Colloquial Scottish Gaelic: The Complete Course for Beginners

✍ Scribed by Katie Graham, Katherine Spadaro

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Leaves: 334
• Series: Colloquial Series
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Colloquial Scottish Gaelic provides a step-by-step course in Scottish Gaelic as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Scottish Gaelic in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

Key features include:

progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar
an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises
realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of scenarios
useful vocabulary lists throughout the text
an overview of the sounds and alphabet of Scottish Gaelic
additional resources available at the back of the book, including a full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues.
Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Scottish Gaelic will be an indispensable resource both for independent learners and for students taking courses in Scottish Gaelic.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Introduction
English borrowings from Gaelic
Pronunciation guide
The alphabet
Vowels (CD1; 02)
Main vowel combinations (CD1; 03)
Vowels before consonants (CD1; 04)
Consonants (CD1; 05)
Consonants + h (CD1; 06)
'Missing' vowels – elision (CD1; 07)
'Extra' vowels (CD1; 08)
Stress and intonation
1 A bheil Gàidhlig agad? – Do you speak Gaelic?
Dialogue 1: Gabhaibh mo leisgeul! – Excuse me! (CD1; 09)
Language points
Thu/sibh
Exercise 1
Word order
Introducing yourself
Speaking languages
Dialogue 2: An ticeard – The ticket (CD1; 12)
Language points
Money
Exercise 2
Dialogue 3: Air a’ bhus – On the bus (CD1; 15)
Language points (CD1; 16)
Names (CD1; 17)
Addressing female names (CD1; 18)
Male names (CD1; 19)
Addressing male names (CD1; 20)
Common Gaelic surnames (CD1; 21)
Exercise 3
The verb ‘to be’
To be (CD1; 23)
Adjectives (CD1; 24)
Exercise 4
Questions
Negative questions
Present tense of other verbs
Common verbs (CD1; 27)
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Reading – Leughadh (CD1; 28)
Vocabulary
2 An teaghlach – The family
Dialogue 1: Halò! – Hello! (CD1; 29)
Language point
Exercise 1
Dialogue 2: Seo mo bhràthair . . . – This is my brother . . . (CD1; 31)
Language points
Family members (CD1; 32)
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Dialogue 3: Fàilte! – Welcome! (CD1; 34)
Language points
Dialogue 4: A’ bhanais – The wedding (CD1; 36)
Language points (CD1; 37)
Exercise 5
More about possessives
Exercise 6
Describing people
Adjectives - people's appearances (CD1; 38)
Exercise 7 (CD1; 39)
Exercise 8
Glè
Exercise 9
Le
Exercise 10
Reading – Leughadh (CD1; 40)
Vocabulary
3 Càit a bheil e? – Where is it?
Dialogue 1: Càit a bheil e? – Where is it? (CD1; 41)
Language points
Prepositional pronouns using do 'to'
Exercise 1
The article
Exercise 2 (CD1; 42)
Position
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Dialogue 2: Co ris a tha e coltach? – What is it like? (CD1; 44)
Language points
Colours (CD1; 46)
Exercise 6
Dialogue 3 (CD1; 47)
Language points
Emphatic pronouns
Numbers 1-10 (CD1; 49)
Exercise 7
Plurals
Location
Exercise 8
Reading – Leughadh (CD1; 52)
4 Ciamar a tha thu a’ faireachdainn? – How do you feel?
Dialogue 1: Dè tha ceàrr ort? – What's wrong with you? (CD1; 53)
Vocabulary
Language points
brònag/bròinean
Prepositional pronouns with air
Exercise 1
The body (CD1; 55)
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Dialogue 2: Tha mi meadhanach . . . – I'm poorly (CD1; 57)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Dialogue 3: Seumas bochd! – Poor James! (CD1; 59)
Vocabulary
Language points
Comparatives/superlatives
Past of ‘to be’
Exercise 6
Reading – Leughadh (CD1; 61)
