Scottish Gaelic Vs Irish

[DelBoy]

Hey Daniel,

following on from the posts in the Irish forum about comparing Irish and Scottish Gaelic, I was just having a look on the Scottish Gaelic forum and I found some strange things, like

in the lesson on the future tense you say that cha bhi mi means 'I will not be', whereas in Irish bhí mé means 'I was'
It seems that the Scottish future negative 'to be' is the same as the Irish past positive 'to be'
Weird eh?

Another thing I noticed that I thought was a bit funny was that in Scottish Gaelic, you use the word fear (man) to mean 'one' - In Irish we use the word ceann (head) for this
'am fear sin' - 'an ceann sin' - 'that one'
('that man' - 'that head' - that one')
(I hope I got the Gaidhlig bit right? )

also you said 'tè' is a feminine word used like 'fear' above - In Irish this is simply another word for 'duine' - person. They're pretty much interchangeable, but 'té' is a little more poetic/religious.
Strange, eh?

[culúrien]

there's a lot of similarities, but too many people assume they're almost the same. The more advanced you go, the more they seperate. It does help learning some nouns when they're the same though

[Oleksij]

I was still wondering if a Gaeilge speaker and a Gàidhlig speaker could understand each other???

Is mo tuairim a thuigeann siad na Gaeilgeóirí le na Gàidhligeóirí- nach fíor é seo?

[DelBoy]

I was still wondering if a Gaeilge speaker and a Gàidhlig speaker could understand each other???

Is mo tuairim a thuigeann siad na Gaeilgeóirí le na Gàidhligeóirí- nach fíor é seo?

I've recently moved to Scotland and got to listen to some Scots Gaelic on the radio - its strange that it sounds very like Irish, only I can't understand anything except the odd word now and then. Apparently Ulster Irish speakers can understand it better though.

(Is é mo thuairim go dtuigeann Gaeilgeoirí agus Gàidhligeóiri a chéile - nach fíor é seo? )

[Oleksij]

Go raibh mile maith agat, a chara.

[Evgenij]

Well, we can see now differences between these languages.
But which one is better to begin with when I want to learn both of them?

[Drochfhuaimniú]

I believe that the relative pros and cons sort of work this way.

Scottish Gaelic has a simpler grammar system because it only has one sort of consonant mutation (lenition). On the other side, its orthography is relatively difficult and has not had a revision.

Irish Gaelic has a more difficult grammar system with two consonant mutations (lenition & eclipsis), yet it has had a spelling revision and has somewhat simpler orthography (though neither have very easy orthographies).

Ulster Irish & Donegal Irish speakers can pick words out of Scots Gaelic sentences from what I've heard. But their accents are very thick to us and have very rapid speech!

[Evgenij]

Then I think that Scottish Gaelic is better for a beginner.

[charlotteh]

in response to the first point made in this discussion, 'bhí' is the equivalent of ScG 'bha', rather than the same word as ScG 'bhi' (note accent/lack of accent). It's to do with changes in pronunciation as the two languages became more different as they evolved separately.

In reply to Evgenij, I'd say learn Scots Gaelic first, but then maybe I'm biased! I've certainly studied Gaidhlig before Gaelige.

[culúrien]

As someone learning both (which can get a little confusing!), I think they are pretty equally difficult. Where one is easier, the other is harder, but in another area, it's vice versa. As Daniel pointed out, the deeper you go into them, the more they seperate. Don't think of them as dialects, but as they are- two very seperate languages.

[charlotteh]

Daniel, was that sarcasm or excitement?

[DelBoy]

Charlotteh,
cá as i nDún Éideann thú? Tá mé i mo chónaí anseo ar feadh bliain, ag staidéar. Tá mé i ngrá leis an gcathair, tá sé comh álainn!

[charlotteh]

Oh my goodness, don't write in Irish! I've only been learning it one term! And I feel I've just about failed my Christmas exam...
I believe this is an answer to your question...
Tha mi a'fuireach ann an Sraid Montague ann an Newington, agus s'e oileanach a th'annam aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann.
You're studying there for a [number] year(s)... perhaps? It's a beautiful place...?
Hmmm, that's as much as I can understand with Scots Gaelic. Irish is an even more stupid language than Gaelic is, I think they should have both died when they got the chance!

[charlotteh]

In answer to your question then, tha beagan Gàidhlig agam.
In fact, I really need to get better at it because at this rate I'm going to fail my degree oh woe is me.... ochain uiridh.... I'm only doing it for the music.... and Rèidio nan Gàidheal (sp?) is driving me mad! I'm trying to brainwash myself you see, but all I end up listening to is A' mire ri Mòr *sigh*

[DelBoy]

Oh my goodness, don't write in Irish! I've only been learning it one term! And I feel I've just about failed my Christmas exam...
I believe this is an answer to your question...
Tha mi a'fuireach ann an Sraid Montague ann an Newington, agus s'e oileanach a th'annam aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann.
You're studying there for a [number] year(s)... perhaps? It's a beautiful place...?
Hmmm, that's as much as I can understand with Scots Gaelic. Irish is an even more stupid language than Gaelic is, I think they should have both died when they got the chance!

Oh, sorry! I thought you said you studied Irish... I said I'm living here for a year studying. I'm in love with the city! It's so beautiful!

Unfortunately my Gaidhlig isn't that good....
You're living on Montague street in Newington, and you're an islander (?) and you're at Edinburgh Uni?
.......perhaps not

[charlotteh]

Islander? No. Oileanach = student.
I'm studying Irish just now.... you're not in my class, are you? What are you studying?

[DelBoy]

Nah I'm not in your class. I'm doing a masters in psychology. That would be strange though

I thought islander was a bit strange (in Irish, oileán = island) - it's very different from the irish (mac léinn = student)