OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES efforts to save endangered languages have become governmental policy in the Netherlands (Frisian), Slovakia (Rusyn), New Zealand (Maori) and Scotland – Scottish Gaelic. Gaelic is a very old and very distinctive language (it has three distinct r sounds!).

According to the 2011 UK census, 87,100 people in Scotland reported having some knowledge of Scottish Gaelic. 32,400 could undertand, speak, read and write Gaelic, 57,600 could speak Gaelic, 6,100 could read and/or write Gaelic, but not speak it, and 23,400 could understand Gaelic, but not speak, read or write it. The areas with the highest proportion of Gaelic speakers (48.9%) were Highland, Eilean Siar (Western Isles) and Glasgow City. Overall 1.7% of the population of Scotland has some Gaelic.

Galwegian Gaelic is the extinct dialect of Scottish Gaelic formerly spoken in southwest Scotland. It was formally spoken by the independent kings of Galloway in their time, and by the people of Galloway and Carrick until the early modern period. It was also once spoken in Annandale and Strathnith.

History

It is thought that Scottish Gaelic developed from the Old Irish bought to Scotland in the 4th century AD by people known as Scotti from Ireland. They settled in what is now the west of Argyll and set up the Kingdom of Dál Riata. By the 9th century Scottish Gaelic had replaced the Pictish and Brythonic languages in much of Scotland, and by the early 11th century Gaelic was spoken throughtout Scotland, apart from in small areas in the southeast and northeast.

The majority of the vocabulary of modern Scottish Gaelic is native Celtic. There are a large number of borrowings from Latin, ancient Greek, Norse, Hebrew, French and Lowland Scots.

From the 18th century children were punished for speaking Gaelic in schools set up by the Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. However, the Gaelic Schools Society, which was establised in 1811, taught Gaelic speakers to read their own language so that they could read the Bible in Gaelic. The full translation of the Bible into Gaelic was published in 1801, and became the standard for the written language.

In Canada, according to the 2016 census, Scottish Gaelic is a mother tongue, or the language spoken most often at home for 1,545 people.

Contemporary influence

The influence of Scottish Gaelic can be seen particularly in surnames (notably Mac-names, where the mac means "Son of...") and toponymy (places).

The surname influence is not restricted to Mac- names: several colours give rise to common Scottish surnames:

• bàn (Bain = white)

• ruadh (Roy = red)

• dubh (Dow = black)

• donn (Dunn = brown)

• buidhe (Bowie = yellow)

• gille- (meaning lad or servant) gives rise to names such as Gilmour and Gillies.

Common place name elements from Gaelic in Scotland include

• baile (Bal- = a town) e.g. Balerno

• cille (Kil- = an old church) e.g. Kilmarnock

• inbhir (Inver- = Inner-, meaning a confluence) e.g. Inverness, Innerleithen

• ceann (Kin- = meaning a head or top of something) e.g. Kintyre, Kinross

• dun (Dun = a fort) e.g. Dundee and Dunfermline

Samples

Rugadh na h-uile duine saor agus co-ionnan nan urram 's nan còirichean. Tha iad reusanta is cogaiseach, agus bu chòir dhaibh a ghiùlain ris a chèile ann an spiorad bràthaireil.

Hear a recording of this text by Frederic (Calum) Bayer:

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Sinn – We

Aon – One

Mòr – Big

Iasg – Fish

Cù – Dog

Grian – Sun

Craobh – Tree

Cadal – Sleep

Ceann – Head

cha do dh'òl thu – You did not drink

bha mi a' faicinn – I was seeing

slàinte – Health; cheers! (toast)

Ciamar A Tha Thu (kimmar ah hah ooh) - How are you?

Tha Mi Gu Math (hah me goo mah) - I am well

Gle Mbath (glay vah) - Very good.

Tapadh Leat (tah-pah lot) - Thank you.

Albannacb (owl-ub-ah-nach) - Scotsmen

'S math sin! – Great!

Na dèan sin – Don't do that

Am bu toigh leat? – Would you like?

A' cuideachadh – Helping

Seall – Look

Am bheil thu ga mo thuigsinn? – Do you understand me?

Source