5 Co mheud a th’ ann? – How many are there?
Dialogue 1: Ceud ‘push-up’ – A hundred push-ups! (CD1; 62)
Vocabulary
Language points
More numbers
Numbers 20-100
Nos 50, 60, 70 to 100 (CD1; 63)
Older system - Nos 20 to 100 (CD1; 64)
Exercise 1
Ages
Exercise 2
Counting rhyme (CD1; 66)
Your address
Dialogue 2: Fear na Bùtha – The Shopkeeper (CD1; 67)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 3
Airgead
Exercise 4
Prepositional pronouns with le
Dialogue 3: Dè an uair a tha e? – What time is it? (CD1; 70)
Vocabulary
Language points
Telling the time
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Reading – Leughadh (CD1; 72)
6 Biadh is deoch – Food and drink
Dialogue 1: An diathad – The lunch (CD1; 73)
Vocabulary
Language points
Likes and dislikes
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Dialogue 2: Àm dìnnear – Dinner-time (CD1; 76)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 4
Dialogue 3: Ciamar a rinn sibh e? – How did you make it? (CD1; 78)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 5
A Gaelic proverb
Reading – Leughadh: Aran coirce – Oatcakes (CD1; 79)
Vocabulary
7 An aimsir/an t-sìde – The weather
Dialogue 1: Latha brèagha – A beautiful day (CD1; 81)
Vocabulary
Language points
The verb ‘to be’: is
Is and tha
Exercise 1
Làithean na Seachdain: The days of the week ... with their interesting derivations! (CD1; 84)
Exercise 2
Dialogue 2: Latha stoirmeil – A stormy day (CD1; 85)
Vocabulary
Language points
Vocabulary
Language points
Prepositional pronouns using de - ‘of’/‘off’
Exercise 3 (CD1; 87)
The months of the year: Na Mìosan (CD1; 88)
Exercise 4
Dialogue 3: Am bodach-sneachda – The snowman (CD1; 89)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 5
Reading – Leughadh (CD1; 91)
8 Air an dùthaich – In the countryside
Dialogue 1 (CD2; 01)
Vocabulary
Language points
Plurals
Animals (CD2; 03)
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Dialogue 2: Na beathaichean – The animals (CD2; 04)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 3
Dialogue 3: Anns an lot – On the croft (CD2; 06)
Vocabulary
Language points
Ordinal numbers (20th-31st in the decimal system)
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Ceistean, ceistean . . . Question forms (CD2; 07)
Exercise 6
Reading – Leughadh: CROITEARACHD – CROFTING (CD2; 08)
Sùil air ais (1) – Review (1)
A. Common greetings and expressions
B. Verb 'to be' practice
C. Prepositional pronouns
D. The clock and the calendar: An cleoc is am mìosachan
9 Co às a tha thu? – Where are you from?
Dialogue 1: Caraidean ùra – New friends (CD2; 09)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 1 (CD2; 10)
The verb ‘to go’
Exercise 2
Dialogue 2: Thall ’s a-bhos – Here and there (CD2; 11)
Vocabulary
Language points
The verb ‘to see’
Exercise 3
Prepositional pronouns with ri
Exercise 4
Dialogue 3: Càit an tèid sinn? – Where will we go? (CD2; 12)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 5
Isle of Lewis (CD2; 14)
Noun cases
Reading – Leughadh (CD2; 15)
Vocabulary
10 Dè a chuireas mi orm? – What will I wear?
Dialogue 1: Cuireadh gu pàrtaidh – An invitation to a party (CD2; 16)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 1 (CD2; 18)
Dialogue 2: An dreas’ ùr – The new dress (CD2; 19)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 2 (CD2; 21)
Exercise 3
Dialogue 3: Tha sin ro dhaor – That is too expensive (CD2; 22)
Vocabulary
Language points
Demonstratives
Exercise 4
Reading – Leughadh (CD2; 24)
