Conference tallis::celt

Sigh.  A dream come true...but 2500 miles to far...sigh.

Randy

A short guide to pronouncing Gaidhlig for those who already know Irish....

Craig

 ------ Forwarded mail received on 30-MAY-1991 at 23:54:44 ------

From:	DECWRL::"GAELIC-L%IRLEARN.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu" "GAELIC Language Bulletin Board"
To:	Craig Cockburn <SYSTEM::cockburn> 
Subj:	Re: Pronounciation Guide 

Rob asks:
 
> How does Scottish Gaelic compare to the guidelines given by Marion?
> What is different?
 
At the level of the beginners guide presented by Marion, Scottish Gaelic
is pronounced near enough exactly the same as Irish Gaelic (whereas the
spelling systems for Welsh and Manx, for example, are very different).
 
A few minor differences:
"Mh" and "bh" can be pronounced like English "w" or "v" in Ireland, but
in Scotland they are always prnounced like English "v".
 
"Dh" and "gh" are normally not pronounced at the ends of words in Ireland.
In Scotland they are normally pronounced the same at the ends of words as
at the beginnings of words.
 
Long "a" (written "a/" in Ireland and "a\" in Scotland) is as Marion says
pronounced like the vowel in English "drawl" in most of Ireland.  In Scotland
it normally has the same quality as a short "a".
 
Trying to teach pronounciation via an ASCII terminal is a pretty thankless
task, though.  Anyone who is interested should get some tapes - this is much
more fun too than trying to work through written explanations.  Write to
Gairm, 29 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BZ, Scotland, if you don't know of any
local source - they will probably be able to recommend one.  The "Can Seo"
book and tape will do fine to start with for Scottish Gaelic.
 
   Kevin

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Sender: GAELIC Language Bulletin Board <GAELIC-L%IRLEARN.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
From: C.P.ODonnaile%EDINBURGH.AC.UK@uga.cc.uga.edu
Subject:      Re: Pronounciation Guide
To: Craig Cockburn <SYSTEM::cockburn>
In-Reply-To:  Your message <sent 30 May 91 12:02:00 EDT via EARN>

    re .7
    
     "...And learn to chaunt a tongue men do not know."
    
     The more I see and hear of the Irish tongue, the more I'm tempted
    to get off me duff and learn sump'm about it.
    
     Being an American, I talk like I've got a permanent tabaccy chaw
    'tween tooth and cheek and I'll admit to a touch of jealousy that
    I don't share in such esoteric knowledge.
    
     On the other hand, y'never know.  Mebbe I'll surprise meself.
    
    Thanks
    
    Frank
    

All, 

There will be a course in Scottish Gaelic at Wansfell College,  Epping
Forest, North East London on Fri 8 Nov to Sun 10 Nov. This course is
for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners.  There will also be
a singing workshop. The course is co-ordinated by Dr Kenneth
Mackinnon, the researcher in Gaelic sociology who  recently hosted a
conference on the sociology of Gaelic at  Sabhal Mor Ostaig. Last
year, the other two tutors were both bardic crown winners and the
singing workshop was given by the 1989 Mod winner of the traditional
gold medal. The beginners course is based on the first 10 lessons of
the BBC series Can Seo. The intermediate course is for those working
towards SCE O-grade examinations. The advanced course is taught
through the medium of Gaidhlig and aims at conversational fluency. The
singing workshop focuses on traditional Gaelic singing styles. Please
state on enrolment which group you wish to join. A ten pound deposit
is payable now and the total for the weekend is 57 pounds if you want
a single room and don't pay Essex poll tax.  These courses are very
popular and the weekend is always full - we take up the whole college
(about 55 people in total). 

On the Saturday night there is a ceilidh with music and entertainment
- this usually lasts all night and the singers provide excellent
entertainment. On the Sunday morning there is an optional traditional
Gaelic church service.

There is a follow up course in February for the beginners and
advanced classes. This is the same price. The beginners will
finish the Can Seo book and the advanced course will be through
the medium of Gaelic. A 10 pound deposit on this is also payable
now. 

I intend to go on the November course - please let me know if you're
going and I'll try and meet you over the course of the weekend.

For more details, contact:

Wansfell College
Theydon Bois
Epping
Essex
CM16 7LF

Tel: (037 881) 3027


Some Gaelic news from Scotland on Sunday, 9-Jun-1991

As part of the public consultation process for the Channel 3
franchises in Scotland, Scottish MPs will be commenting on the amount
of Gaelic input in the programmes. Three companies have applied for
the Grampian franchise, they are: C3 Caledonian PLC, Grampian
television and  North of Scotland TV.

The formation of a single network for Gaelic broadcasting services in
Scotland and an expansion of Gaelic radio programmes are the aims of
Comann na Gaidhlig following its annual conference held in Inverness
last week. To highlight the need for the growth of Gaelic radio 
Father Calum MacLennan (CNAG's chairman) pointed to figures which
noted that the audience in the north west received 32 hours of Gaelic
radio per week, but only seven and a half hours was heard by the
audience in the central belt. CNAG now plans to raise the issue with
the BBC to explore ways of broadcasting these programmes to a wider
sector of Gaelic speakers and learners throughout Scotland. CNAG is
now establishing a working group to report on this and other issues of
importance such as funding and staffing levels.

Craig

Subj:	Vacancies on weekend Scottish Gaelic course in London area

There are still a couple of vacancies left on the Scottish Gaelic course
at Wansfell College, Theydon Bois, Epping, Essex, CM16 7LF
Tel: (0992) 813027. The course will run from Fri 8th Nov to Sun 10th Nov.

