Sruth na Maoile

I recently spent a wee spell in a gorgeous part of the Tír Chonaill Gaeltacht, Gaoth Dobhair (I had never been there before - yes, shocking, I know!) and have since endeavoured to become better acquainted with the Ulster dialect. One thing that struck me was how similar their pronunciation of “Caide mar atá tú?” sounded to the Gàidhlig “Ciamar mar a tha thu?”. This particular area in Donegal had quite strong connections with Scotland, and people across the generations have moved backwards and forwards between the two areas of Gaoth Dobhair and the Gorbals in Glasgow. From conversations with Tír Chonaill friends of mine (from Gaoth Dobhair and Rann na Feirste), I’ve noticed a few words that are the same or similar use in Gàidhlig. After my trip, I acquired a copy of An Teanga Bheo: Gaeilge Uladh by Dónaill Ó Baoill (which joins my much-referred to and tattered copy of the Gaeilge Chonamara in the same series). There’s a wee ‘Stór Focal’ or vocabulary section at the end of the book, which is handy for getting to grips with idiomatic or local uses of certain words. I noted the words that had Gàidhlig echoes and decided to share them here. The study of the close relation between Ulster Irish and Scottish Gaelic has been touched on, but I’m not sure if it has been discusses extensively. Maybe those of you out there with more knowledge on the subject could direct us into the direction of some sources?

 

ábhar / adhbhar

• Goidé an t-ábhar nach dtáinig sé? (Why didn’t he come?)

• Ní thiocfaidh sé ar an ábhar sin (He won’t come then/because of that)

• Dè b’ adhbhar dha seo? (What was the reason for this)

• air an adhbhar sin (for that reason, because of that)

barraíocht / barrachd

• barraíocht is ‘too much’ in Gaeilge, while barrachd is ‘more’ or ‘extra’ in Gàidhlig.

buachaill / buachaill

• The meaning of ‘shepherd’ or ‘herdsboy’ as opposed to ‘boy’ (in general) for the word buachaill is stronger in Ulster, with the word having the same meaning in Scotland.

• Buachailleacht is the act of herding, which is buachailleachd in Gàidhlig.

cé / ge(d)

• Cé is pronouced as ‘gidh’ in Ulster, which is closer to the Gàidhlig ge or ged (‘though’ or although’)

• Gidh gur liom é (Though it’s mine)

• Ged a racadh do chasan os do chionn (Even though you might be turned upside down)

cha / cha

• Ulster Gaeilge uses the forms cha, chan, and char for the negative instead of ní and níor. Gàidhlig uses cha and chan (cha robh, chan eil), though some dialects pronounce it like ní and níl.

• Cha raibh mé ann. / Cha robh mi ann. (I wasn’t there.)

• Chan fhuair mé é. / Cha d’ fhuair mi e. (I didn’t get it.)

• Char imigh siad go fóill. / Cha d’ fhàg iad fhathast. (They didn’t leave yet.)

• Chan Máire a bhí ann. / Chan e Màiri a bh’ ann. (It wasn’t Mary.)

cionn is / a chionn

• In Ulster, cionn is is used for ‘because’; D’imigh sé cionn is muid sin a rá (He left because we said that)

• In Gàidhlig, a chionn means ‘because’, ‘for that reason’; a chionn nach do chreid iad (because they did not believe)

• Óir in Gaeilge and oir in Gàidhlig are also both used for ‘because’; Óir tá mé ag mothú tuirseach / Oir tha mi a’ faireachdainn sgìth (Because I’m feeling tired)

cuimhneach le / cuimhne le

• An cuimhin leat? (do you remember) is found in other dialects and in the standard Irish, but Ulster speakers use an cuimhneach leat? This is closer to the Gàidhlig an cuimhne leat?

• An cuimhneach leat an ghaoth mhór? Is cuimhneach. / An cuimhne leat a’ ghaoth mhòr? ‘S cuimhne. (Do you remember the big wind? I do.)

dáiríre / dha-rìribh

• The Ulster form for dáiríre (serious) is dáiríribh, which is closer to the Gàidhlig dha-rìribh.

• ‘Bhfuil tú i ndáiríribh? / An (ann) an dha-rìribh a tha thu? (Are you serious?)

i ndiaidh / an déidh

• The pronunciation for i ndiaidh (after) in Gaeilge Uladh is like the Gàidhlig an déidh; Tá sé i ndéidh a bheith ansin / Tha e an déidh bhith an sin (He’s after being there)

díth / dìth

• In Irish I’d tend to say Tá sé de dhíth orm (I need/want it), but in Ulster they say a dhíth (which I prefer, to be honest)

• Tá sé a dhíth orm / Tha e a dhìth orm (I need/want it)

dóigh / dòigh

• There are multiple uses for dóigh in Gaeilge Uladh: ar dhóigh (in a way); goidé an dóigh atá ort? (how are you?); ar doígh (fine, nice). In Gàidhlig it also has the meaning of ‘way’; air an aon dòigh (in the same way) and the similar positive connotations of air dòigh (happy).