11 Dè an obair a th’ agad? – What work do you do?
Dialogue 1: Teaghlach mìorbhaileach – A wonderful family (CD2; 25)
Vocabulary
Language points
Lenition
Exercise 1
Prepositional pronoun with ann
Occupations (CD2; 28)
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Dialogue 2: Farmad – Envy (CD2;29)
Vocabulary
Language points
Dialogue 3: Obair ùr – A new job (CD2; 30)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 4
Reading – Leughadh: Teaghlach Mòr - Tha Ealasaid ag radh (CD2; 33)
12 Curseachadan – Pastimes
Dialogue 1: Latha fliuch – A wet day (CD2; 34)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Dialogue 2: A’ curseachad na fide – Passing the time (CD2; 36)
Vocabulary
Language points (CD2; 38)
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Dialogue 3: Dè a bhios tu fhèin a’ dèanamh? – What do you do? (CD2; 39)
Vocabulary
Language points
The verb innis - ‘to tell"
Exercise 5
Reading – Leughadh (CD2; 40)
Vocabulary
13 Anns a’ bhaile-mhòr – In the city
Dialogue 1: Baile-mòr Dhùn Èideann – The city of Edinburgh (CD2; 41)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Dialogue 2: Dè tha a’ dol? – What's going on? (CD2; 42)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 3
Dialogue 3: Àiteachan sònraichte – Special places (CD2; 44)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 4
Imperatives
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Reading – Leughadh: Caisteal Dhùn Èideann (CD2; 45)
14 Subhach is dubhach – Happy and sad
Dialogue 1: A-mach air a chèile! – Fallen out! (CD2; 46)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 1
Dialogue 2: Nighean thoilichte – A happy girl (CD2; 47)
Vocabulary
Language points
Reported speech - present tense with tha
Exercise 2
. . . and past tense
Direct speech
Exercise 3
Dialogue 3: Tha mi air mo nàireachadh – I'm so embarrassed (CD2; 50)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 4
Reading – Leughadhi: Anna Bheag by Mairead Hulse (CD2; 52)
15 Na làithean a dh’fhalbh – Days gone by
Dialogue 1: A bheil cuimhn’ agaibh? – Do you remember? (CD2; 53)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Dialogue 2: An agallamh – The interview (CD2; 54)
Vocabulary
Language points
Passives
Exercise 3
Psalm 23 (CD2; 55)
Dialogue 3: Eadar-dhealachaidhean – Differences (CD2; 56)
Vocabulary
Language points (CD2; 57)
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Reading – Leughadh (CD2; 58)
16 Càman is ceòl – Language and music
Dialogue 1: An consairt: The concert (CD2; 59)
Vocabulary
Language points (CD2; 60)
Comparative adjectives
Exercise 1
Dialogue 2: Làrach-lìn inntinneach – An interesting website (CD2; 61)
Vocabulary
Language points
‘Ho rò is toil leam fhìn thu’¹ (CD2; 62)
Dialogue 3: Beagan eachdraidh – A little bit of history (CD2; 63)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 2
Dates
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Reading – Leughadh: Caidreamh na Cloinne
Vocabulary
17 Deireadh na bliadhna – The end of the year
Dialogue 1: An Nollaig – Christmas (CD2; 65)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Laoidh - ‘Leanaibh an Aigh’ (CD2; 66)
Dialogue 2: Oidhche na Bliadhn’ Ùire! – Hogmanay! (CD2; 67)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Dialogue 3: Làithean Sonraichte Eile – Other special days (CD2; 68)
Vocabulary
Language points
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Reading – Leughadh: Litir dhachaigh (CD2; 69)
Sùil air ais (2) – Review (2)
A. Translate
B. Direct and indirect speech
Direct speech to indirect
Indirect speech to direct
C. Describing people
D. Items of clothing we have met
E. More formal constructions
F. More on 'to be'
Leughadh: Translation of reading passages
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6: Oatcakes
Unit 7
Unit 8
Unit 9
Unit 10: SALE JAME'S SHOP
Unit 11: A large family
Unit 12
Unit 13: Edinburgh Castle
Unit 14
Unit 15
Unit 16
Unit 17
Key to exercises
Unit 1
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 5
Unit 2
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 5
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Exercise 10
Unit 3
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 6
Exercise 8
Unit 4
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Unit 5
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 5
Unit 6
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Unit 7
Exercise 1
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Unit 8
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Review 1
A
B
C
D
Unit 9
Exercise 1
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Unit 10
Exercise 1
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Unit 11
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Unit 12
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 5
Unit 13
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
Unit 14
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Unit 15
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 5
Unit 16
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Unit 17
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
Review 2
A
B
C
D
E
F
Grammar supplement
1 Alphabet
2 Spelling
3 Lenition
4 Nouns
5 The article
6 Personal pronouns + emphatic and reflexive forms
7 Possessive adjectives
8 Prepositions
Simple prepositions
9 Prepositional possessives
10 Compound prepositions (which govern the genitive case)
11 Prepositional pronouns (simple prepositions + pronouns)
12 Adjectives
13 Preceding adjectives
14 Comparison of adjectives
Past tense
15 Verbs
The verb ‘to be’ (bi)
16 The verb 'to be' is
Present tense
Past tense
17 Regular verbs
Past
Future
The conditional
18 Irregular verbs
19 Adverbs
20 Demonstratives
21 Noun cases
Nominative
Vocative
Dative
Genitive
22 Sample declensions
23 Indefinite pronouns
Verb glossary
English–Gaelic glossary
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Gaelic–English glossary
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
Grammar index
a-c-d-e-f-h-i-l-m-n-p
q-r-t-v-w
Topic index
a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-l-m-n
o-p-r-s-t-w