List of English words of Scottish Gaelic origin

This is a list of English words borrowed from Scottish Gaelic. Some of these are common in Scottish English and Scots but less so in other varieties of English.

Word of Gaelic origin

; Airt : Point of the compass, from "àird" (pronounced|aːrˠtʲ), point of the compass.; Bard"Collins English Dictionary 21st Century Edition" Harper Collins (2001) ISBN 0-00-472529-8] : From "bàrd" (pronounced|paːrˠt̪), a low ranking poet.; Ben : From "beinn" (pronounced|peiɲ), mountain.; Bog : From "bog" (pronounced|pok), soft (related to "boglach" swamp), from Old Irish "bocc".MacBain, A. (1911) "An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language"] 14th century.Hoad, T.F. (ed) (1986) "Oxford Concise Dictionary of English Etymology" Oxford ISBN 0-19-283098-8] ; Bothy : A hut, from "bothan" (pronounced|pɔhan), a hut.; Bunny : From "bun" (pronounced|pun), a now obsolete word for a rabbit warren.; Caird : A tinker, from "ceaird" (pronounced|kʰʲɛrˠtʲ), the plural of "ceàrd", tinkers.; Caber : From "cabar" (pronounced|kʰapəɾ), pole.; Cailleach : From "cailleach" (pronounced|kʰaʎəx), old woman.; Cairn : From "càirn" (pronounced|kʰɛːrˠn), the plural of "càrn".; Cairngorm : From "An Càrn Gorm" (pronounced|əŋ kʰaːrˠn kɔɾɔm), after Cairn Gorm, a mountain in the area where these stones are found.; Caman : From "caman" (pronounced|kʰaman), shinty stick. Also in use in Scotland the derived camanachd, shinty.; Capercaillie : From "capall-coille" (pronounced|kʰaʰpəlˠ̪ˈkʰɤʎə).; Cateran : From "ceatharn" (pronounced|kʰʲɛhərˠn), fighting troop.; Ceilidh : From "céilidh" (pronounced|kʰʲeːlɪ), a social gathering.; Clachan : From "clachan" (pronounced|kʰlˠ̪axan), a small settlemet.; Clan : From the compound form "clann" (pronounced|kʰlˠ̪an̪ˠ, from "clann", children or family. Old Irish "cland".; Clarsach : A harp, from "clàrsach" (pronounced|kʰlˠ̪aːrˠs̪əx), a harp.; Claymore : A large broadsword, from "claidheamh mór" (pronounced|kʰlˠ̪ajəv moːɾ), great sword.; Corrie : From "coire" (pronounced|kʰɤɾʲə), kettle.; Dig : see Twig.; Craig : From "creag" (pronounced|kʰʲɾʲekʲ), a cliff.; Doch-an-doris : Stirrup cup, from "deoch an dorais" (pronounced|tʲɔx ən̪ˠ t̪ɔɾəʃ), drink of the door.; Drambuie : A scotch whisky liqueur, from "drama buidheach" (pronounced|t̪ɾamə pujəx), drink that satisfies.; Fillibeg : A kilt, from "féileadh beag" (pronounced|feːləɣ pek), small kilt.; Ghillie : a type of servant, from "gille" (pronounced|kʲiʎə), boy or servant.; Glayva : A type of liqueur, from "glé mhath" (pronounced|kleː vãh), very good; Glen : From "gleann" (pronounced|klãũnˠ̪), a valley.; Glengarry bonnet : From "Gleanna Garadh" (pronounced|klɛn̪ˠəˈkaɾəɣ), Glengarry.; Ingle : From "aingeal" (pronounced|aiŋʲgʲəlˠ̪), a now obsolete word for fire.; Kyle : From "caol" (pronounced|kʰɯːlˠ̪), narrow.; Loch : From "loch" (pronounced|lˠ̪ɔx).; Lochaber axe : From "Loch Abar" (pronounced|lˠ̪ɔxˈapəɾ), Lochaber + axe.; Lochan : From "lochan" (pronounced|lˠ̪ɔxan), a small loch.; Machair : From "machair" (pronounced|maxəɾʲ), the fertile land behind dunes.; Mackintosh : After Charles Macintosh who invented it. From "Mac an Tòisich" (pronounced|maxk ən̪ˠ t̪ʰɔːʃɪç), son of the chieftain.; Mod : A Gaelic festival, from "mòd" (pronounced|mɔːt̪), assembly, court.; Pibroch : From "pìobaireachd" (pronounced|pʰiːpəɾʲəxk), piping.; Pillion : From "pillean" (pronounced|pʰiʎan), pack-saddle, cushion.; Plaid : From "plaide" (pronounced|pʰlˠ̪atʲə), blanket. Alternatively a Lowland Scots loanword [http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?plen=17774&startset=29929824&query=PLAID&fhit=plaid&dregion=form&dtext=snd#fhit] , from the past participle of "ply", to fold, giving "plied" then "plaid" after the Scots pronunciation.; Ptarmigan : From "tàrmachan" (pronounced|tʰaːɾməxan). 16th Century.; Quaich : From "cuach" (pronounced|kʰuəx), a cup.; SkeanMcArthur. T. "The Oxford Companion to the English Language" Oxford University Press 1992 ISBN 0-19-214183-X] : From "sgian" (pronounced|s̪kʲian), a knife.; Slogan : From "sluagh-ghairm" (pronounced|s̪lˠ̪uəɣɤɾʲɤm), battle-cry; Slughorn : Also from "sluagh-ghairm", but erroneously believed by Thomas Chatterton and Robert Browning to refer (apparently) to some kind of trumpet. [Simpson, J.A. and Weiner E.S.C. "The Oxford English Dictionary" Second Edition Vol XV] ; Sporran : From "sporan" (pronounced|s̪pɔɾan), purse.; Spunk : From "spong" (pronounced|s̪pɔŋg), tinder and also sponge. From Early Irish "sponge", from Latin "spongia", from Greek "σπογγιά", a sponge.; Strontium : from Sròn an t-Sìthein (pronounced|s̪t̪ɾɔːn əɲ tʰʲiː.ɛɲ), name of a mountain, near which the element was discovered.; Trousers : from "triubhas" (pronounced|t̪ʰɾu.əs̪), via "trews".; Twig : to understand, catch on, from "tuig" (pronounced|t̪ɯkʲ), understand.; Whisky : Short form of "whiskybae", from "uisge-beatha" (pronounced|ɯʃkʲəˈpɛhə), water of life.

