I need a Scot

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Is there anyone around that can speak Scottish Gaelic, (or maybe they're Lowland Scottish, idk.)? I've been trying to figure out how to pronounce "Brá¹naidh" and "Peallaidh" all night.

My best guess is: brun(as from my mostly forgotten German classes)-aidhhhhh (where the final aspirate is drawn out far enough to explain why they become long e or a in English transcriptions), and the second word is: pe:l-l; followed by the same as above. Am I close?

Bonus points for a pronunciation of "gruagach". (exactly like the letters in English, maybe?)

Which would you name your cat? Oh, yeah, someone gave me another cat yesterday; the Ghost Cat is not happy! If you can tell me the new cat's colour I'll know you're Scottish -- or, maybe, Irish -- or a folklorist. Thanks for your indulgence. I know this isn't what BCTS is for, but I know of no where else where I could hope for a better response to such a question. (: ˙ɯǝɥʇ ʇnoqɐ sboןq ǝʇıɹʍ ı ʎɥʍ sı ɥɔıɥʍ 'sʎɐp ǝsǝɥʇ uɹǝɔuoɔ ʇsǝbbıq ʎɯ ʎןןɐǝɹ ʇ,uǝɹɐ sʇɐɔ ʎɯ 'ɯɯn

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What you need is a Scotch

erin's picture

I suggest a single malt with a wee drop of spring water in it.

Well, my Kirk and Cameron ancestors entitle me to claim a wee bit of Scottishness. :)

Near as I can suss it, Brúnaidh is pronounced about midway between "brunaazh", "broonakh", "bruney" and "brunedd" where the double d indicates a d done with the middle of the tongue instead of the tip. Both vowels are longer, timewise, than such vowels would be in English.

Peallaidh has a first syllable something like Pell and something like Pale with a little Pull thrown in. The ll is problematical in that some Gaelic speakers do it broadly and some do it with a tongue tip curled which sounds different but a regular old English or American l is not wrong. The last sound is the same as in the first word.

Gruagach is pronounced pretty much like it's spelled with the ch being the kh sound in "loch" or "Kha-a-a-an!"

The cat is dun? (Pronounced "doon" meaning brown or red.) Does it like water?

Here's a page: OmniGlot Scottish Gaelic.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

yep

kristina l s's picture

If nothing else after a few scotches the pronunciation becomes less of an issue. Damn Erin, I have Cameron blood on my fathers side...are we related somewhere?? Fort William... I probably should know the words but you know how that goes after a generation or two. My Grand-dad never lost the accent, but my dad never had it, or at least very mild. Me.. I get accused of being English now and then, a grievous insult.

Kristina

Kirk and Cameron

erin's picture

My Scottishness is all back before the revolution and the lasses who came over from Clyde and Glasgow married in Ulster on the way, just to confuse things. :) The Ulstermen were Scots themselves, having been in Ireland less than one generation. This is back around 1700. More than that, I don't really know. It looks like some kind of bride-buying before heading for the New World but I've no way of finding out.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

Scotti

Just to confuse everyone, the Scots were an Irish tribe that invaded Scotland and took a lot of it over. They came into Wales as well, which is why the stone-age-ish huts on Ynys Cybi are called Cytiau Gwyddelod (The rishmen's huts), the saddle between Yr Wyddfa and Carnedd Ugain s Bwlch y Gwyddel (Irishman's Pass) and their patron saint was a kidnapped Welshman.

Gaelic

The spelling,unlike Welsh (which is phonetic) is silly. The name "Argyll" for example,is spelled "Earragaidhail" in Gaelic.Digging into my edition of MacLennan:
Brunaidh: Brooneh, where the "oo" sound is similar to the French 'u' or the German 'u-umlaut'. The consonant cluster 'dh' is slent when final and after'i'

Peallaidh: woule be "pyalleh". Sure it isn't Pealladh? That would be pronounced "pyallagh"

Gruagach: groo,uh-guch, where the 'u' I have used is a bit like the final sound in 'picture' and the 'ch'is as in 'loch'

I agree…

…with Cyclist. As a scot who had a working knowledge of the Gaelic as a leanabh (child) I would say that our Welsh friend has got it about right. Sadly as far as this question is concerned I obtained most of my education in Sasainn (England), and was only up home in Alba (Scotland) during the school holidays. Incidently my grandmother was Cuimreach (Welsh) and tried, unsuccessfully, to teach me some of that language, but I never got much beyond Llanfairpwll——

Slainte,

Gabi.


“It is hard for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Thomas Hardy—Far from the Madding Crowd.

Gabi.


“It is hard for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Thomas Hardy—Far from the Madding Crowd.

too many spirits in my house

Erin, Some who've read my recent writings might think I've too much wine, rather than too little scotch (and they're probably right). But, yes, he is a pointed brown with a solid black mask all the way to his ears - pictures will have to wait until he spends less time under the bed - looks kinda spooky - but having a Ghost and a Spook is too clever or plain dumb or something. No, he doesn't especially like water, but brownies have moved indoors, haven't they?

Thanks much for the help, everyone. I don't know; using these Gaelic names, to tie in his color, is trying too hard too, huh? But they remain in the running along with Hob and Kobold (which I already knew of and can pronounce). I guess there isn't any hurry about naming him. It can wait until he gets settled in, and most cats I've ever had responded better to "Dinner" than their name.

Thanks again; hugs