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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 80

by Diana Gabaldon


  Phrase (as printed): taing do Dhia

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /tang do YEEa/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 385

  hc: 280

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Thanks to God”: you can hear Jamie say this in the Outlander TV series, episode 1, “Sassenach,” when Claire puts his shoulder back into place.

  Phrase (as printed): tannasg

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /TANask/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 239

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Spirit, ghost”: this is our word in my part of Argyll, although I have also heard taibhse/TYEshə/, bocan /BOCHgən/, and tamhasg/TAvask/, among other things, to describe a denizen of the lonely space between worlds.

  Phrase (as printed): tannasgeach

  Phrase (if revised): tannasgach

  Phonetic transcription: /TANəsgəch/

  Book: FC

  pb: 745

  hc: 503

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Abounding in specters.”

  Phrase (as printed): tapadh leat Iain. Cha robh fios air a bhith agam

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /TACHpə LECHt EEaiyn. Cha ro feess air ə vee akəm/

  Book: EITB

  pb: 854

  hc: 604

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Thanks with you, John. I hadn’t known”: it is interesting that tapadh leat has taken hold as the standard form of “thank you” in the Western Isles, because it is quite likely that originally it was more of a parting gesture than a show of gratitude while someone was still in your company, more of a “thanks (be) with you,” like latha math leat/LAa ma leht/“a good day (be) with you”, or oidhche mhath leat/“a good night (be) with you”. “Thank you and goodbye,” in other words.

  Phrase (as printed): Tearlach mac Seamus

  Phrase (if revised): Teàrlach, mac Sheumais

  Phonetic transcription: /TCHAARləch machk HAMISH/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 241

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Charles, son of James”: Charles Edward Stewart, the “Bonnie Prince.”

  Phrase (as printed): teuchter

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /TCHOOCHtər/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 253

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: A Gaelic speaker. A rather derogatory term used by Lowlanders for Highlanders. Roughly equivalent to “hick” or “hillbilly.”

  Phrase (as printed): tha ana-cnàmhadh an Diabhail orm

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /ha ANəKRAAvəɣ ən JEEal ORəm/

  Book: EITB

  pb: 814

  hc: 576

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “The Devil’s ingestion is on me”: I’ve got terrible indigestion.

  Phrase (as printed): tha ball-ratha sìnte riut

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /ha baowl-raa SHEENtchə root/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 1103

  hc: 804

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “A lucky, erect penis is against you”: I had the singular pleasure of reciting this poem in Gaelic to the lovely Ginger and Summer of the Outlander podcast! Abair plòigh!/Abər PLOY/“what fun!”. This demonstrates the former lack of shame shown by the Gael in discussing the kind of thing that came to be thought of as rude by “polite British society.” The long-faced Presbyterian outlook did not always hold such sway in the Highlands!

  Phrase (as printed): tha gaol agam oirbh, a mhàthair

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /ha GÖL AKəm AWriv ə VAhər/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 5

  hc: 5

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “I love you, Mother”—literally, “I have love on you”: the interesting point in Gaelic language about many things that we don’t necessarily have innately—like particular emotions, feelings, diseases, and states of being and circumstance—is that they “come onto” and “go from” us rather than us “having” or “doing” them, as in English. Although we do “have” love in Gaelic, the recipient of the love has it put “upon” them by their counterpart, rather than them “being loved.” There is no verb “to love” as there is in English. Likewise, even a cold “comes on you,” and you would say tha cnatan orm/ha KRAtan orəm/“(a) cold is on me” when you have the common cold.

  Phrase (as printed): Tha mi gle mhath, athair

  Phrase (if revised): tha mi glé mhath, athar

  Phonetic transcription: /hami gLAY va Ahər/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 253

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “I am very well, oh, Father.”

  Phrase (as printed): tha mi gu math, mo athair

  Phrase (if revised): tha mi gu math, m’ athair

  Phonetic transcription: /hami gMA Mahər/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 541

  hc: 371

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “I am well, my father”: when two vowels come together, one generally loses the fight and disappears, hence mo athair becoming m’ athair in colloquial speech and also now in writing.

  Phrase (as printed): tha nighean na galladh torrach!

  Phrase (if revised): tha nighean na galla torrach!

  Phonetic transcription: /ha NYEEin na GALə TAWrəch/

  Book: FC

  pb: 282

  hc: 190

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “The daughter of the bitch is fertile”: I don’t recognize the form galladh/GALəɣ/. I don’t think we use this in mid and south Argyll. Something you still hear commonly enough is taigh na galla leat!/tie nə GALə lecht/“to the bitch (whore) house with you!”

