Faclair na Gàidhlig

Faclair na Gàidhlig Faclair na Gàidhlig: Faclair eachdraidheil na / A historical dictionary of Scottish . www.faclair.ac.uk

𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝘀 ~ the rook Our latest entry: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/86𝙖𝟭𝟳𝟳𝟵 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘮 (1938) 66...
19/06/2026

𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝘀 ~ the rook

Our latest entry: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/86

𝙖𝟭𝟳𝟳𝟵 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘮 (1938) 66
Ceòl tha cho sgreataidh | Ri sgreadail nan ròcas.
[𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 [𝘵𝘩𝘦] 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴]

There are many good phrases related to ròcas:

𝐶ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑢𝑏ℎ 𝑟𝑖 𝑟𝑜̀𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑠 (‘as black as a rook’)
𝐶ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑢𝑏ℎ 𝑟𝑖 𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑛𝑎 𝑟𝑜̀𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑠 (‘as black as a rook’s feather’)
𝐶ℎ𝑜 𝑏𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑑 𝑟𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑜̀𝑐𝑎(𝑖)𝑠 (‘as poor as the rook’)
𝑅𝑜̀𝑐𝑎(𝑖)𝑠 𝑔𝑎 𝑠𝑔𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑑ℎ 𝑓ℎ𝑒̀𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑡𝑒(𝑎𝑔)𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑔 (‘a rook decorating itself with peacock feathers’)

~~~
Image description: Rook (Corvus frugilegus) in Ayr, Scotland. Photograph by DickDaniels (https://theworldbirds.org/), from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rook_Corvus_frugilegus.jpg #/media/File:Rook_Corvus_frugilegus.jpg (CC BY-SA 3.0).

DASG Bòrd na Gàidhlig

𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝘀An t-inntreadh as ùire againn: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/86𝙖𝟭𝟳𝟳𝟵 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘮 (1938) 6...
19/06/2026

𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝘀

An t-inntreadh as ùire againn: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/86

𝙖𝟭𝟳𝟳𝟵 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘮 (1938) 66
Ceòl tha cho sgreataidh | Ri sgreadail nan ròcas.

Tha deagh abairtean co-cheangailte ris an ròcas:

𝐶ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑢𝑏ℎ 𝑟𝑖 𝑟𝑜̀𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑠
𝐶ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑢𝑏ℎ 𝑟𝑖 𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑛𝑎 𝑟𝑜̀𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑠
𝐶ℎ𝑜 𝑏𝑜𝑐ℎ𝑑 𝑟𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑟𝑜̀𝑐𝑎(𝑖)𝑠
𝑅𝑜̀𝑐𝑎(𝑖)𝑠 𝑔𝑎 𝑠𝑔𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑑ℎ 𝑓ℎ𝑒̀𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑡𝑒(𝑎𝑔)𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑖𝑔

A bharrachd air 𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝘀, tha faclan eile ann air an aon eun.

’S e a thruis Edward Lhuyd mu 1700 bho chuideigin ann an Siorrachd Inbhir Nis: 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗴-𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗮𝘀. Ach tha teansa ann gun robh am fiosraiche ud a-mach air feannag-ghlas (corvus cornix).

’S e 𝗿𝗼̀𝗰𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 a tha aig Niall MacAilpein (1832) na fhaclair, is e comharraichte mar fhacal Ìleach. Agus tha sin ri lorg aig na Tiristich cuideachd.

Dè chanas tu fhèin: ròcais, ròcas, ròcaideach, no fiù ’s cnàimheach?

~~~

Tuairisgeul na h-ìomhaigh: Ròcas (Corvus frugilegus) ann an Inbhir Àir, Alba. Dealbh-camara le DickDaniels (https://theworldbirds.org/), ri fhaighinn bho https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rook_Corvus_frugilegus.jpg #/media/File:Rook_Corvus_frugilegus.jpg (CC BY-SA 3.0).

DASG Bòrd na Gàidhlig

Coinneamh mhòr eile! Thàinig an Comataidh Deasachaidh againn cruinn còmhla an-dè ann an Oilthigh Ghlaschu. 👩‍🏫📖📚Tha an C...
19/06/2026

Coinneamh mhòr eile! Thàinig an Comataidh Deasachaidh againn cruinn còmhla an-dè ann an Oilthigh Ghlaschu. 👩‍🏫📖📚

Tha an Comataidh Deasachaidh fhèin a’ gabhail a-steach Marace Dareau, an Dr Charles Dillon (Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge), an Dr Anthony Harvey (The Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources), Andrew Hawke (Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru), Iain MacDhòmhnaill, an t-Ollamh Uilleam MacGill’Ìosa, an t-Ollamh Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, agus an t-Ollamh Boyd Robasdan.

Bha Màiri NicCumhais (Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig), Gillian Rothach (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig), agus sgioba Fhaclair na Gàidhlig cuideachd an sàs sa choinneimh.

