The Companion to the Fiery Cross, a Breath of Snow and Ashes, an Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood

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The Companion to the Fiery Cross, a Breath of Snow and Ashes, an Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood Page 73

by Diana Gabaldon


  Phrase (as printed): air mo mhionnan…

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /air mo VYOOnain/

  Book: FC

  pb: 230

  hc: 155

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “On my swearing” (I swear).

  Phrase (as printed): alagruous

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 250

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Grim or woebegone.

  Phrase (as printed): amadain

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /AMAdain/

  Book: FC

  pb: 898

  hc: 607

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Oh, fool.”

  Phrase (as printed): an amaidan

  Phrase (if revised): amadain

  Phonetic transcription: /AMAdain/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 822

  hc: 595

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Oh, fool”: amadan slenderizes in the vocative case—i.e., takes an extra i in the final syllable. Neither requires a before it or the article.

  Phrase (as printed): an athair

  Phrase (if revised): athair

  Phonetic transcription: /ən Ahər/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 354

  hc: 256

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Oh, Father”: athair remains as is in the vocative case, requiring neither the a before it nor the article.

  Phrase (as printed): an e ‘n fhirinn a th’aqad m’annsachd?

  Phrase (if revised): an e ‘n fhìrinn a th’ agad m’ annsachd?

  Phonetic transcription: /ə nyayn EERin ə hakəd MANsəchk/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 253

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Is it the truth you have, my love?” In other words, “Are you telling me the truth?”

  Phrase (as printed): an fhearr mac Dubh

  Phrase (if revised): an fheàrr mhic dhuibh

  Phonetic transcription: /ən YAAr veechk ɣui/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 254

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Best of the offspring of the Black One”: I’m not altogether sure about this one, but I give you here the translation from the first Companion and what I think it maybe should be in Gaelic.

  Phrase (as printed): an gealtaire salach Atailteach!

  Phrase (if revised): An gealtaire salach Eatailteach!

  Phonetic transcription: /ən GYALtarə saləch AYTaltchəch/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 247

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “The filthy Italian coward.”

  Phrase (as printed): an gille ruaidh

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /ən GEELə ROOaɣ/

  Book: FC

  pb: 33

  hc: 24

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “The rusty(-haired) lad”: this in fact is a nickname of a very good friend of mine who has worked with me for years on Gaelic projects in and around Glasgow and Argyll!

  Phrase (as printed): Archibald mac Donagh

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 1429

  hc: 974

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: Curiously, the name Archibald—most often shortened to Archie—comes out in Gaelic as Gilleasbaig/gilESPik/, from which derives the surname Gillespie.

  Phrase (as printed): arisaid

  Phrase (if revised): earasaid

  Phonetic transcription: /yerasatch/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 244

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: Scots word from the Gaelic (earasaid). Square of cloth, usually tartan, worn over the shoulders of females and fastened with a brooch; female robe.

  Phrase (as printed): athair-céile

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /Ahər-KAYlə/

  Book: EITB

  pb: 395

  hc: 280

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Father-in-law.”

  Phrase (as printed): auld besom

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /auld bizm/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 590

  hc: 405

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Old pest. Besom is an oft-used word in Scots, although it mostly comes out something like /bizm/.

  Phrase (as printed): avbhar, coire

  Phrase (if revised): aobhar, coire

  Phonetic transcription: /Övər, CAWrə/

  Book: FC

  pb: 1410

  hc: 956

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Reason,” “corrie”: a corrie is like a little depression in among hills. The Gaelic words for this and “kettle, cauldron” are spelled identically and are barely distinguishable from one another in terms of pronunciation; they most probably came originally from the one concept. Compare /kawrə/ with /kohrə/.

  Phrase (as printed): bainisq

  Phrase (if revised): bainisg

  Phonetic transcription: /banishk/

  Book: EITB

  pb: 923

  hc: 655

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Little old woman.”

