FAQS
How do I type the Gaelic accents?
You can just copy and paste these
Lowercase letters
Uppercase letters
Keyboard shortcuts
Windows
Some simple ways to type grave accents in MS Windows, depending on which version you use. The grave accent ` is next to the number 1 at top of keyboard
à, è, ì, ò, ù Ctrl+`, release and type letter;
À, È, Ì, Ò, Ù Ctrl+Shift+`, release and type letter
OR
Alt key + character code on the numeric keypad on right of keyboard (laptops will vary). Ensure that the NUMLOCK is on.
à Alt+133 or 0224
è Alt+138 or 0232
ì Alt+141 or 0236
ò Alt+149 or 0242
ù Alt+151 or 0249
À Alt+0192
È Alt+0200
Ì Alt+0204
Ò Alt+0210
Ù Alt+0217
Mac
Push and hold a character to bring up a menu and choose.
E.g. hold the letter e to choose the letter è
What is the Gaelic Alphabet?
> Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu
For more information visit LearnGaelic’s Scottish Gaelic Alphabet https://learngaelic.scot/scottish-gaelic-alphabet.jsp
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Cat mòr, colgarra glas
A big, fierce grey cat
As we have learned through B1, Tobar an Dualchais is one of the richest resources of Gaelic storytelling we have.
There are plenty of Gaelic stories, songs, phrases and voices on the website that will help us learn a rich, natural Gaelic.
We are going to listen to a story told by the Reverend Norman MacDonald about a young lad and three witches he once encountered while taking refuge in a sheiling hut in Waternish in the island of Skye.
GNÌOMH | ÈIST, LEUGH AGUS SGRÌOBH
Listen to this recording at least twice, but don’t read the transcription just yet!
There is plenty of rich vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, but also listen to the rhythm of the speech, to how the Reverend MacDonald speaks.
ag amharc (vn)
watching
a’ cinntinn (vn)
growing
siabach (m)
a downpour
dìle (f)
deluge, flood
torradan (m)
small heap/pile
caoran (m)
ball of fire/a small peat
seid (f)
pallet, shakedown bed, makeshift bed
colgarra (adj)
fierce
tacan (m)
short while
leac (f)
flagstone, slab
slaod (m)
raft, sledge (refers to the seid)
uime sin (adv)
therefore
tiotan (m)
an instant, jiffy
sgiamhail (f)
screeching, shrieking
teann! (v)
tighten, move, approach, begin!
at! (v)
puff up, swell!
gamhainn (m)
steer, stirk
sgraidht/sgràid (f)
shrivelled old woman
tuasaid (f)
scuffle, brawl, quarrel
diùlnach (m)
champion, hero
tràth-cadail (m)
bedtime
àbharsair (m)
adversary
lann (f)
blade
stàilinn (f)
steel
GNÌOMH | TASK: SMAOINICH/DÈAN CÒMHRADH
Why don’t you have a go at this task! If you have a Gaelic‑speaking friend, you could do this together. If you don’t—no problem—you can have double the fun!
Before you read the transcription, use these questions to have/hold a conversation.
Cò mu dheidhinn a tha e?
What is it about?
Dè chunnaic an gille sa bhothan?
What did the boy see in the bothy?
Carson a dh’innis an gille an sgeulachd dha mhàthair?
Why did the boy tell the story to his mother?
Dè thachair aig deireadh na sgeulachd?
What happened at the end of the story?
There are lots of idiomatic phrases and very good Gaelic in the recording. Here are just a few of them.