• Bhí an oíche sin ar dóigh (That was a great/lovely night)

• Bha mi air mo dhòigh ann (I was happy there)

doiligh / doiligh

• Instead of deacair (hard, difficult) we find doiligh in both Gaeilge Uladh and Gàidhlig. Doirbh is another word for the same meaning in Gàidhlig.

• Níl sé doiligh a fhoghlaim / Chan eil e doiligh a ionnsachadh (It’s not hard to learn)

idir / eadar

• Idir (between) is pronounced as ‘eadar’ in Gaeilge Uladh, which is closer to the Gàidhlig.

eagla / eagal

• Eagla (fear) is eagal in Gaeilge Uladh and Gàidhlig.

fadálach / fadalach

• Fadálach in Gaeilge Uladh means ‘slow’, ‘tedious’, ‘tiresome’, while fadalach in Gàidhlig means ‘late’, ‘tardy’.

faichilleach / faiceallach

• This is pretty much the same word in both languages, meaning ‘careful’.

feidhm / feum

• Feidhm in Ulster means ‘need’, while in Gàidhlig it means ‘need’ and ‘use’; if you see how the word is used, it kind of has the same meaning in both languages.

• Níl feidhm agam air/dó/leis (I have no need for it, i.e it’s no use to me)

• ’S beag feum a rinn sin dhomh (That was of little use to me)

• Tá feidhm ag do mháthair ort (Your mam wants/needs you)

• An robh feum agad orm? (Did you call for me?/Were you looking for me?)

feitheamh / feitheamh

• This has the same meaning in both languages; Bhí mé ag feitheamh leat / Bha mi a’ feitheamh riut (I was waiting for you)

• Fanacht is found in other Irish dialects, and fanachd in southern Scottish Gaelic dialects.

fuirigh / fuirich

• Again, this is pretty much the same verb with the same meaning; Fuirigh bomaite / Fuirich mionaid (Wait a minute)

furasta / furasda

• The same again here, both meaning ‘easy’.

garraí / gàrradh

• Gairdín is the standard Irish word for ‘garden’, but in Ulster and in some parts of Connacht it’s garraí. The Gàidhlig gàrradh is pronounced as ‘garraí’ in some dialects, and is gàrraidh in the genitive (pronounced ‘gàrraí’)

glan / glan

• This word can mean ‘clean’, but, more interestingly, it has the added meaning of ‘totally’, ‘completely’ in Ulster and Scotland.

• Bhí sé briste glan (It was completely broken)

• Bha mi air mo dhòigh ghlan (I was totally happy)

go maith / gu math

• This is used to denote when something is ‘very’ something; Tá sé fuar go maith / Tha e gu math fuar (It’s very cold)

leaba / leabaidh

• Both meaning ‘bed’, though leaba is pronounced as ‘leabaidh’ in Ulster.

níos / nas

• Níos (more, comparative particle) is pronounced ‘nas’ in Ulster, and seems to lenite the f in fearr like in the Gàidhlig; Tá sí nas fhearr inniu / Tha i nas fheàrr an-diugh (She’s better today)

nuacht / naidheachd

• Nuaíocht is used instead of nuacht in Ulster (and in some parts of Connacht) for ‘news’, which is a bit closer to the Gàidhlig naidheachd.

oscail / foscail

• Again, Gaeilge Uladh uses a form closer to the Gàidhlig foscail (open).

sáith / saith

• The word saith is found in the Gàidhlig of Islay (the closest Scottish Gaelic dialect to Gaeilge), meaning ‘bellyful’, ‘satiety’. In Gaeilge Uladh, if you say ‘D’ith siad a sáith’ it means ‘They ate their fill’.

tosaigh / tòisich

• The verb for ‘begin’ or ‘start’; in Ulster the form ‘toisigh’ is used,.

tríú / treas

• Instead of tríú for ‘third’, treas is found in Gaeilge Uladh as in the Gàidhlig.

nua / ùr

• Again, Gaeilge Uladh uses úr to mean ‘new’ as in Gàidhlig.

guí / ùrnaigh

• Another example of Gaeilge Uladh using a more Scottish form, with úrnaí instead of guí for ‘prayer’. Though Gàidhlig also uses guidh.