  Phrase (as printed): bairns

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: FC

  pb: 62

  hc: 42

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Children: rural and Eastern dialects. Not used in Glasgow (see “wean”), this word entered Scottish speech via Scandinavian language, where it is still current in the form barn. Swedish: Har du barn?/“Have you child(ren)?”

  Phrase (as printed): balach biodheach

  Phrase (if revised): balach bòidheach

  Phonetic transcription: /BALəch BOYəch/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 249

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Beautiful boy.”

  Phrase (as printed): balach math

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /BALəch ma/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 252

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Good boy.”

  Phrase (as printed): ballag buachair

  Phrase (if revised): balgan-buachrach

  Phonetic transcription: /BALagan BOOACHrach/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 239

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Mushroom”: literally “manure bubble.” I am convinced that the concept of a “ball” or “bubble” in this sense has brought about the English slang word “bollock” for the male testicle!

  Phrase (as printed): ban-druidh

  Phrase (if revised): ban-draoidh

  Phonetic transcription: /ban DRÖI/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 245

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Female druid”: female sorcerer or worker of magic.

  Phrase (as printed): ban-lichtne

  Phrase (if revised): ban-lighiche

  Phonetic transcription: /ban-LEEichə/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 227

  hc: 157

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Female doctor”: l
ighiche comes from the practice of applying leeches to a patient’s body in order to heal all sorts of ills, real and assumed. Doctors in the early days, then, were literally spoken of as “leechers”!

  Phrase (as printed): ban-sidhe

  Phrase (if revised): ban-sìth

  Phonetic transcription: /banSHEE/

  Book: FC

  pb: 1205

  hc: 817

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Female fairy”: where we have taken the word “banshee” from, as in to “scream like a banshee,” since banshees were thought to wail before the impending death of a clan member, often a chief.

  Phrase (as printed): baragh mhor

  Phrase (if revised): baradh mór

  Phonetic transcription: /BArəɣ MORE/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 238

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “A large Baragh”: I’m not altogether sure what this one is! The only thing I can find that resembles it is baradh, which means a “hindrance” or “obstacle.”

  Phrase (as printed): bas mallaichte!

  Phrase (if revised): bàs mallaichte!

  Phonetic transcription: /BAASS MALichtchə/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 243

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Accursed death.”

  Phrase (as printed): bawbee

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb: 910

  hc: 253

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: A Scottish halfpenny.

  Phrase (as printed): beannachd leat, a charaid

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /BYAnachk lecht ə CHAridge/

  Book: MOBY

  pb:

  hc: 661

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Blessings with you, oh, friend.”

  Phrase (as printed): bein-treim

  Phrase (if revised): banntrach

  Phonetic transcription: /BANtrəch/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 502

  hc: 344

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Widow”: I’m not familiar with ban-treim. The word banntrach originally comes from bean deurach/ben-JERach/“tearful woman” and we still use this in Argyll today, although it’s now pronounced /BENjerrach/.

  Phrase (as printed): besom

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /bizm/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 245

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Ill-tempered woman.

  Phrase (as printed): bi samnach, tha mi seo

  Phrase (if revised): bith sàmhach, tha mi ‘n seo

  Phonetic transcription: /bee SAvəch, hami’n SHAW/

  Book: FC

  pb: 925

  hc: 625

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Be quiet (calm); I am here.”

  Phrase (as printed): bi socair, mo chridhe

  Phrase (if revised): bith socair mo chridhe

  Phonetic transcription: /bee SOCHkər mo CHREEə/

  Book: FC

  pb: 925

  hc: 625

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Be at ease, my heart.”

  Phrase (as printed): bioran

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /BEEran/

  Book: FC

  pb: 1403

  hc: 951

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Little pointed stick”: literally, “little jagged.”

  Phrase (as printed): Bliadha Tearlach

  Phrase (if revised): Bliana Theàrlaich

  Phonetic transcription: /BLEEanə HYARlich/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 669

  hc: 459

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Charlie’s Year”: this refers to the period 1745–46, which culminated in Prince Charles Edward Stewart leading many Gaels to their demise at Culloden. Teàrlach follows another name or noun and so therefore takes the genitive case Theàrlaich. As bliana is nowhere pronounced /BLEEəɣna/, I have removed the dh for ease of learning.

