Vocabulary Like all natural languages, Gaelic has borrowed vocabulary from other languages during its long history.
As the result of many centuries of contact with Scots and English, there are many English loan-words in Gaelic such as:
ad (hat)
breacaist (breakfast)
brot (broth, soup)
comhfhurtail (comfortable)
rathad (road)
Direct borrowings from Latin include:
aingeal (angel)
airgiod (silver, money),
crois (cross)
eaglais (church)
Ifrinn (Hell)
Substantial earlier contact with Norse produced:
gocaman (lookout - from Norse gokman, gauksman)
sgalag (lackey - from Norse skalkr)
sgioba (crew - from Norse skip)
uinneag (window - from Norse windauga)
The alphabet Gaelic uses only the letters: a b c d e f g i l m n o p r s t and u, although the letter h is not regarded as a regular letter. No words commence with it, except Norse-derived place names, such as na Hearadh, (Harris).
Find out more... BBC Scotland's Alba site is a dedicated Scots Gaelic website. Listen to Radio nan Gaidheal online. If you're just starting to learn Gaelic, get a little help from characters Colin and Cumberland.