Bhruidhinn sinn mu chuid de na tòimhseachain thoinnte ris a bheil deasaichean an fhaclair a' gleac an-dràsta, m.e., ceann-fhaclan, faclan fillte, ainmearan gnìomhaireach, agus an structar airson ghnìomhairean. Bha deagh dheasbad no dhà ann, agus bha na molaidhean a fhuair sinn uabhasach cuideachail airson na h-obrach a tha romhainn.

~~~

Our Editorial Committee met yesterday in the University of Glasgow. 👩‍🏫📖📚

The Committee itself includes Marace Dareau, Dr Charles Dillon (Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge), Dr Anthony Harvey (The Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources), Andrew Hawke (Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru), Ian MacDonald, Professor William Gillies, Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, and Professor Boyd Robertson.

Mairi MacCuish (Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic), Gillian Munro (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig), and the Faclair na Gàidhlig team were also part of the meeting.

We discussed some of the thorny problems Faclair editors are dealing with at the moment, e.g., headwords, compound words, verbal nouns, and the structure of verbs. There were some good debates, and the recommendations made are very useful for our work in the future.

DASG University of Glasgow Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru The Royal Irish Academy Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Bòrd na Gàidhlig

𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗴 ~ a crow-stickNew entry: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/59𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟳 𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘮 178 119Theirte na maidean-feanaig...
09/06/2026

𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗴 ~ a crow-stick

New entry: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/59

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟳 𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘮 178 119
Theirte na maidean-feanaig ris na cabair air gach ceann den taigh ris an robh an sìoman air a cheangal aig na cinn.

[𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 maidean-fea[n]aig [𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸-𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴] 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 sìoman [𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳] 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴.]

There were many other terms for this in the blackhouse: 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦-𝘦𝘰̀𝘪𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦-𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩, 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨, agus 𝘴𝘱𝘢̀𝘳𝘳-𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘨.

Have you ever heard of this?

~~~

Image description: illustration adapted from 1902 Dwelly 𝘈 𝘎𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 III 922, under the word 𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩, house. Faic: https://archive.org/details/a-gaelic-dictionary-vol.-iii/page/922/mode/2up

DASG

𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗴 Inntreadh ùr: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/59𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟳 𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘮 178 119Theirte na maidean-feanaig ris na cab...
09/06/2026

𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗴

Inntreadh ùr: https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/59

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟳 𝘎𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘮 178 119
Theirte na maidean-feanaig ris na cabair air gach ceann den taigh ris an robh an sìoman air a cheangal aig na cinn.

Bha grunn fhaclan eile air seo san taigh-dhubh: 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦-𝘦𝘰̀𝘪𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦-𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩, 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦-𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨, agus 𝘴𝘱𝘢̀𝘳𝘳-𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘨.

An cuala tu fhèin e a-riamh?

~~~

Tuairisgeul mun ìomhaigh: Seo dealbh a gheibhear ann an 1902 Dwelly 𝘈 𝘎𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 III 922, fon fhacal 𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩. Tha iomradh aige an sin air ‘Am Maide feannaig’, ach b’ fheudar dhuinn seo a shoilleireachadh.

Thuirt am fiosraiche aig Eideard Dwelly na leanas cuideachd: ‘ach […] tha daoine a nis a’ fàs cho Gallda nach foghainn daibh ach an nett-wire (sic) no na ròpan feòir as a’ bhùthaidh!’ seach a bhith a’ dèanamh an t-sìomain-fhraoich aca fhèin.

Faic: https://archive.org/details/a-gaelic-dictionary-vol.-iii/page/922/mode/2up

DASG Bòrd na Gàidhlig

🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha turas air leth aig sgioba Fhaclair na Gàidhlig a Bhaile Átha Cliath gus cèilidh a...
05/06/2026

🇮🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha turas air leth aig sgioba Fhaclair na Gàidhlig a Bhaile Átha Cliath gus cèilidh air ar caraidean ann am Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge, stèidhichte ann an togalach àlainn Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann.

Tha Foclóir a’ dèanamh an aon seòrsa obrach ’s a tha sinne – a’ cur ri chèile faclair eachdraidheil le bhith a’ cleachdadh corpas mòr didseatach de theacsaichean – ach ann an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann seach Gàidhlig na h-Alba. ’S e an t-amas a bha againn air a’ chuairt a bhith ag ionnsachadh bho chèile agus a bhith a’ dèanamh cheanglaichean maireannach eadar an dà phròiseact.

Cuideachd an làthair bha Anthony Harvey is Joseph Flahive, a tha ag obair air Faclair na Laidinn Mheadhan-Aoisich bho Thùsan Ceilteach. Bhruidhinn Anthony rinn mu na dùbhlanan an lùib a bhith a’ cruthachadh mhìneachaidhean, agus gu sònraichte ann a bhith a’ cur an cèill na brìgh ann an aon chànan ann an cànan eile. Tha sinn fada na chomain airson a chuid comhairle a thoirt seachad stèidhichte air bliadhnaichean de dh’obair-dheasachaidh.

Bha Gillian Rothach, Prionnsapal Shabhal Mòr Ostaig, agus Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Stiùiriche Acadaimigeach Fhaclair na Gàidhlig, còmhla rinn. Tha sinn a’ dèanamh fiughair ri tuilleadh conaltraidh is co-obrachaidh eadar faclairichean eachdraidheil Gàidhlig na h-Alba is Gàidhlig na h-Èireann san àm ri teachd!

https://www.ria.ie/research-programmes/focloir-stairiuil-na-gaeilge/
https://journals.eeecs.qub.ac.uk/DMLCS/

