It's Canada Day today! Everyone have a fun day, or the Mounties will come and get ye!To commemorate the ties between Scotland and Canada, here's some unique words found only in the Canadian dialect of Scottish Gaelic, now mainly spoken in Nova Scotia:
feirmeireachd: verb, to farm
lodan: noun, a velvet offering pouch for church
mogan: noun, moccassins
pàirc-coillidh (or pàirce-choilleadh) : noun, a wooded clearing burnt for planting crops, literally "forest park"
caoraich: noun, sheep
maorach: noun, mussel mud
bean-ghlùin: noun, Grannies (literally "knee wife").
sgeatadh: verb, to skate (on ice)
seant (pl. seantaichean) : noun, a cent
smuglair: noun, a town square
ruma: noun, rum
ponndadh: verb, to beat someone
tri sgillin: phrasal noun, a nickel (literally “three pence”)
sia sgillin: phrasal noun, a dime. (literally “six pence”)
tasdan: phrasal noun, twenty cents (literally “a shilling”)
dà thasdan agus sia sgillin: phrasal noun, fifty cents (literally “two shillings and six pence”)
còig tasdan: phrasal noun, a dollar (literally “five shillings”)
stòr: noun, a shop (store)
ruith: verb, to run (for political office)
tigh-obrach: noun, workhouse (penitentiary)
maidseachan: noun, matches
bangaid: noun, a banquet
càraichean-sràide: noun, street cars
buna-bhuachaille: noun, common loon
Faoilleach & Gearran: proper nouns, February & March (usually applied to January and February in Scotland)
...and my fave, picked up in Halifax a few years back:
truc: noun, a lorry!
There's more on Canadian Gaelic (Gàidhlig Chanaideanach) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Gaelic
Have a good holiday everyone!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
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