  Phrase (as printed): Tha sinn cruinn a chaoidh ar caraid, Gabhainn Hayes

  Phrase (if revised): Tha sinn cruinn còmhla gus ar caraid Gabhann Hayes a chaoidh

  Phonetic transcription: /ha sheen krooin KAWLə goose ar CAridge GAvan Hayes ə CHÖIY/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 249

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “We are come together to lament the loss of our friend, Gavin Hayes.”

  Phrase (as printed): thalla le Dia

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /HULLə lə JEEa/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 479

  hc: 348

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Go with God.”

  Phrase (as printed): theirig dhachaigh

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /HAIRik ɣACHi/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 44

  hc: 31

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Go home!”: we have lots of ways to say “go!” from different areas of Scotland: falbh, thalla, rach, reach, theirig. The Gaelic is nothing if not rich and, in fact, where I’m from, thalla—rather confusingly—means “come”!

  Phrase (as printed): thig a seo, a bhean uasa

  Phrase (if revised): thig an seo, a bhean uasal

  Phonetic transcription: /heek ə shaw, ə ven OOAsal/

  Book: FC

  pb: 227

  hc: 152

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Come here, oh, noble woman”: you will hear our very own Sam as Jamie using these words to Colum in episode 2, “Castle Leoch,” of the Outlander TV show: m’ uasail chòir /“my dear
laird”/, as it works as both the noun and adjective “noble.”

  Phrase (as printed): thig a seo, a chuisle

  Phrase (if revised): thig an seo, a chuisle

  Phonetic transcription: /heek ə shaw, ə CHOOSHlə/

  Book: FC

  pb: 976

  hc: 661

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Come here, oh, vein”: chuisle may well be used colloquially in some places as “blood,” as in the sense it is here, but I know it only as “a vein” or “an artery.”

  Phrase (as printed): thig a seo, a Shorcha, nighean Eanruig, neart mo chridhe

  Phrase (if revised): thig a’ seo, a Shorcha, nighean Eanraig, neart mo chridhe

  Phonetic transcription: /heek ə shaw, ə HAWrəchə, NYEEin EUNrik, NYARst mo chreeə/

  Book: FC

  pb: 229

  hc: 154

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Come here, oh, Claire, daughter of Henry, strength of my heart.”

  Phrase (as printed): thig air ais a seo!

  Phrase (if revised): thig air ais a’ seo!

  Phonetic transcription: /HEEK a RASH ə shaw/

  Book: FC

  pb: 208

  hc: 140

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Come back here!”

  Phrase (as printed): thig a mach!

  Phrase (if revised): thig a mach!

  Phonetic transcription: /HEEKə mach/

  Book: FC

  pb: 416

  hc: 281

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Come out!”

  Phrase (as printed): thig crioch air an t-saoghal ach mairidh ceol agus gaol

  Phrase (if revised): thig crìoch air an t-saoghal, ach mairidh ceòl ‘s gaol

  Phonetic transcription: /heek KREECH airən TÖL ach marry KYAWLis GÖL/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 1061

  hc: 773

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “An end shall come on the world, but love and music shall endure”: a particularly pleasant sentiment!

  Phrase (as printed): thole

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 251

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: To put up with, to endure. “A canna thole any mare o yer snash.” (“I can’t endure any more of your cheek.”)

  Phrase (as printed): thugham! thugham!

  Phrase (if revised): thugam! thugam!

  Phonetic transcription: /HOOKəm! HOOKəm!/

  Book: FC

  pb: 887

  hc: 600

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “To(ward) me!”: we use this prepositional pronoun—don’t you just love grammatical terminology?—when talking about phoning one another. In Gaelic you still talk about “placing a call”: nach cuir u fón thugam?/nach KOOroo phone HOOKəm/“Won’t you place a phone (call) to(ward) me?”/.

  Phrase (as printed): tiugainn!

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /TCHOOkeen/

  Book: MOBY

  pb: 575

  hc: 417

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Let’s go!”: our equivalent of “Let’s roll!” Most often spoken very quickly, like the sound of clicking the fingers of each hand in quick succession.

  Phrase (as printed): trusdair

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /trooster/

  Book: EITB

  pb: 1019

  hc: 723

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Scoundrel.”

