The Essential Gaelic-English / English-Gaelic Dictionary

Synopsis

Angus Watson's Essential Gaelic-English and English-Gaelic dictionaries are well-established as one of the leading dictionaries of the Gaelic language. This combined dictionary is ideal for learners of Gaelic at all levels, and its generous coverage of vocabulary from fields such as business and IT makes it a valuable tool for all those who require an up-to-date reference work. It contains a large amount of explanatory material, numerous examples of usage and idiomatic phrases and expressions. Many registers and styles are sampled, from the familiar (and occasionally the vulgar) to the formal and the literary. Cross-references draw the user to related words and expressions, and Scots equivalents are provided for a number of headwords.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Gaelic Alphabet and Pronunciation

* Introduces the Gaelic alphabet, sounds, and pronunciation rules.
* Example: "The letter 'ch' is pronounced as in 'loch'."

Chapter 2: Basic Vocabulary

* Covers everyday words and phrases, including numbers, colors, and family members.
* Example: "The Gaelic word for 'red' is 'dearg'."

Chapter 3: Verbs

* Explains the different verb tenses and structures.
* Example: "'Cuir' means 'put' and can be conjugated as 'chuir mi' (I put)."

Chapter 4: Nouns

* Discusses noun genders, singular and plural forms, and declensions.
* Example: "The Gaelic noun for 'book' is 'leabhar', which is masculine singular."

Chapter 5: Adjectives

* Covers adjective types, comparisons, and agreement with nouns.
* Example: "'Mór' means 'big' and agrees with the gender of the noun it modifies."

Chapter 6: Prepositions

* Explores the role and usage of prepositions in Gaelic.
* Example: "'Le' means 'with' and can be used to indicate accompaniment or instrument."

Chapter 7: Conjunctions

* Discusses the various conjunctions used in Gaelic to connect words and sentences.
* Example: "'Ach' means 'but' and can be used to introduce a contrasting clause."

Chapter 8: Idioms and Phrases

* Provides a collection of common Gaelic idioms and phrases.
* Example: "'Gabh do chuid ama' means 'Take your time'."

Chapter 9: Gaelic Grammar

* Offers a concise overview of Gaelic grammar, including sentence structure and punctuation.
* Example: "Gaelic sentences typically follow a verb-subject-object word order."

Chapter 10: English-Gaelic Section

* Contains an English-to-Gaelic dictionary with translations for a wide range of words and phrases.
* Example: "The Gaelic translation for 'house' is 'taigh'."