air dha fàs car sgìth
after he had become a bit tired
Mar a bha e a’ cumail air adhart, ‘s ann bu truime a bha an dìle a’ cinntinn
As he kept on, the downpour grew heavier
gum b’ èiginn dha dèanamh air bothan-àirigh
that he had to make for a sheiling bothy
air dha lasadair a chur ri beagan fhòidean, bha iad a’ gabhail gu brèagha
after putting a lighter to a few peats, they were burning nicely
Le solas lasair nan caoran
With the light of the flame of the embers (small peats)
seid de fhraoch tioram
a pallet of dry heather
Uime sin, leig e air gun robh e na throm-chadal
Therefore, he pretended he was in a deep sleep
An ceann tiotan beag
After a short while
thòisich an sgiamhail a b’ oillteil eatarra
the most horrible screeching started between them
Theann a h-uile cat air at ‘s air sìor at
Every cat began to swell and continually swell
dh’fhàs gach aon diubh uiread ri gamhainn
each one of them grew to the size of a stirk/steer
Mhionnaich ‘s bhòidich an triùir aca
The three of them swore and vowed
‘s nach biodh dol às aige
and he wouldn’t have an escape, way out, choice
chaidh màthair fear ar sgeòil agus a’ bhuidseach far a chèile gu dubh
The mother of the man of our story and the witch fell out with each other badly
thàinig air mo dhiùlnach falbh mu thràth-cadail
It came upon my champion to leave around bedtime
bha an t-Àbharsair ri shàil
The adversary/The Devil was on his heel
Fhuaradh na chorp fuar e …, air a reubadh mar gun tuiteadh e fo lannan stàilinn
He was found as a corpse …, ripped up as if he had fallen under steel blades
Listen to the recording one more time now, reading the transcript here.
Bha gille òg air latha foghair ag amharc airson chaorach a‑muigh anns a’ mhonadh ann am Bhatairnis.
Mu thoiseach an fheasgair, thuit siabach de uisge trom, agus air dha fàs car sgìth de bhith a’ siubhal na mòintich, chuir e roimhe gun tilleadh e dhachaigh. Mar a bha e a’ cumail air adhart, ‘s ann bu truime a bha an dìle a’ cinntinn, gus mu dheireadh gum b’ èiginn dha dèanamh air bothan‑àirigh a bha dlùth, airson fasgadh a ghabhail gus an tigeadh an turadh.
Chaidh e a‑steach don a’ bhothan.
Fhuair e torradan de mhòine ann an oisean agus air dha lasadair a chur ri beagan fhòidean, bha iad a’ gabhail gu brèagha, ann am beagan mhionaidean, air teis‑meadhan an ùrlair.
Le solas lasair nan caoran, thug e fa‑near gun robh seid de fhraoch tioram thall ri taobh a’ bhalla, ‘s gun an còrr smaoin a thoirt, ghrad‑chaidh e a‑null agus shìn e air an t‑seid.
Mun robh e gann deich mionaidean na laighe, dè a chunnaic e a’ tighinn a‑staigh ach cat mòr, colgarra glas.
Thug an cat sùil eagalach air car tacain ‘s e na sheasamh anns an doras.
An sin, chaidh e a‑null gu socrach agus shuidh e air a’ chagailte.
An ceann mionaid no dhà, thàinig an dàrna cat a‑steach, a thug sùil a cheart cho fiadhaich air, agus shuidh e ri taobh an fhir eile air oir na lic.
Leis a’ choltas mhì‑nàdarra a bha air na cait, bhuail an t‑eagal am fear a bha air an t‑slaod.
Dh’aithnich e glè mhath nach e rud ceart sam bith a bha san aon taigh ris, ach cha leigeadh an t‑eagal leis gluasad.
Uime sin, leig e air gun robh e na throm‑chadal.
An ceann tiotan beag, thàinig an treas cat mòr glas a‑staigh, a shuidh air taobh eile an teine mu choinneamh chàich.
Thug iad sùil air a chèile ‘s o càch a chèile air an òganach.
An sin thòisich an sgiamhail a b’ oillteil eatarra.
Cha b’ e siud a’ chuid a b’ uabhasaiche.
Theann a h‑uile cat air at ‘s air sìor at, gus mu dheireadh gun do dh’fhàs gach aon diubh uiread ri gamhainn.
Cha b’ urrainn don a’ ghille bhochd cumail air fhèin na b’ fhaide leis an eagal, agus ghlaodh e a‑mach àirde a chlaiginn:
“A Dhia, glèidh sinn.”
Mun gann a bha na facail a‑mach às a bheul, thionndaidh na cait nan trì mnathan.
Dh’aithnich e gach tè dhiubh, oir bhuineadh iad don an aon sgìre ris fèin.
Mhionnaich ‘s bhòidich an triùir aca, nan innseadh e do dhuine beò gu dè a chunnaic e, nach biodh e oidhche na b’ fhaide air thalamh; gum marbhadh iad e ‘s nach biodh dol às aige.
Chaidh bliadhnachan seachad agus chaochail dithis de na buidsichean.
