Gàidhlig

By Simon

This month I am focusing mainly on improving my Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig). I’ve been listening to Gaelic radio, reading various things in Gaelic, writing and recording things every day in Gaelic on my other blog, and speaking and singing to myself in the language. I plan to make another animation in Gaelic sometime this month (you can see the first one I made on YouTube), and will make one in Irish soon as well. I might even try to write a song in Gaelic. I have yet to meet with any other Gaelic speakers or learners round here, but hope to find some who are willing to chat with me.

I’m really enjoying it and I think that Gaelic is one of my favourite languages at the moment – I particularly like the sounds of the language, and the more I learn it, the more I like it. I have no practical reasons for learning it, and this doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I would like to become as fluent in Scottish Gaelic as I am with Irish and Welsh, and if this takes longer than a month, I will continue with it and not switch my focus to another language at the end of this month.

Are you learning, or have you learned, any languages just because you like the sound of them, or because you find them interesting?

Spollagyn son tey

By Simon

An-dé chrìoch mi òran ùr agus rinn mi clàradh dheth. ‘S e òran dà-chànanach a th’ann anns a’ Mhanannais agus a’ Bheurla mu dhéidhinn faoileagan agus slisneagan, agus ‘s e “Spollagyn son tey / Chips for tea” an t-ainm a th’air. Seo an clàradh:

An-raoir thàinig cuideigin eile chun an cearcall còmhraidh iol-chainnteach air a’ chiad uair am mhìosan. ‘S i caileag a tha a’ fuireach faisg air Porthmadog a th’innte, agus tha a’ Bheurla, a’ Chuimris agus an Laitbheis aice. Bhruidhinn sinn anns a’ Bheurla agus a’ Chuimris mu dhéidihinn cànain, cànanachas, cànain a’ ionnsachadh, agus móran rudan eile.

Inné chríoch mé amhrán úr agus rinne mé taifeadadh de. Is amhrán dátheangach atá ann as an Mhanannais agus as Béarla faoi faoileáin agus sceallóga, agus an t-ainm atá air na “Spollagyn son tey / Chips for tea”.

Aréir tháinig duine eile chun an ciorcal comhrá ilteangach don chéad uair le tamall. Is cáilín atá ina conaí in aice le Porthmadog í, agus tá Béarla, Breatnais agus Laitvis aici. Labhair muid as Béarla agus Breatnais faoi teangacha, teangeolaíocht, teangacha a fhoghlaim, agus go leor rudaí eile.

Yesterday I finished a new song and recording it. It’s a macaronic song in Manx and English about seagulls and chips and is called “Spollagyn son tey / Chips for tea”.

Last night someone else came to the polyglot conversation group for the first time in ages. A lass who lives near Portmadog and who speaks English, Welsh and Latvian. We chatted in English and Welsh about languages, linguistics, language learning and many other things.

Spollagyn son tey

By Simon

Here’s a new song that I finally finished this week after fiddling with it for months. It’s a macaronic song in Manx (Gaelic) and English that I was inspired to write after seeing young herring gulls squawking away at their mothers. I wondered what they might be saying if they could speak, and this is what I came up with. On the short promenade near where I live many people eat chips from the nearby chip shop, and the seagulls will eat any leftovers.

This is the first song I’ve written in a language other than English.

Uisge

By Simon

Bha e ag uisge fad an latha an-dé, is tha an-t-uisge ann fhathast an-diugh, ach chan eil mi a’ dèanamh gearan ri sin. Chaidh Seaghan chun an Eisteddfod a’ mhadainn seo, is chaidh mise chun a’ còmhlain recorder (chan fhios agam a’ facal Gàidhlig air recorder). Bidh sinn a’ tighinn ri chéile dà uair ‘sa’ mhìos, is bidh sinn a’ seinn ceòl clasaigeach is ceòl traidiseanta na h-Éireann is na h-Alba.

Bhí báisteach ann an lá ar fad inné, agus tá báisteach ann inniu, ach níl mé ag gearan faoi sin. Chuaigh Seaghan chun an Eisteddfod an maidin seo, agus chuaigh mise chun grupa an fhliúit Shasanach. Bíonn muid ag teacht le chéile dhá uair gach mhí, agus bíonn muid ag seinn ceol clasaiceach agus ceol tíre as Éire agus as Alban.

It rained all day yesterday, and it’s still raining today, but I’m not complaining. Seaghan went to the Eisteddfod this morning, and I went to the recorder group. We meet a couple of times a month and play classical and folk music from Ireland and Scotland.

Tigh na Craoibhe

By Simon

Thàinig Seaghan, an Éireannach, feasgar an-dé, agus an déidh dìnnear chaidh sinn do chuirm-chiùil ag cafaidh Blue Sky. Sheinn seinneadair iondail air thùs, agus bha e go math, gu h-àraid air an giotàr. Ri a shàil sheinn còmhlan-ciùil House of Trees (Tigh na Craoibhe) ás an t-Suain, agus bha iad math dha-rìribh, gu h-àraid a’ seinneadair.

Bhruidhinn sinn ann an Gaeilge, gu beag-nithe, agus ann an Fraingis, agus ann an Cuimris.

Tháinig Seaghan, an Éireannach, tráthnóna inné, agus i ndiaidh dinnéar a fháil, chuaigh muid go ceol-chuirm ag an caife Blue Sky. Sheinn amhránaí áitiúla ar dtús, agus bhí sé go maith, go háirithe ar an ghiotár. Ansin sheinn banna ceoil as an tSualauin darb ainm House of Trees, agus bhí siad go hiontach, go háirithe an amhránaí.

