Sunart, an area in western Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, on the A861 road. Trousers are an item of Clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth stretching across A loch (usually Lough as a name element outside Scotland) is a body of Water which is either a Lake or Irish has also influenced Lowland Scots and English in Scotland, but it is not always easy to distinguish its influence from that of Scottish Gaelic. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. See List of English words of Scottish Gaelic origin

Source: An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Alexander MacBain. This is a list of English words borrowed from Scottish Gaelic. An etymological dictionary discusses the Etymology of the words listed

Common Scottish Gaelic words and phrases with Irish and Manx equivalents

Further information: Differences between Scottish Gaelic and Irish

See also

References

Resources

• Gillies, H. Cameron (1896) Elements of Gaelic Grammar, Vancouver: Global Language Press (reprint 2006), ISBN 1-897367-02-3 (hardcover), ISBN 1-897367-00-7 (paperback)
• Gillies, William (1993) "Scottish Gaelic", in: Ball, Martin J. and Fife, James (eds) The Celtic Languages (Routledge Language Family Descriptions), London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-28080-X (paperback), p. 145–227
• Lamb, William (2001) Scottish Gaelic, Munich: Lincom Europa, ISBN 3-89586-408-0
• McLeod, Wilson (ed. ) (2006) Revitalising Gaelic in Scotland: Policy, Planning and Public Discourse, Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press, ISBN 1-903765-59-5

External links

• Aberdeen University Celtic Department Classes from beginner all the way to degree and PhD level
• Learn Gaelic Classes and Courses across the World
• Scottish Parliament
• Scottish Gaelic Broadcasting Committee
• Scotsman.com News - Scottish Gaelic homepage
• BBC Scotland - Scottish Gaelic homepage
• BBC Scotland - Beag air Bheag
• Beul Aithris - Scottish Gaelic Oral Tradition

Scottish Gaelic for beginners

• Air Splaoid! Discover Gaelic with Dwelly, a free online Gaelic language course.
• BBC Learn Gaelic
• CLI Gàidhlig Gaelic supporters and learners organisation that produces the bilingual magazine Cothrom
• Comunn na Gàidhlig
• Iomairt Cholm Cille The Columba Initiative
• St Columba Gaelic Section Gaelic Resources
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - Gaelic-medium College on Skye.
• Scottish Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts - Gaelic college in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.
• Scottish-English Dictionary
• Goidelic Dictionaries
• AmBaile.org - Home of Highland Gaelic culture Online games for Scottish Gaelic learners
• Akerbeltz - A’ Ghobhar Dhubh Gaelic Resources (grammar, pronunciation, rhymes, names . . . )
• Scottish Gaelic at Omniglot
• Learners' material online
• Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic) Local Studies Census information from 1881 to the present, 27 volumes covering all Gaelic-speaking regions
• The Scottish Gaelic feature film Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle
• Gaelic in Scotland Information and links from the Scottish FAQ
• Save Gaelic News links to most current press stories concerning Gaelic. Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle (pronounced) is a 2007 Scottish Gaelic feature film by first-time director Simon Miller from a story
• SaorsaMedia Resources about the history of Gaelic language and culture in Scotland and North America
• Calum and Catrìona Materials about Gaelic history and culture in Scotland and North America for children
• BBC Can Seo - Gaelic for Beginners book and videos from the 1970s
• Tìr nam Blòg A focus point of the Gàidhlig blogging community (founded 16th December 2005)
• Oi Polloi Gaelic punk music from Edinburgh
• Mill a h-Uile Rud Gaelic punk music from Seattle