When someone asks you ‘Ciamar a tha thu?’ (How are you?) in Scottish Gaelic, the standard answer is ‘(Tha mi) gu math’ (I’m fine). An interesting alternative I learnt today is ‘Tha mi sgoinneil’ [ha mi sgɤn̪ˠʲal]
The word sgoinneil means ‘trim, well-made; careful; cool, groovy’ according to Am Faclair Beag and ‘careful, heedful; attentive; efficacious, producing a good effect; neat, trim, tidy; decent, tasteful; energetic, active, bustling.’ according to Am Faclair Dwelly.
I just like the sound of it and will try to fit it into my Gaelic conversations.
Related words include:
neo-sgoinneil = flimsy; drabbish; idle; lacking in bodily vigour; sluggish
Bha seisean math ann anns an Talla Mhòr an-raoir, agus sheinn mi an fhideag ìseal agus an bodhrán. Bha mi i mo leapaidh mu aon uair deug, ach bha daoine eile a’ seinn gu dhà uair, agus bha iad uabhasach sgìth an-diugh.
Bha madainn bhraonaich ann an-diugh, ach tha i nas tiorma a-nis. Dh’ionnsich sinn sia òrain ùr an-diugh: puirt à beul, òrain luaidh, Eilean Sgiathanch Nam Buadh (òran gaoil airson an t-Eilean Sgitheanach), agus Sìos Dhan An Abhainn, tionndadh Ghàidhlig de Down In The River to Pray. le Kenna Campbell, màthair Mhàiri Anna.
There was a good session in the main hall last night, and I played the low whistle and the bodhrán. I was in my bed by about 11, but others were singing and playing until about 2am, and they were rather tired today.
It was damp this morning, but it’s drier now. We learnt six songs today: some mouth music, a couple of waulking songs, Eilean Sgiathanch Nam Buadh (a love song to the Isle of Skye), and Sìos Dhan An Abhainn, a Gaelic version of Down In The River to Pray. by Kenna Campbell, Mary Ann’s mother.
This week I am doing a course in Scottish Gaelic songs with Mary Ann Kennedy at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college on the Isle of Skye. This is my third visit to the college and each time my Gaelic gets a bit better. Even though I’m not doing a course in Gaelic language, I have opportunities to speak Gaelic with other students and with members of staff, and occasionally even with local people, and this really helps me to improve my speaking and listening abilities.
There are fourteen of us in the class from various countries, including Scotland, Ireland, Austria, the USA, Canada and Japan, so I have some opportunities to use my other languages. There’s one lad who’s fluent in Gaelic, and quite a few of the others have studied it at least a little, though I think I’m the only other who’s conversational in the language. The teaching is in English with only odd bits here and there in Gaelic. There are no other courses in the main college this week but there is a Gaelic language course running at Flodigarry (Flòdaigearraidh) in the north end of the island – we are in the south, and we will meet those students at a cèilidh on Thursday night.
Thòisich an cursa maidainn an-diugh agus rinn sinn cuig òrain an-diugh: Seo mar Rachinn Fhèin is Thu, Seoc a’ Bhàigh, Dà Thàbh air an Fharaidh, Ceud Soiridh, Ceud Fàilte, agus Till an Crodh, Dhonnchaidh.
Tha ceithir daoine dheag againn anns an clas à Alba, à Èirinn, òn Stàitean Aonichte, à Canada, òn t-Seapan agus òn Ostair. Tha beagan Gàidhlig aig an mhór chuid againn, agus tha balach à Inbhir Nis agus Gàidhlig fileanta aige. Tha Màiri Anna tìdsear gle-mhath.
Tha seisean ann anns an talla mhòr anochd.
The course started this morning and we did five songs today: Seo mar Rachinn Fhèin is Thu, Seoc a’ Bhàigh, Dà Thàbh air an Fharaidh, Ceud Soiridh, Ceud Fàilte, and Till an Crodh, Dhonnchaidh
There are 14 of us in the class from Scotland, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Japan and Austria. The majority have at least a little Gaelic, and there’s a lad from Inverness who is fluent. Mary Ann is a great teacher.
There’s a session in the talla mhòr (big hall) tonight.
Dh’fhàg mi an Gearasdan aig meadhan-latha an-diugh, agus chaidh mi air an trèan gu Mallaig. Tha latha soillear grianach ann agus bha na seallaidhean math dha-rìribh. Chaidh mi air an aiseag bho Malliag gu Armadal, agus ansin choisich mi gu Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, mar chan eil busan ann DiDòmhnaich.
Tha mi ann Sabhal Mòr Ostaig an-dràsta chun cursa Òrain Ghàidhlig is Traidiseanan le Màiri Anna NicUalraig a dhèanamh.
D’fhág mé an Gearasdan ag meán lae inniu agus chuaigh mé go Mallaig ar an traein. Tá lá geal grianmhar ann agus bhí na na radharcanna go hiontach. Chuaigh mé an mbád farantóireachta ó Mallaig go Armadale, agus shiúil mé go Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, mar níl aon bhusanna ar an Domhnach.
Tá mé ag Sabhal Mòr Ostaig chun cúrsa Òrain Ghàidhlig is Traidiseanan le Màiri Anna NicUalraig a dhéanamh.
