1-B: First set of very basic vocabulary Flashcards
Some initial everyday words, mostly nouns, "is/not", some key places.
tha
is/am/are
(descriptive)
present tense
This is the “to be” of description (a “to be” of identity will be introduced later).
By itself, also means “Yes.”
is/am/are
(descriptive)
tha
present tense
This is the “to be” of description (a “to be” of identity will be introduced later).
By itself, also means “Yes.”
chan eil
is/am/are not,
isn’t/aren’t
present tense
By itself, also means “No.”
is/am/are not,
isn’t/aren’t
chan eil
present tense
By itself, also means “No.”
halò
Also hallò.
hello
hello
halò
Also hallò.
tìoraidh
bye
informal
Mnemonic: derived from British English “cheerio”.
bye
informal
tìoraidh
Mnemonic: derived from British English “cheerio”.
agus
and
and
agus
no
or
or
no
le
with
Many other meanings: “by (means of)”, “using”, “in possession of”, “in favour of”, etc. But use of these comes later.
with
le
Many other meanings: “by (means of)”, “using”, “in possession of”, “in favour of”, etc. But use of these comes later.
taing
thanks
casual
thanks
casual
taing
brot
m.; gen. brota, pl. brotan
soup, broth
brùth is another word for “broth”, that doesn’t also mean “soup”.
soup, broth
brot
m.; gen. brota, pl. brotan
brùth is another word for “broth”, that doesn’t also mean “soup”.
iasg
m.; gen. & pl. èisg
fish
Mnemonic: cognate with Greek “ichthys”, English “ichthyo-“.
fish
iasg
m.; gen. & pl. èisg
Mnemonic: cognate with Greek “ichthys”, English “ichthyo-“.
tì
f.; pl. tìtheachan
A less common equivalent is teatha (f., pl. teathachan).
tea
tea
tì
f.; pl. tìtheachan
A less common equivalent is teatha (f., pl. teathachan).
cofaidh
m.; pl. cofaidhean
coffee
coffee
cofaidh
m.; pl. cofaidhean
aran
m.; gen. arain
bread
Note: aran-flùir is also used, for “wheat-flour bread”, not made of oat flour.
bread
aran
m.; gen. arain
Note: aran-flùir is also used, for “wheat-flour bread”, not made of oat flour.
math
Lenited as mhath. Your first word with lenition!
comp. irregular: fhearr
good
As a noun (m., gen. maith), can mean “goodness”, “advantage”, “use/utility”, “produce”, or “profit”.
good
math
Lenited as mhath. Your first word with lenition!
comp. irregular: fhearr.
As a noun (m., gen. maith), can mean “goodness”, “advantage”, “use/utility”, “produce”, or “profit”.
blasta
comp. same
tasty, delicious;
savoury, succulent;
agreeable
More metaphoric meanings include “eloquent” and “tasteful”.
The adv. phrase blasta air, means “fond of, keen on”.
tasty, delicious;
savoury, succulent;
agreeable
blasta
comp. same
More metaphoric meanings include “eloquent” and “tasteful”.
The adv. phrase blasta air, means “fond of, keen on”.
tomàto
m., pl. tomàtothan
tomato
tomato
tomàto
m., pl. tomàtothan
ìm
m.; gen. ìme
butter
butter
ìm
m.; gen. ìme
hama
f.; pl. hamaichean
ham, bacon
Another “bacon” word is beucoin.
ham, bacon
hama
f.; pl. hamaichean
Another “bacon” word is beucoin.
uisge
m.
water
In many stock phrases, it more specifically means “rain”.
water
uisge
m.
In many stock phrases, it more specifically means “rain”.
càise
m.; pl. càisean
cheese
Mnemonic: cognate with Spanish “queso”, German “Käse”.
cheese
càise
m.; pl. càisean
Mnemonic: cognate with Spanish “queso”, German “Käse”.
forca
f.; gen fuirce, pl. forcan.
fork
Also just forc (more often the verb “to fork”).
fork
forca
f.; gen fuirce, pl. forcan.
Also just forc (more often the verb “to fork”).
spàin
f.; gen. spàine, pl. spàinean
spoon
spoon
spàin
f.; gen. spàine, pl. spàinean
cèic
f.; gen. cèice, pl. cèicean
cake
cake
cèic
f.; gen. cèice, pl. cèicean
biadh
m.; gen. bìdh, pl. biadhan
food / meal
food / meal
biadh
m.; gen. bìdh, pl. biadhan
rìs
m.
Also reis, rus (gen. ruis).
rice
rice
rìs
m.
Also reis, rus (gen. ruis).
salann
m.; gen. & pl. salainn
salt
salt
salann
m.; gen. & pl. salainn
piobair
m. Also just piobar; gen. piobair.
pepper
Black pepper, not chili peppers.
However, the distinction between piobair and the other (capsicum) kind, peabar, is not well-maintained.
Not to be confused with pìobaire, “bagpiper”.
pepper
Black pepper, not chili peppers.
piobair
m. Also just piobar; gen. piobair.
However, the distinction between piobair and the other (capsicum) kind, peabar, is not well-maintained.
Not to be confused with pìobaire, “bagpiper”.
Alba
f.
/ALL-ə-pə/ or even /ALL-ə-peh/
Scotland
Important! This has the “Gaelic helping vowel”, and the /b/ → /p/ shift, and schwa-ization of the final vowel: /ALL-ə-pə/, sometimes even /ALL-ə-peh/. Some of these effects remain even in derived words like Albannach (“Scottish”), /ALL-ə-pan-akh/, but are absent from unrelated words like albatras (“albatross”), /ALL-ba-trəs/.
