Dictionary detailing origins of every Gaelic word secures share of £500,000

An online dictionary which has rediscovered lost Gaelic phrases is to benefit from a share of £500,000 of Scottish Government funding.

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes – whose responsibilities include Gaelic – announced the money is going to 12 projects to support the language in Scotland.

These include Faclair na Gaidhlig – the Historical Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic – which seeks to provide a better understanding of Gaelic’s history and culture.

The project aims to be the first dictionary to the language which details the origins and meanings of every known Gaelic word, with those involved in compiling it expecting it will contain more than 100,000 entries when completed.

“New insight”

Ms Forbes said: “The dictionary initiative is providing researchers, writers, speakers and learners of Gaelic with new insight into the language and it will be a valuable resource for future generations.”

Researchers involved in the project have investigated historical manuscripts dating back to the 12th century and have rediscovered a number of words and phrases.

These include the “Ciod fo na rionnagan”, which translates as “what under the stars”, which was used in the early 1900s to emphasise a point in a similar way to the phrase “what on earth”.

Researchers also discovered the Gaelic word for prickly pear fruit, “peur stobach”, was first used in a letter documenting a visit to Saint Helena in 1900.

Meanwhile “uircean”, which is the Gaelic word for “piglet”, used to mean “whale calf” in the 1800s.

“Culture, heritage and history”

As well as the dictionary project, the £500,000 funding will also support Gaelic publishing and Gaelic cultural activities, including a summer school and musical events.

Stressing the language “is a core part of Scotland’s culture, heritage and history”, Ms Forbes said the money will help “a range of Gaelic publishing, education, arts and community projects”.

The Deputy First Minister added: “This will build on measures set out in the Scottish Languages Bill to strengthen Gaelic education provision and our investment of £35.7 million in initiatives to promote the language in 2025-26.”