Rinne muid comhrá as Gaeigle, go príomhe, agus as Fraincis agus as Breatnais.

Seaghan, the Irish guy, arrived yesterday evening, and after tea we went to a gig at the Blue Sky café. A local singer was on first and he was pretty good, especially his guitar playing. He was followed by a band from Sweden called House of Trees, who were excellent, especially the singer.

Còisir faoin

By Simon

Sheinn mi òrain anns an chòisir faoin an-raoir. ‘S i an chòisir faoin còmhlan caraidean a bhi a’ seinn òrain sunndach le chéile dà uair ‘sa’ mhìos, is bidh na seiseanan seo làn ri gàire cuideachd.

Tha Éireannach a tha a’ fuireach anns an Canada agus Gàidhlig na h-Éireann aige a’ tighinn gu Bangor an-diugh, is bidh e a’ fuireach rium anseo ri deannan làithean. Ansin bidh e a’ dol don Eisteddfod nàiseanta ann an Denbigh.

Cheol mé amhráin san chór amaideach aréír. ‘S é an cór amaideach grúpa cairde a bhionn ag ceol amhrán spraiúila le chéile dhá uair sa mhí, agus bionn na ócáidí seo lán le gáire chomh maith.

Tá Gaeilgeoir atá ina chónaí i gCeanada ag teacht go Bangor inhiu agus beidh sé ag fanacht liom anseo le cúpla lá. Ansin beidh sé ag dol chun an Eisteddfod náisiúnta i Denbigh.

I sang in the crazy choir last night. The crazy choir is a group of friends who get together to sing silly songs a couple of times a month, and we always have a good laugh.

There’s an Irish-speaking Irish coming to Bangor today, and he’s going to stay with me for a few days. Then he’s off to the National Eisteddfod in Denbigh.

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
le tonnerre et la foudre thunder and lightning mellt a tharanau kurun e luc’hed
l’éclair (m) a flash of lightning mellten; llucheden luc’hed, foeltr
l’éclair en zigzag forked lightening mellt fforchog
l’éclair en nappe(s) sheet lightening dreugiau
être foudroyé to be struck by lightning wedi ei daro gan mellt
le paratonnerre lightning conductor rhoden fellt/luched diskuruner; par(a)gurun
la cannaberge cranberry llugaeronen; cryglusen
le projet plan (intention) bwriad raktres
la maison jumelée semi-detached house ty pâr
le fer à cheval horseshoe pedol (y march) houarn-marc’h
le serment oath (formal promise) llw le
la brouette wheelbarrow berfa; whilber chirigot
entraînant catchy cofiadwy; bachog joudoul

Mouth to mouth with the night

By Simon

I discovered an interesting idiom in Scottish Gaelic today: beul ri beul na h-oidhche, which means near nightfall, or literally “mouth to mouth with the night”. Are there interesting expressions in other languages for different times of the day?

The word beul /bial̪ˠ/ means mouth; beginning; opening; edge; gunwale, and in found in such expressions as:

  • beul an latha = daybreak
  • beul na h-oidhche = nightfall, dusk
  • eadar beul-oidhche is beul-latha = from dusk till dawn
  • beul-aithris = folklore, oral tradition
  • am beul a’ bhaile = on everyone’s lips (“in the mouth of the town”)
  • beul air gualainn = blabbermouth, without reticence, not to hold back (“mouth on shoulder”)
  • beul fo bhonn = upside down (“mouth under sole”)
  • beul gun phutan = chatterbox, blabbermouth, unable to keep a secret (“a mouth without a button”)
  • port á beul = lilting, mouth music

Source: Am Faclair Beag

Na Guirm

By Simon

An-raoir chaidh mi gu cuirme-ciùil ann an taigh-osda Fat Cat. Bha triùir seinneadairean ionadail a’ seinn, agus is aithne dhomh dithis aca. Sheinn a’ chiad aca a òrain fhéin, gu beag-nithe, agus sheinn an dara aca Na Guirm, agus bha barrachd atharrachadh eadar a òrain na a robh eadar òrain a’ chiad fhear. Bha iad math gu leòr, ach bha mi toilichte gu robh an chuirm saor an-asgaidh.

Bha uisge ann a-raoir, agus bha i neulach madainn an-diugh, ach tha i briagha feasgar an-diugh. Anochd bidh mi a’ bruidhinn Fraingis comhlà ri mo charaidean ann taigh-osda ri cois na mara.

Aréir chuaigh mé go ceolchoirm i dteach tabhairne an Fat Cat. Bhí triúir amhránaí áitiúila ag ceol, agus tá aithne agam ar beirt acu. Cheol an chead acu a amhráin fhéín, go príomha, agus cheol an dara acu na Gormacha, agus bhí níos mó difríochtaí idir eatarthu na a raibh idir amhráin an chead fhear. Bhí siad maith go leor, ach bhí mé sásta go raibh an ceolchoirm saor in aisce.

Chuir sé báistí aréír, agus bhí sé scamallach maidin inniu, ach tá sé go breá trathnóna inniu. Anocht beidh mé ag déanamh cómhra le mo chairde i dteach tabhairne cois fharraige.

Last night I went to a gig a the Fat Cat pub. Three local singers were performing, and I know two of them. The first one sang mostly his own songs, and the second sang the Blues, and there was more variation between his songs than between the first guy’s. They were not bad, but I was happy that it was a free event.

I rained this last night, and was cloudy this morning, but it’s fine this afternoon. Tonight I’ll be speaking French with some friends in a pub by the sea.