Words of Gaelic or Irish origin

The following words are of Goidelic origin but it cannot be ascertained whether the source language was Old Irish or one of the modern Goidelic languages.; Brat : A disagreeable or spoiled child, Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "brat" (pronounced|b̊ɾaʰd̪̊), mantle, from Old Irish "bratt", cloth.; Brogue : An accent, Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "bròg" (pronounced|pɾɔːk), shoe (of a particular kind worn by Irish and Gaelic peasants), Early Irish "bróc", from Norse "brókr"; Hubbub : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "ubub" (pronounced|upup), an exclamation of disapproval.; Inch : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "innis" (pronounced|ˈiɲɪʃ), an island.; Och : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "och" (pronounced|ɔx), exclamation of regret.; Oe : Grandchild, Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "ogha" (pronounced|o.ə), grandchild.; Pet : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "peata" (pronounced|pʰɛʰtə), a spoilt child. ; Samhain : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "Samhain" (pronounced|s̪ãũ.ɛɲ), November and related to "Oidhche Shamhna", Halloween.; ShennachieRobinson, M. (ed) "The Concise Scots Dictionary" Chambers 1985 ISBN 0-08-028491-4] : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "seannachaidh" (pronounced|ʃɛn̪ˠəxɪ), storyteller.; Sassenach : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "Sassanach" (pronounced|s̪as̪ən̪ˠəx), a Saxon.; Smidgen : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "smidean" (pronounced|s̪mitʲan), a very small bit (connected to Irish "smidirín", smithereen), from "smid", syllable or a small bit.Fact|date=June 2008; Strath : Irish, or Scottish Gaelic "srath" (pronounced|s̪t̪ɾah), a wide valley.

Words popularly believed to be Gaelic

; Smashin(g) : From "'s math sin" (pronounced|s̪ma ʃin), "that is good". Alternatively an extension of English "smash".Fact|date=June 2008 ; Snazzy : Possibly from "snasail" (pronounced|s̪n̪ˠas̪al), elegant or neat. Perhaps a U.S. colloquial blend of snappy and jazzy.

Words mostly used in Lowland Scots

Because of the wide overlap of Scottish English and Lowland Scots, it can be difficult to ascertain of a word should be considered Lowland Scots or Scottish English. These words tend to be more closely associated with Lowland Scots but can occur in Scottish English too.; Abthen (or Abthan) : jurisdiction and territory of pre-Benedictine Scottish monastery , from †"abdhaine" (pronounced|ˈapɣəɲə), abbacy.; Airie : shieling, from "àiridh" (pronounced|ˈaːɾʲɪ), shieling.; Aiten : juniper, from "aiteann" (pronounced|ˈaʰtʲən̪ˠ), juniper.; Car, ker : Left-handed, from "cearr" (pronounced|kʰʲaːrˠ), wrong, left.; Bourach : A mess, from "bùrach" (pronounced|ˈpuːɾəx), a mess.; Crine : To shrink, from "crìon" (pronounced|kʰɾʲiən), to shrink.; Crottle : A type of lichen used as a dye, from "crìon" (pronounced|kʰɾɔʰt̪əlˠ̪), lichen.; Golack : An insect, from "gobhlag" (pronounced|ˈkoːlˠ̪ak), an earwig.; Keelie : A tough urban male, from "ciotach" (pronounced|ˈkʰʲiʰt̪əx), left-handed.; Ketach : The left hand, from "crìon" (pronounced|kʰɾʲiən), to shrink.; Sonse : From "sonas" (pronounced|s̪ɔnəs̪), happiness, good fortune. Also the related "sonsy".; Spleuchan : A pouch, from "spliùchan" (pronounced|ˈs̪pljuːxan), a pouch, purse.; Toshach : Head of a clan, from "toiseach" (pronounced|ˈt̪ʰɔʃəx), beginning, front.

Place-name terminology

There are numerous additional place-name elements in Scotland which are derived from Gaelic, but the majority of these has not entered the English or Scots language as productive nouns and often remain opaque to the average Scot. A few examples of such elements are:

*a(u)ch- from Gaelic "achadh", a field; hence Auchentoshan, Auchinleck
*bal- from Gaelic "baile", a town; hence Balgowan, Balgay etc.
*dal- from Gaelic "dail", a meadow (not to be confused with "dale", from the Norse "dalr" meaning a valley); hence Dalry
*drum- from Gaelic "druim", a ridge; hence Drumchapel, Drumnadrochit etc.
*dun- from Gaelic "dun", a fort; hence Dundee, Dumbarton
*inver- from Gaelic "inbhir", a river mouth or confluence; hence Inverclyde, Inverleith
*kil- from Gaelic "cill", a churchyard; hence Kilmarnock, Kilbride etc.

ee also

* List of English words of Scots origin
* List of English words of Irish origin
* List of English words of Old Irish origin
* List of English words of Welsh origin
* List of English words of Celtic origin
* Lists of English words of international origin

References