  Phrase (as printed): bodhran

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /BOHran/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 250

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: A flat, circular drum with a stretched-skin head over a wooden frame, beaten with a short double-headed stick.

  Phrase (as printed): bothy

  Phrase (if revised): bothie

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 241

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Mountain shack. From Gaelic bothan /BOHhan/.

  Phrase (as printed): braw

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: FC

  pb: 33

  hc: 23

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Good. Comes originally from Norse language bra and is still heard daily in Scandinavia today. I have recently been picking up a bit of Swedish, as I have friends from the area, and it’s really remarkable how much the Lowland Scots language and her Scandinavian neighbors have in common, from word order to vocabulary. I can also hear elements of both the Lewis and, believe it or not, Newcastle accents in Scandinavian speech, something which may or may not thrill the denizens of those two rather distinct places!

  Phrase (as printed): bree

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 253

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: A great disturbance; also a soup. “Partan bree” is a crab soup.

  Phrase (as printed): breugaire

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /BRAYgərə/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 1104

  hc: 753

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Liar”: another example of the north/south Gaelic dialect divide, we in the middle of Argyll would pronounce this as shown, while to the north and in MacKenzie country it would be briagaire/BREEAgərə/.

  Phrase (as printed): broch

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /broch/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 240

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Iron Age tower”: the predecessor of the Highland castle.

  Phrase (as printed): Broch Tuarach

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /broch TOOArəch/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 284

  hc: 206

  Language: Fictional placename

  Translation: “North-facing tower”: now, technically the word tuarach doesn’t exist—it would be tuathach/TOOach/“northerly”/—but I happen to think as made-up names go, it seems exactly what a fictional Gaelic word would look and sound like!

  Phrase (as printed): brose

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 245

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Broth, a certain type, often made of barley or kale. Iain Mac an Tàilleir (language advisor for The Outlandish Companion Volume One) notes: “This is not Gaelic, but the brose I and my fellow islanders knew was a stiff mix of the local grain meal—oats or barley, etc.—cooked with water, butter, and salt. Same ingredients as porridge, but much stiffer consistency. Supposed
to be ‘good for you.’ Never liked it myself.”

  Phrase (as printed): buidheachas dhut, a Sheumais mac Brian

  Phrase (if revised): buidheachas dhut, a Sheumais ‘ic Bhriain

  Phonetic transcription: /BOOyachəs ɣoocht, ə HAMISH ichk VREEain/

  Book: FC

  pb: 119

  hc: 81

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Gratitude to you, James, son (of) Brian”: Brian, a Gaelic name, would be pronounced /BREEan/; mac/machk/ and Brian would also be declined in the vocative case to mhic/veechk/ or ‘ic Bhriain/eechk VREEaiyn/. You sometimes see buidheachas/BOOIYəchəs/ used on album sleeves or books where you might use “acknowledgments” or “thanks to” in English.

  Phrase (as printed): buidheachas, mo charaid

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /BOOyachəs mo CHAridge/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 240

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Gratitude, my friend.”

  Phrase (as printed): burras

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /BOOrass/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 244

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Caterpillar.”

  Phrase (as printed): cá bhfuil tú?

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /ka fwail too/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 187

  hc: 131

  Language: Gaelic (Gaeilge)

  Translation: “Where are you?”: our Scottish equivalent to this is practically identical: cà’ bheil u? There really is very little difference between Scottish and Irish. In fact, on either side of the Straits of Moyle, the Gaelic was far more similar than that of the northeast and southwest of Scotland—or than the northeast and southwest of Ireland, for that matter—were to each other. It is only politics that has caused any kind of divide. I blether very freely with Irish language speakers, using my own dialect of Scottish and them Irish and worrying none about the little bits we don’t understand. A sublime pleasure, in fact, to share a pint of Guinness and a good Scottish dram and let the conversation flow free!

  Phrase (as printed): cack-handed

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

 

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