What Made You Want To Learn Gàidhlig?

[CelticSpice]

in that room - san t-seòmar sin / anns an t-seòmar sin are both correct. san is short form for anns an, sa for anns a'.

Dh'ionnsaich mi le goireasan air loidhne agus le leabhar beag sa Ghearmailtis. A bharrachd air sin, fhuair mi clasaichean deireadh-seachdaine sa Ghearmailt bho àm gu àm. An uair sin, rinn mi An Cùrsa Adhartais leis an t-Sabhal Mhòr agus tha mi an siud a-nis ag ionnsachadh làn thìde.
I learned with online resources ans a little German language book. In addition, I got weekend classes sometimes in Germany. After that, I did the Cùrsa Adhartais with SMO and am now learning full time there.

Mòran taing, for that bit.

It sounds like I might be going in the same direction with Gàidhlig. First, online and book; second, I'm wanting to take classes here; and actually, third, I was thinking of taking those distance courses from SMO. Cùrsa Inntrigidh for me, obviously. Do they offer the distance courses to America as well?

Bot nad, a Spìosradh Cheilteach. GC's already pointed out the "san" rather than "sa" (when there's a t or d following, use "san" for "anns an" rather than "sa" for "anns a'"). Whence came I? Well, there's a minor county by the Scottish Borders called "Englandshire" and thus my provenance. It forms a narrow land-bridge between Scotland and Wales.

I don't really know what "bot nad (nad = in you?)" means, but I know what "Spìosradh Cheilteach" means.
Tapadh leat, for the pointer.

"Englandshire?" You mean Sasann?

Chanainnsa 'tràth gu leòr' air 'soon enough' = early enough.
No 'luath gu leòr', mar a thuirt Alastair.


'Master':

- bidh comas Gàidhlig math againn - we will have good competence in G.
- bidh e comasach dhuinn, Gàidhlig a chleachdadh gu math - we'll be capable of using G. well.
- gheibh sinn a' chuid as fheàrr dhith - we will get the better of it ('her', Gaelic is feminine)
- bidh sinn na caraibh - we will get to grips with it ('her') / it will be at our command (maybe a bit dated)

Oh, tha mi a' tuigsinn. Tapadh leat. "Tràth gu leòr = early (soon) enough. And I'll be sure to remember how to say "master" in Gàidhlig.

[GunChleoc]

You can do the long distance course with SMO from anywhere, as long as you are able to make the phone classes. The Cùrsa Inntrigidh would be appropriate for your level. You can also check yout the Gaelic Atlantic Academy which offers classes via Skype. They are in Canada, so schedules might work out better for you.

[AlasdairBochd]

Rinn mi an Cùrsa Inntrigidh an-uiridh agus ged a tha e math, bi air do ullachadh, tha e gu ma luath.

I did an Cùrsa Inntrigidh last year and though it's good, be prepared, it's pretty fast paced.

[Níall Beag]

I don't really know what "bot nad (nad = in you?)" means,

Sometimes it's best to ignore anything he says that you don't understand, because he has a tendency to throw in random words in Welsh and Geordie. He seems oblivious to the fact that certain people in certain places don't understand certain languages...


Anyway, as for why I decided to learn Gaelic....

Well, I was brought up in Central Scotland by an Irish mother constantly telling me that I was supposed to be brought up on Barra, but the council messed up the job application forms. I was well aware of Gaelic, and was disappointed that my high school didn't offer it. I did French and Italian at high school, and then in my mid-twenties I started learning Spanish and figured that if I was moving on to a third language, it was high time I brought Gaelic into the mix too....

[CelticSpice]

You can do the long distance course with SMO from anywhere, as long as you are able to make the phone classes. The Cùrsa Inntrigidh would be appropriate for your level. You can also check yout the Gaelic Atlantic Academy which offers classes via Skype. They are in Canada, so schedules might work out better for you.

Glè mhath. Bha mi air smaointinn gum biodh Cùrsa Inntrigidh math airson mi.
Very good. I had thought that Cùrsa Inntrigidh would be good for me.
I know I didn't say that right. Correct me as needed. I'll learn.

I'll be sure to check out that other place though. Tapadh leat.

Rinn mi an Cùrsa Inntrigidh an-uiridh agus ged a tha e math, bi air do ullachadh, tha e gu ma luath.

I did an Cùrsa Inntrigidh last year and though it's good, be prepared, it's pretty fast paced.

