Stooryduster

Stooryduster, a web site built by a graphic artist, is a Scottish word and vocabulary site. According to the author, "The Stooryduster site was my reaction to the slow drowning and erosion of languages by the globalization of ‘international English’ –through the ubiquity of computer operating systems and by association the Web.

The Stooryduster project began in the twenty first century 2000. The idea sprung from lively discussions about words with workmates from abroad during our unit's mandatory weekly Friday afternoon sticky bun tea break.

We discussed their understanding of Scots words and the similarities and differences discovered to the same words from their country with much laughter. There was also a serious shared passion for language and how to use words to communicate clearly and unambiguously. I thought I could illustrate the words that came up and put them on the Web. Can't be that too much work involved. Doh! It's grown since then."

On this site you will find a new Scottish Word posted every week. You can take multiple Scottish Word Quizzes to test your knowledge of Scottish words; the Whisky Quiz is particularly fun.

One of the links from the Stooryduster site took me to the Omniglot online book store. Here you will find resources for Scottish Gaelic language courses, dictionaries and other books to assist you in learning Scottish Gaelic.

Slainte,
Dianne

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More Scottish Gaelic Phrases

"Dè an t-ainm a tha oirbh?" (Jeh un TAH-num uh HAW-ruv?) What's your name?

"'S mise.....(insert your name)." (SMIH-shuh...) "My name is..."

"Ciamar a tha sibh?" (KIM-mer uh HAH shiv?) "How are you?"

"Tha mi airson Gàidhlig ionnsachadh." (hah mee EHR-sawn GAH-lik YOON-sa-hugkh) "I want to learn Gaelic."

"Càit a bheil an taigh beag?" (KAHTCH uh vehl un tye bek?) "Where's the bathroom?"

"Slàinte mhòr agad!" (SLAHN-tchuh VORR AH-kut!) "Great health to you!" ("Cheers!")

"Tha gaol agam ort." (Hah GEUL AH-kum orsht) "I love you."

"Tha gaol agam ort-fhèin." (Hah GEUL AH-kum orsht-HEH-een) "I love you too."

"Chan eil fhios agam." (CHAHN-yel iss AH-kum) "I don't know."

"Dè tha thu ag iarraidh?" (jeh HAH oo ug EE-uh-ree) "What do you want?"

"Tha mi duilich." (hah mee DOOH-lich) "I'm sorry."

"Gabhaibh mo leisgeul." (GAHV-iv moe LESH-kul) "Excuse me."

"Ma 'se ur toil e." (mah sheh oor TUL-leh) "please."

"Tapadh leat." (TAH-puh LAHT -- also -- TAHplett) "Thank you."

"Mòran taing." (MAW-run TAH-eeng) "Many thanks."

"'Se do bheatha." (sheh doe VEH-huh) "You're welcome."


Slainte,
Dianne

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English Words of Scottish Gaelic Origin

Bard
Poet or reciter.

Banshee
A wailing (female) spirit.

Beltane
Bealtainn or in Irish gaelic 'Bealtaine' (May, the month of)

Ben
From beinn, mountain

Bog
From bog, meaning soft or wet, a bog, swamp or marsh.

Brat
A disagreeable or spoiled child.

Brogue
The accent

Bunny

Caber
From cabar, pole

Cairn

Ceilidh
A traditional Scottish social gathering involving dance

Clan
From clann, children or family.

Clarsach
A harp

Claymore
From claidheamh mòr, great sword

Corrie
From coire, kettle

Cross
crois (Anglo-Saxon Cros, Old Norse Kross, originally from Latin crux perhaps via Celtic)

Drambuie
A scotch whisky liqueur, from dram buidheach, drink that satisfies

Gab, gob
From gob, mouth.

Galore
From gu leòr, enough, plenty.

Ghillie
gille

Glen
From gleann, a valley.

Hubbub
ubub

Loch
an enclosed body of water, fresh or salt.

Pet
peata, originally meaning a spoilt child.

Pibroch
pìobaireachd (piping)

Plaid
(Probably borrowed from Lowland Scots[1], from the past participle of ply, to fold, giving plied then plaid after the Scots pronunciation)

Quaich
cuach, a cup.

Samhain
The Gaelic word for November; refers to a pagan holiday

Slew
a great number (a slew of problems) from sluagh, an army, people.

Slob

Slogan
From the sluagh-ghairm, battle-cry

Smashing
From 's math sin - that is good, or simply an extension of the meaning of common or garden English smash.

Smidgen
smid a "syllable", a small bit, smidean a very small bit (connected to Irish "smidirin", smithereen)

Snazzy
from snas, fashion, perhaps a U.S. colloquial blend of snappy and jazzy

Sporran
sporan, purse

Trousers
from triubhas via "trews"

Whisky
From uisge-beatha, water of life.

An online searchable Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic can be found here.

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Whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha)

The phrase "uisge-beatha" is related to the Latin term "aqua vitae", both meaning "water of life".
Legend has it that distillation was first brought to Scotland by Irish monks in the fourth and fifth centuries. Taxation of whisky production was imposed by the Crown in 1644, resulting in an increase in illicit distilling. According to some sources, around 1780, there were about 8 legal distilleries and 400 illegal ones in Scotland.

Click here for a history of Scotch Whisky.

By legal definition, Scotch whisky must be:
Distilled at a Scottish distillery from water and malted barley, and fermented only by the addition of yeast,
Distilled to an alcoholic strength of less than 94.8% by volume,
Matured in Scotland in oak casks for no less than three years,
Must not contain any added substance other than water and caramel colouring, and
May not be bottled at less than 40% alcohol by volume.

Types of Scotch whisky
Single malt whisky is a 100% malted barley whisky from one distillery.
Single grain whisky is a grain whisky from one distillery (it does not have to be made from a single type of grain).
Vatted, Pure or Blended malt whisky is a malt whisky created by mixing single malt whiskies from more than one distillery.
Blended grain whisky is a whisky created by mixing grain whiskies from more than one distillery.
Blended Scotch whisky is a mixture of single malt whisky and grain whisky, usually from multiple distilleries.

Click here for a map of Distilleries.
Click here for a Distillery Pronunciation Guide.
Click here for a handy guide to Scottish Toasts, Blessings and Inscriptions

And most importantly, it is always Scotch whisky, and Irish whiskey.

Click here for more information on Scotch whisky.

Slainte Mhath,
Dianne

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