Shaoil leis an duine nach biodh e ann an cunnart sam bith ged a dh’innseadh e an sgeul, oir bha e den bharail nach b’ urrainn do sheann sgraidht mòran de chron a dhèanamh na h‑aonar, ‘s dh’innis e do a mhàthair facal air an fhacal mar a thachair.
Beagan mhìosan an dèidh dha seo tachairt, nach ann a chaidh màthair fear ar sgeòil agus a’ bhuidseach far a chèile gu dubh.
Nuair a bha an tuasaid na h‑àirde, thilg an dàrna tè air an tè eile gach nì mar a dh’aithris am mac mun an àirigh.
Ach ma chuir seo stad air an trod, cha do chuir air a’ mhì‑rùn.
Goirid an dèidh a’ bhlàir, thàinig air mo dhiùlnach falbh mu thràth‑cadail gu baile an taobh eile na sgìreachd airson lighiche agus a’ bhean aige air a bualadh às le tinneas.
Gun smaoin a thoirt mu chailleach no mu bhodach, rinn e ri monadh na aonar.
Turas na bochdainn—bha an t‑Àbharsair ri shàil.
Chan fhaca an duine truagh lighiche, bean no dachaigh.
Fhuaradh na chorp fuar e anns a’ mhadainn, air a reubadh mar gun tuiteadh e fo lannan stàilinn.
A young lad was on an autumn day looking for sheep out in the moor/on the hill in Waternish.
About the start of the evening, a downpour of heavy rain fell, and having become rather tired of traversing the moor/hill, he decided to return home. As he continued on, the heavier the downpour grew, until finally he was forced to go to a nearby sheiling bothy to take shelter until the dry spell came.
He went into the bothy.
He found a small heap of peat in a corner and after putting a lighter to a few peats, they were burning [taking] nicely, in a few minutes, in the middle of the floor.
With the light of the flame of the small peats, he noticed that there was a pallet of dry heather [a dry heather‑bed] over by the wall, and without giving it another thought, he quickly went over and stretched out on the bundle/bed.
He had scarcely been lying down for ten minutes, when what did he see coming in but a big, fierce/wild grey cat.
The cat gave him a frightening look for a moment as he stood in the doorway.
Then, he went over leisurely/slowly and sat on the hearth.
After a minute or so, a [the] second cat came in, who looked at him just as fiercely, and sat next to the other one [cat] on the edge of the hearthstone.
With the unnatural appearance of the cats, the lad [man] on the sledge [heather bed] was struck with fear.
He knew very well that it was no normal thing was with him in this house, but he was paralysed with fear [the fear would not allow him to move].
Therefore, he pretended to be fast asleep.
After a moment, a [the] third big grey cat came in, and sat on the other side of the fire facing the others.
They looked at each other and from each other at the young man.
Then began the most horrific/dreadful shrieking between them.
That wasn’t the worst of it [worst part].
Every cat began to puff up and continued to swell [continually swelled], until finally each of them grew as big as a stirk/steer.
The poor lad could not contain his fear any longer, and he cried out at the top of his voice:
“God, protect us.”
Before the words were out of his mouth, the cats turned into three women.
He recognised each of them, because they belonged to the same area as himself.
The three of them swore and vowed that if he told a living person what he had seen, he would not spend another night on [this] earth; that they would kill him and he’d have no way out.
Years passed and two of the witches died.
The man thought that he would not be in any danger even if he told the story, because he was of the opinion that a shrivelled old woman could not do much harm on her own, and he told his mother word for word what [as it] happened.
A few months after this happened, the mother of the man of our story and the witch had a bad falling out [fell out with each other badly].
At the height of the quarrel, the second woman cast up to the other woman everything the son had reported about the sheiling.
But if this stopped the quarrel [the fight], it did not stop the hostility.
Shortly after the battle/the fight, our hero [my champion] was forced to go around bedtime to a village/township on the other side of the district for a doctor as his wife had been struck down by illness.
Without giving a thought to old women or old men, he started out for the hill/moor alone.
An ill‑starred journey [a journey of misfortune]—The Devil was at his heels.
The poor man saw no doctor, nor wife nor home.
He was found as a cold corpse in the morning, torn to shreds as though he had fallen under steel blades.