Math, ach luath? I'd like to think of myself as being able to handle that. We'll see though if I do decide to take it. Tapadh leat!
Good, but fast?

Sometimes it's best to ignore anything he says that you don't understand, because he has a tendency to throw in random words in Welsh and Geordie. He seems oblivious to the fact that certain people in certain places don't understand certain languages...


Anyway, as for why I decided to learn Gaelic....

Well, I was brought up in Central Scotland by an Irish mother constantly telling me that I was supposed to be brought up on Barra, but the council messed up the job application forms. I was well aware of Gaelic, and was disappointed that my high school didn't offer it. I did French and Italian at high school, and then in my mid-twenties I started learning Spanish and figured that if I was moving on to a third language, it was high time I brought Gaelic into the mix too....

Oh, I see. I'll be sure to remember that about Seonaidh then.

Ah, so you have a good command over quite a few languages then? The fact that you learned and/or are learning Gaelic as an adult and seem to be quite good with it really encourages me. Same goes to GunChleoc.

I myself was learning Spanish as well, however, I never got too into it simply because I was never truly interested in learning it. I am very interested in learning Gaelic as a second language though and hope to one day become fluent in it.

[faoileag]

I was brought up in the Highlands and my grandmother's generation spoke Gaelic as their first language and they - and even younger people - always threw in bits when speaking English, though I never knew they were Gaelic words till much later. My parents only had a bit of active Gaelic (though they understood it fairly well) as it was considered better for their futures to give them English, and also the parents liked to keep Gaelic for their own privacy in the large family setting. Unfortunately we weren't offered it in school at that time either (I did French, German and Latin), and I've had to build on the little Gaelic I had in childhood as an adult. Fortunately I still have the sounds and cadences in my ear, and can also check the 'feel' of the grammar against my late granny's and my parents' 'Gaelic English'.
I consider Gaelic a bit of my heritage that I was 'cheated' out of, and it fits in with my lifelong love of the history and culture of the Highlands.

Sin mar a tha e, agus sin mar a bha e do chuid mhath den ghinealach agamsa.

[GunChleoc]

Bha mi a' smaointinn gum biodh an Cùrsa Inntrigidh math air mo shon.

The air mo shon bit is a bit difficult - the construction is air + mo (my) + a noun (son). You get the same construction e.g. with ri mo thabh = by my side.

Bha mi den bheachd (I was of the opinion) is better than Bha mi a' smaointinn (i was thinking), because a' smaointinn means the actual process of thinking.

[CelticSpice]

That's pretty neat that you have/had close relatives who spoke Gaelic, Faoileag. It's definitely a boon to have been raised in a Gaelic speaking family.

Tapadh leat for the correction, GunChleoc. I was waiting for it. I hope I don't annoy you with all my errors.

Bha mi den bheachd? Got it. Random sentence to put it into practice:

Bha mi den bheachd gun robh an cù òir.
I was of the opinion that the dog was golden.

It would be terrible if I said that incorrectly.

[GunChleoc]

Very good

No, you don't annoy me at all. It's all part of the process to make mistakes and you should have seen mine

[CelticSpice]

At least I can say some really simple sentences.

Tha mi buidhe (I'm glad.). Like I said before, the fact that you've become quite fluent in Gaelic as a second language really encourages me.

[GunChleoc]

Tha mi toilichte

buidhe means "yellow" and is used in the expression: Nach buidhe dhomh? Aren't I lucky? dhomh = do + mi

[CelticSpice]

Ha! Tapadh leat again. I was almost certain that buidhe was out of place and that I should have used toilichte. I had already known that buidhe meant "yellow," but when I looked up "glad" on the dictionary, buidhe was the first to come up. I found that rather odd.

Maybe the dictionary was referring to that expression?

[GunChleoc]

Probably. It is of course possible that there are contexts of use that I am not aware of; I have just never heard it used that way

[Thrissel]

According to Colin Mark's dictionary, the meaning of "lucky" is extended to "grateful, glad" in the construction is buidhe leam + infinitive = I am glad to (=I consider myself fortunate). He gives the following example: bu bhuidhe leinn fasgadh fhaighinn - we were glad/grateful to find shelter.

[Níall Beag]

Ha! Tapadh leat again. I was almost certain that buidhe was out of place and that I should have used toilichte. I had already known that buidhe meant "yellow," but when I looked up "glad" on the dictionary, buidhe was the first to come up. I found that rather odd.

Maybe the dictionary was referring to that expression?

Dé am faclair...?
What dictionary...?