The Celtic Family of Languages
The Celtic family of languages is divided into two branches: the gaelic branch is composed of Irish, Scots Gaelic, and Manx, and are similar to one another. Manx is native to the Isle of Man and is beginning to see a resurgence there.
The other branch consists of Welsh, Breton, and Cornish, and differs dramatically from those in the Gaelic branch. Together, the two form one of the twelve branches of the Indo-European linguistic family.
Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx are all descendants of “Old Irish,” There are many similarities in spelling and phrasing, but enough differences to make them distinct enough that a speaker of one will not be able to understand a speaker of the others, aside from a few words or phrases.
Irish speakers refer to Irish as Gaeilge (gahl-ih gay) when speaking in Irish, but call the language Irish when refering to it in English. Gaelic is usually used when talking about Scots Gaelic. The word gaeilge is derived from an Old Irish word for Irishman, goidel (goy-del).
Dialects
There are three regional dialects in Ireland: Ulster, Munster, and Connacht. Additionally, an official dialect was established in 1950 as part of a language reform. This official dialect is what is taught in schools and used in many self-learning materials.
The Irish alphabet consists of eighteen letters: a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u. However, you will also encounter the remaining letters of the English alphabet in “loan words.” Vowels can be long or short, with a mark over the vowel called a fada (á, é, í, ó, ú) indicating a long vowel. Consonants can be broad or slender. Interestingly, there are no words for “yes” or “no” in Irish; something is either “with you” or “on you.”
The sentence structure is common to other European languages: verb – noun – adjective. While the spelling might look confusing at first, the seemingly unnecessary vowels actually aid in the pronunciation of consonants.
English is the most widely spoken language in Ireland, with over 80% of the population using it as their first language. Irish is the official first language and is spoken by just over 40% of the population. Polish is the third most common language, spoken by 3% of Ireland’s population.
Scottish Language
The Scots Language Centre lists Scots Gaelic, Scots, and English as the three languages spoken in Scotland. Scots Gaelic is derived from Old Irish, while Scots is a collective name for Scottish dialects that evolved from Old English. Scots is no longer considered a dialect of English; it is recognized as a language in its own right. Robert Burns is probably the most well-known writer in Scots.
Scots Gaelic shares many similarities with Irish, such as using the same eighteen letters and having regional dialects—over twelve are recognized. A fada is also used to indicate a long vowel, although in Scots Gaelic, the direction of the fada is reversed (à, è, ì, ò, ù). Lenition, the lightening or softening of a consonant, occurs in both Scots Gaelic and Irish. On paper, lenition is represented by the letter “h” being inserted after the consonant.
A noticeable difference between the two languages is that Scots Gaelic has words for “yes” (tha) and “no” (chan eil), while in Irish, you must answer with the appropriate verb from the question. For example, if someone asks, “Ar mhaith leat rud éigin a ól?” (“Would you like something to drink?”), you would reply with “Ba mhaith” (“I would”).
One tip I often share is to use your few words or phrases of Irish or Scots Gaelic as often as possible in daily conversation. It can become easy to intersperse Scots Gaelic or Irish into your English. Stephen King once wrote a character who always said “sí” instead of “yes” in his English conversations. It made the character more interesting, even though it had no bearing on the story. While I can’t promise the same result, incorporating Irish or Scots Gaelic into your conversations might make you more interesting too!
Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of words and phrases that I call “Everyday Irish.” I thought we could do the same with Scots Gaelic and see how they compare. For our examples, we’ll start with the English, then the Scots Gaelic with its phonetic spelling, followed by the Irish with its phonetic spelling.
- Yes: tha (ha) – sea (shah)
- No: chan eil (chan yayl) – ní hea (nee hah)
- Hello: halò (ha-lo) – haigh (hi)
- Good morning: Madainn mhath (mateen vah) – Maidin mhaith (moh-jin wah)
- Good evening: Feasgar math (fes-kar mah)* – Tráthnóna maith (trah-nona mah)
*There is a similar word in Irish that also means evening: feascar (fes-kar) - Good night: Oidhche mhath (oychae vah) – Oíche mhaith (ee-ha wah)
- Good day: Latha math (laah mah) – Lá bréa (lah brah)
- How are you?: Ciamar a tha thu? (keemar ae haa oo) – Conas atá tú? (kohn-us ah-taw too)
- I’m good: Tha gu math (ha goo mah) – Tá mé go maith (taw may guh mah)
- Very good: Glè mhath (glay vah) – An-mhaith (ahn wah)
- Not bad: Chan eil dona (chan yayl donnae) – Go dona (guh duhna)
- Excuse me: Gabh mo leisgeul (gav mo lesh-kael) – Gabh mo leithscéal (guh mo lesh-kale)
- Thank you: Tapadh leibh (taphae leyv) – Go raibh maith agat (gorra mah ah-gut)
- Many thanks: Mòran taing (mohraen tigh-ng) – Go raibh míle maith agat (gorra meela mah ah-gut)
- You’re welcome: ‘Se ur beatha (shey oor beht-ha) – Tá fáilte romhat (taw fahl-cha roe-it)
- What is your name?: De an t-ainm a tha oirbh? (je un tenem a herev) – Cén t-ainm atá ort? (kayn tan-um ah-taw ort)
- I’m …: Is mise… (iss meesha) – Irish is the same, Is mise… (iss meesha)
- Goodbye: Mar sin leibh (mar shun leev) – Slán (slawn)
- See you: Tìoraidh (cheerie) – Feicfidh mé thú (feck-ee may who)
Ohio Scottish Games
Whether you’re interested in Irish or Scottish culture, I hope you get out to the Ohio Scottish Games on June 21 and 22 and experience some of Scotland’s culture and language for yourself. You might even enjoy a glass of uisge beatha (ish-ke behe) or uisce beatha (ish-ka ba-ha)—both meaning “water of life,” or whisky. And if you’re not a Scotch drinker, you can enjoy whiskey instead. Remember to raise your glass and say “Slàinte mhath” (slan-juh vah) or “Sláinte mhaith” (slawn-cha mah)—Good health!
Bob Carney is a student of Irish history and language and teaches the “Speak Irish Cleveland” class held every Tuesday at PJ McIntyre’s. He is also involved in the Irish Wolfhound and Irish dogs organizations in and around Cleveland. Wife Mary, hounds Rían, Aisling, and Draoi, and terrier Doolin keep the house lively. He can be reached at [email protected].