~~~

Last week, the Faclair na Gàidhlig team travelled to Dublin to visit our friends in Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge, based in the beautiful surroundings of Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann/Royal Irish Academy.

Foclóir does the same kind of work as we do – compiling a historical dictionary through the use of a large digital corpus of texts – but in Irish rather than Scottish Gaelic. We aimed on our visit to learn from each other and to establish lasting connections between our two projects.

Also present was Anthony Harvery and Joseph Flahive of the Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources. Anthony spoke to us of the challenges involved in creating definitions, and especially in expressing the sense of one language in another. We greatly appreciated his insights based on many years of editorial work.

Gillian Munro, Principal of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, and Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Academic Director of Faclair na Gàidhlig, were also with us on the visit. We look forward to more communication and co-operation between Irish and Scottish Gaelic historical lexicographers in the future!

https://www.ria.ie/research-programmes/focloir-stairiuil-na-gaeilge/
https://journals.eeecs.qub.ac.uk/DMLCS/

The Royal Irish Academy Sabhal Mòr Ostaig DASG

FAIDHBHILE ~ the beech tree 🌳https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/12𝙖𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟮 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘎𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 (1937) 191Thurluing e, ...
05/06/2026

FAIDHBHILE ~ the beech tree 🌳

https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/12

𝙖𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟮 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘎𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 (1937) 191
Thurluing e, ’s fo’n fhaibhill ghuirm | Dhruid ri bannrigh bhuirb nan creuchd.

[𝘏𝘦 [𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰] 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴.]

Here Eòghann MacLachlainn (1775–1822) translates Book 7 of the Iliad. He renders Greek φηγός (𝘱𝘩𝘦̄𝘨𝘰́𝘴), oak, as beech. This was common in the 19th century because φηγός is cognate with Latin 𝘧𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘴, beech tree.

Currently, the etymology we have in the entry is: [Uncertain + ? eDIL 1 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘦]. However, we can note that eDIL also has 𝘧𝘢𝘨𝘥𝘦 as an adjective which is a 9th century gloss on Latin 𝘧𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴: made of beechwood; beechen. (See: https://dil.ie/21051).

~~~

Image description: ‘The Kissing Beech’, a veteran tree in Kilvarock Castle, Croy, Inverness-shire. Source of the picture: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122225949962101944&set=pcb.122225950046101944

Also see the Woodland Trust’s entry: https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/tree-search/tree?treeid=28334 #/

The Woodland Trust DASG eDIL

05/06/2026

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FAIDHBHILE 🌳https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/12𝙖𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟮 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘎𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 (1937) 191Thurluing e, ’s fo’n fhaibhill...
05/06/2026

FAIDHBHILE 🌳

https://www.faclair.ac.uk/entries/12

𝙖𝟭𝟴𝟮𝟮 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘓𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘎𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 (1937) 191
Thurluing e, ’s fo’n fhaibhill ghuirm | Dhruid ri bannrigh bhuirb nan creuchd.

Seo às-earrann bho thionndadh Gàidhlig a rinn Eòghann MacLachlainn (1775–1822) air Leabhar 7 dhen Iliad. Chuir e faidhbhile (no ‘faibhill’) air a’ Ghreugais φηγός (𝘱𝘩𝘦̄𝘨𝘰́𝘴), darach. Bha seo cumanta san 19mh linn oir tha φηγός co-dhàimheil ris an Laideann 𝘧𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘴, faidhbhile.

An-dràsta, seo am freumhachadh a tha againn: [Uncertain + ? eDIL 1 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘦]. ’S fhiach e a ràdh, ge-tà, gu bheil 𝘧𝘢𝘨𝘥𝘦 mar bhuadhair ann an eDIL. ’S e mìneachadh bhon 9mh linn a bha seo air an Laideann 𝘧𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴: dèanta de dh’fhaidhbhile; faidhbhileach. (Faic: https://dil.ie/21051 ).

~~~

‘Faidhbhile a’ Phògaidh’ no an Kissing Beech. ’S e seann-chraobh a tha seo faisg air Caisteal Chill Ràthaig, Crothaidh, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis. Tùs na deilbh: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122225949962101944&set=pcb.122225950046101944

Faic an t-inntreadh aig Urras nan Coilltean: https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/tree-search/tree?treeid=28334 #/

The Woodland Trust

27/05/2026

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