Pronunciation closer to /ALL-ə-bə/ with only a partial p-shift is not unknown. Same with /ALL-ə-pa/, so probably also /ALL-ə-ba/.
Scotland
Alba
f.; /ALL-ə-pə/ or even /ALL-ə-peh/
Important! This has the “Gaelic helping vowel”, and the /b/ → /p/ shift, and schwa-ization of the final vowel: /ALL-ə-pə/, sometimes even /ALL-ə-peh/. Some of these effects remain even in derived words like Albannach (“Scottish”), /ALL-ə-pan-akh/, but are absent from unrelated words like albatras (“albatross”), /ALL-ba-trəs/.
Pronunciation closer to /ALL-ə-bə/ with only a partial p-shift is not unknown. Same with /ALL-ə-pa/, so probably also /ALL-ə-ba/.
bainne
m.
milk
milk
bainne
m.
siùcar
m., gen. siùcair
sugar
sugar
siùcar
m., gen. siùcair
mi
I / me
I / me
mi
thu
you
(singular, informal)
As learned later, may take other forms depending on grammar, e.g. thusa, tusa.
you
(singular, informal)
singular, informal
thu
As learned later, may take other forms depending on grammar, e.g. thusa, tusa.
sailead
m., gen. saileid, pl. saileadan
salad
Just salad is also used.
salad
sailead
m., gen. saileid, pl. saileadan
Just salad is also used.
buntàta
m., pl. same
Variants: putàta, puntàta, muntàta.
potato
potato
buntàta
m., pl. same.
Variants: putàta, puntàta, muntàta.
Sasann
f.; gen. Sasainn
May also be Sasainn as non-genitive.
England
The gentitive form Sasainn is often used as the base name instead of Sasann; probably a matter of dialect. (This does not apply to all such names.)
England
Sasann
f.; gen. Sasainn
The gentitive form Sasainn is often used as the base name instead of Sasann; probably a matter of dialect. (This does not apply to all such names.)
caileag
f., gen. caileige, pl. caileagan
girl
There are other “lass” words in the range of “little girl” to “young woman”, but they’ll come later.
girl
caileag
f., gen. caileige, pl. caileagan
There are other “lass” words in the range of “little girl” to “young woman”, but they’ll come later.
balach
m., gen. & pl. balaich
boy
Mnemonic: Sounds a bit like “bollock” (i.e. testicle).
There are other “lad” words in the range of “little boy” to “young man”, but they’ll come later.
boy
balach
m., gen. & pl. balaich
Mnemonic: Sounds a bit like “bollock” (i.e. testicle).
There are other “lad” words in the range of “little boy” to “young man”, but they’ll come later.
cat
m., gen. & pl. cait
Bonus: what are cullach (m.; gen. & pl. cullaich); moth-chat (m.; gen. & pl. moth-chait); and cat fireann (m.; gen. & pl. cait fireann)?
cat
Bonus: “tomcat” can be cullach; moth-chat (lit. “male/penis-cat”); or cat fireann (lit. “male/masculine cat”). May vary by dialect.
cat
Bonus: what are some terms for “tomcat”?
cat
m., gen. & pl. cait
Bonus: “tomcat” can be cullach (m.; gen. & pl. cullaich); moth-chat (m.; gen. & pl. moth-chait; lit. “male/penis-cat”); or cat fireann (m.; gen. & pl. cait fireann; lit. “male/masculine cat”). May vary by dialect.
cù
m.; gen. & pl. coin, gen. pl. con
Bonus: what are galla (f.; pl. galachan), saidh (f.; gen. saidhe, pl. saidhean), and sadhan (m.; gen. & pl. sadhain)?
dog
Bonus: “bitch (female dog)” = galla, saidh, or sadhan. Probably varies by dialect. Weirdly, the last of these is grammatically masculine.
dog
Bonus: what are terms for “bitch (female dog)”?
cù
m.; gen. & pl. coin, gen. pl. con
Bonus: “bitch” can be galla (f.; pl. galachan), saidh (f.; gen. saidhe, pl. saidhean), or sadhan (m.; gen. & pl. sadhain). Probably varies by dialect. Weirdly, the last of these is grammatically masculine.
tidsear
m.; gen. tidseir, pl. tidsearan
Sometimes written tìdsear, gen. tìdseir, pl. tìdsearan.
teacher
teacher
tidsear
m.; gen. tidseir, pl. tidsearan
Sometimes written tìdsear, gen. tìdseir, pl. tìdsearan
pàrant
m.; gen. pàraint, pl. pàrantan
parent
parent
pàrant
m.; gen. pàraint, pl. pàrantan
beag
Irregular: comp. lugha
small, little, minor, slight, petty
False friend! Looks and sounds much like English “big” but means the opposite.
See also àrd.
small, little, minor, slight, petty
beag
Irregular: comp. lugha
False friend! Looks and sounds much like English “big” but means the opposite.
mòr
Irregular: comp. motha
big, large, grand, tall, ample
Can also indicate things like “spacious”, “high”, “lofty”, “bulky”, or “in a large amount” / “a large quantity of”.
See also àrd.
big, large, grand, tall, ample
Can also indicate things like “spacious”, “high”, “lofty”, “bulky”, or “in a large amount” / “a large quantity of”.
mòr
Irregular: comp. motha.
See also àrd.