The course is a three levels, plus singing

The tutors will be:

Beginners: Dr Kenneth MacKinnon: Researcher in the sociology of Gaelic
and soon to take up a position at Edinburgh University Celtic dept

Intermediate: John Angus Macleod, winner of the Bardic Crown, chairman
of Gaidhlig Aig Deas, Vice President of the London Gaelic society,
adjudicator at the Mod. A fluent native speaker from Tarbert (Harris)

Advanced: Alasdair MacInnes, winner of the Bardic Crown, teacher
of "Gaelic in the Glen"
Alasdair is a fluent native speaker of Glencoe Gaelic and he was
one of my teachers at High School

Singing: This will be conducted by the well known singer Christine
Primrose.

Please bring along any musical instruments you have for the Saturday
night ceilidh!

Craig

Scottish Gaelic beginners lesson - possibly of interest to readers here.

 ------- Forwarded mail received on 6-Sep-1992 at 00:28:08 -------

From:	VBORMC::"GAELIC-L%IRLEARN.bitnet@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU" 
	"GAELIC Language Bulletin Board" 
To:	Multiple recipients of <GAELIC-L%IRLEARN.bitnet@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subj:	elem SG lesson


In the first lesson (way back in June) we saw how to make simple
sentences using the present tense ofthe verb bi, using two modes:
the dependent mode (bheil, 'eil) for negations and questions,
and the independent mode (tha) for statements.
For example: Tha mi fuar  I am cold
             Cha n 'eil mi fuar  I am not cold
             A' bheil mi fuar?  am I cold?

This lesson will grind through the rest of the active indicative of bi;
it's a bit boring but necessary groundwork. I'll try to make the next
one more interesting.

Other tenses:
-------------

The same distinction between independent and dependent modes
applies in the other tenses:

future: bithidh (also spelt bidh) is the independent, pronounced [bi:j]
        bi is the dependent (pronounced [bi])
past:   bha is the independent ([va])
        robh is the dependent ([ro])
incomplete: bhitheadh [vi@%] or [vi%] independent. often spelt bhiodh
            bitheadh [bi@%] or [bi%] dependent. often spelt biodh

The interrogative particle "an" changes to "am" before a labial
consonant (m, b, or f) so we have "am bi" rather than "an bi".
The negative particle cha lenites a verb beginning b, c, f, g, m or p
so we have "cha bhi" [xa vi] rather then "cha bi".

Examples: bidh e 'n sin         he will be there
          am bi e 'n sin?       will he be there?
          cha bhi e 'n sin      he won't be there
          bha iad fliuch        they were wet
          an robh iad fliuch?   were they wet?
          cha robh iad fliuch   they weren't wet
          bhiodh thu blath      you would be warm
          am biodh thu blath?   would you be warm?
          cha bhiodh thu blath  you wouldn't be warm

There is a complication in the incomplete tense; the first person
pronouns can be combined with the verb:
bhitheadh mi changes into bhithinn (pronounced [viin'])
bhitheadh sinn changes to bhitheamaid ([vi@mit'] or [vi:mit'])
                          (also spelt biomaid)
Almost everyone almost always uses these compounds instead of the forms
with separate pronouns. Many people never use the forms with separate
pronouns at all.

Negative questions
------------------

The particle "nach" ( [nax] ) is used to introduce a negative question.
As it is a question, the dependent mode of the verb is used:

        nach 'eil sibh slan?    are you not healthy?
        nach bithinn fuar?      wouldn't I be cold?
        nach bi iad fliuch?     won't they be wet?
        nach robh i tinn?       wasn't she ill?

The relative mode
-----------------

Gaelic verbs have three indicative modes: independent, dependent, and
relative. (There's also a nonindicative mode: the imperative.) But the
relative mode exists only in the future tense, the other tenses use the
independent or dependent (for positive of negative clauses) where the
future tense has the relative mode.

the relative mode is used in clauses introduced by
        a relative pronoun: a (who, which) nach (who not, which not)
        ma (if) (but mur [m@r] "if not" takes the dependent mode)
        ged a (though) (usually elided to ged) ([g'et] or [g'et@]
        an uair a (when) (usually elided to 'nuair) ([nu@r'] or [nur@])

examples:
ged bhios mi fliuch cha bhi mi fuar although I'll be wet I won't be cold
ged bhiodh mi fliuch cha bhithinn fuar though I would be wet I wouldn't be cold
nuair bhios i air an loch bidh i fliuch when she's on the lake she'll be wet
nuair bha i air an loch bha i fliuch when she was on the lake she was wet
ma bhios iad tinn cha bhi iad slan if they're sick they won't be well
ma tha iad tinn cha n 'eil iad slan if they're sick they aren't well
mur bi mi slan cha bhi mi 'n sin unless I'm well I won't be there

an eala a bhios air an loch  the swan that will be on the lake
an eala a bha air an loch    the swan that was on the lake
an duine nach bhios an so    the man who won't be here
an duine nach 'eil an so     the man who isn't here
an eala a tha air an loch    the swan that is on the lake

elision is very important in Gaelic, and the times you will hear
that last phrase as it's written are pretty rare; and since the normal
gaelic rule is to write as you would speak, it wouldn't normally be
written that way either: what you will hear and see (except in text
books) is

        an eala 'th'air an loch [@ n'ela her' @n loch]

and by convention it is acceptable to omit any apostrophe that
represents a whole world so often the first apostrophe is omitted too;
and you will notice that where an elided syllable is represented by an
apostrophe we often don't bother with a space between the words as the
apostrophe shows where the word boundary is.
This example of elision is an optional one, in that the uncontracted
form is still acceptable; there are other cases where only the
contracted form is acceptable, writing out or speaking the words in full
is definitely incorrect and risks not being understood. So you will have
to get used to missing syllables and pages spattered with apostrophes.


Tom.    [tom@fiveg.icl.co.uk

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