  Phrase (as printed): tulach ard!

  Phrase (if revised): tulach àrd!

  Phonetic transcription: /toolaCHAARST/

  Book: FC

  pb: 352

  hc: 237

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “High mound”: battle cry of the MacKenzies, now made famous by “Speak Outlander,” featuring Graham McTavish, Gary Lewis, and yours truly!

  Phrase (as printed): tynchal

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /TINshal/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 239

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: A ceremonial hunt. Neither Iain Mac an Tàilleir nor myself has found a direct Gaelic equivalent for this. Answers on a postcard! The assumption is that it is Lowland usage, but it sounds more French to me, truth be told.

  Phrase (as printed): uillean pipes

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /OOLən/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 238

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Elbow pipes”: air is supplied by an elbow-pressed bellows rather than by a mouthpiece. Uillean pipes are generally used for musical entertainments, as opposed to the Great Northern Pipes—the traditional “bagpipe” most often seen in films—which were used almost exclusively outdoors and were considered by the British to be a weapon of war.

  Phrase (as printed): uisge

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /OOSHkə/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 253

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Water.”

  Phrase (as printed): uisgebaugh

  Phrase (if revised): uisge-beatha

  Phonetic transcription: /ooshkə-BAYhə/

  Book: ABOSA

  pb: 285

  hc: 198

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Life-water” (whisky): illicit stills were as common a thing in Scotland as in North America, and the practice extended down through the years until relatively recently. There are endless stories about how the excisemen—or the “gadgers,” as they were called—were waylaid by any means necessary to prevent them from reaching the still in question. This normally consisted of them being “kindly” taken in, fed up to the hilt, and plied with as much booze as possible, until they chose bed over continuing their exertions on the trail of the bootlegger. The best of it was that it was often the very illicit whisky they sought upon which they had supped themselves into this condition!

  Phrase (as printed): urisge

  Phrase (if revised): ùraisg

  Phonetic transcription: /OORishk/

  Book: EITB

  pb: 769

  hc: 545

  Language: Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

  Translation: “Water spirit”: known to frequent lonely and sequestered places, says Dwelly’s dictionary on the ùraisgean/OOrishkən/. My guess is that the word originally derives from ur /“child, person” and uisge/OOSHkə/“water”, becoming ur-uisge and finally ùruisg before the spelling was reformed, as with all final unstressed instances of u, to an a—like àluinn, now àlainn, and maduinn, now madainn. These water spirits seemed to be quite friendly fellows as long as they were treated with respect and would only grow mischievous if dealt with unkindly. There is a terrific cartoon by West Highland Animation which features them. Great fun for the kids! Incidentally, I tend to spell agus as agas, with a final a. It was the only one of the above type of word left unreformed and so stuck out like a sore thumb! If you’re doin one, do ’em all!

  Phrase (as printed): verra

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: FC

  pb: 9

  hc: 7

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Very. This is an interesting one, due to its rocketing use among fans and media alike, and something that derives from the word “very” being spoken quickly. We Scots would never actually spell the word this way, but it’s useful in the novels to illustrate the fact that the y
at the end of the word is unstressed in rapid speech and often sounds like an a. We have other words to mean the same thing, like gey/giy/“very”. Similarly, there’s fair (fair[ly]), awfie (awful[ly]), and, peculiar to Glasgow, pure and dead (extremely), as in the famous phrase pure dead brilliant, meaning “exceedingly good.” Now, if only all my kinsmen were as diligent with their Scots and Gaelic as Ian!

  Phrase (as printed): wame

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription:

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 246

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Belly.

  Phrase (as printed): wean

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /wane/

  Book: FC

  pb: 33

  hc: 23

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Child. In Glaswegian dialect, this compound noun comes literally from the Scots words “wee” (small) and “yin” or perhaps “ane” (one), over time melding into one. Heard extremely often in such phrases as: “Wantae you git they weans tellt?” (“Would you be so kind as to reprimand those infants?”)

  Phrase (as printed): weirrit

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /WEErit/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 247

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: Strangled. Often an addition to the sentence of burning—a criminal might be allowed the mercy of being strangled before being consigned to the flames.

  Phrase (as printed): yeuk

  Phrase (if revised):

  Phonetic transcription: /yook/

  Book: OLC Vol. I

  pb:

  hc: 244

  Language: Lowland Scots

  Translation: The itch. Colloquial expression for any sort of rash or skin inflammation.

 

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