I left Fort William at midday today and went to Mallaig by train. It’s a bright, sunny day and the views were wonderful. I got the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale, and walked to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, as there are no buses on Sunday.
I’m at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to do a course in Gaelic Songs and Traditions with Mary Ann Kennedy.
Dh’éirigh mi pailt ro mhoch madainn an-diugh agus bha mi air an trèan aig sia uairean. Ràinig mi dhan Ghearasdan ochd uairean nas fhaide, agus tha mi a’ fuireach ann Leabaidh is Lìte fasig air meadhan a’ bhaile anochd. Dh’ith mi isbeanan agus sliseagan bho bhùth sliseagan airson mo dhinnear. Cha robh i ro dhaor, agus cha robh i ro bhlasta idir.
Chuala mi iomadh cànain an-diugh, leithid a’ Bheurla, a’ Fhraingis, a’ Ghearmailits, an Eadailtis, a’ Mhandairinis agus cànain eile chan aithnich mi aca, ach cha robh Gàidhlig sam bith ri chluintinn. Bha Gàidhlig aig sealbhadair an taigh-òsta nuair a bha e òg, ach chan eil móran aige fhathast.
An-dràsta tha mi a’ sgrìobh an bloga seo agus a’ coimhead air BhBC Alba. Bha tionndadh film Wallace & Gromit Na Briogais Cearr (The Wrong Trousers) ann agus tha e gu math éibhinn.
D’éírigh mé i fhad ró-luath maidin inniu, agus bhí mé ar an traein ag 06:00. Tháinig mé go dtí an Gearasadan ocht n-uaire níos déanaí, agus tá mé ag fanacht i lóistín leaba agus bricfeasta in aice le lár an bhaile anocht. D’íth mé ispíní agus sceallóga ó siopa sceallóga le dhinnéar. Ní raibh sé ró-chostasach, agus ní raibh sé ró-bhlasta ach oiread.
Chuala mé go leor teangacha inniu, lena n-áirítear an Bhéarla, an Fhraincis, an Ghearmáinis, an Iodáilis agus an Mhandairínis, ach ní raibh Gaeilge na hAlban le éisteacht ar chor ar bith. Bhí Gaeilge na hAlban ag dílseánach an L⁊B nuair a bhí sé óg, ach níl móran aige anois.
Tá mé ag scríobh an bhlag seo faoi láthair agus ag amharc ar BBC Alba. Tá leagan Gaeilge na hAlban an scannán Wallace & Gromit An Bríste Mícheart ann, agus tá sé an-greannmhar.
I got up at way-too-early o’clock this morning and was on the train at 6am. I arrived in Fort William eight hours later, and I’m stay in a B&B close to the town centre tonight. I had sausage and chips from a chip shop for dinner. It wasn’t too expensive, and it wasn’t too tasty either.
I’ve heard quite a few languages today, including Englsh, French, German, Italian and Mandarin, but there wasn’t any Gaelic at all to be heard at all. The proprietor of the B&B spoke Gaelic when he was young, but he doesn’t speak it much now.
I’m currently writing this blog and watching BBC Alba. There’s a Gaelic version of the Wallace & Gromit film The Wrong Trousers, which is very funny.
There was talk of ponds and water lilies last night at the French conversation group and I discovered that one French word for water lily is nymphéa [nɛ̃.fe.a], which comes from nymphaea the Latin name for this genus of plants. The Latin word comes from the Ancient Greek word νύμφη (nymphe), which means girl, and also refers to a low ranking female deity who haunts rivers, springs, forests and other places [source].
Nymphéa refers specifially to the white water lily, or nymphaea alba, which also known as the European White Waterlily, White Lotus, or Nenuphar, a name that is also found in French: nénuphar [ne.ny.faʁ], and which comes via the Persian نيلوفر (ninufar) or the Arabic نلوفر (nilufar), from the Sanskrit नीलोतपल (nīlotpala – blue lotus), from नील (nīla – blue-black) and उतपल (utpala – lotus) [source].
Many names for plants in French come directly from Latin, whereas in English many plants have common names and Latin names. In other languages do plants have both common and Latin-derived names, or just one or the other?
Cha robh ceannabhaidh an còmhlain còmhraidh Fraingise ann anocht a chor ‘s gun robh i tinn. Nuair a tha i ann, bidh sinn a’ bruidhinn ann an Fraingis, gu beag-nithe, ach nuair nach eil i ann, bidh sinn a’ bhruidinn measgachadh de Fraingis, Beurla agus Cuimris. Anocht bha sinn a’ bruidhinn mu dhéidhinn làithean-saora, obair agus iomadh rudan eile.
Ní raibh ceannaire an ghrúpa comhrá Fraincise ann anocht toisc air nach raibh sí go maith. Nuair a bhionn sí ann bíonn mauid ag labhairt as Fraincis, go príomha, ach nuair nach bhíonn sí ann, bíonn muid ag labhairt meascán de Fraincis, Béarla agus Breatnais. Anocht labhair muid faoi laethanta saoire, obair, agus go leor rudaí eile.
The leader of the French conversation group wasn’t there tonight because she wasn’t well. When she’s there we speak mainly in French, but when she’s not there we speak a mixture of French, English and Welsh. Tonight we talked about holidays, work, and many other things.
