DASG Blog

Clisgearan

Close are the bonds that tie us to our mother tongue. It is in our first language that we learn how to express our basic needs and desires, and it’s when learning another language as an adult that we realise just how difficult it is to avoid the language with which you grew up – especially when experiencing a emotion or reaction to something. For example you could be almost as fluent as a native in Swedish, but let’s say that one day you’re visiting a friend and for dinner they decide to serve you a nice plate of Surströmming for dinner – the infamous fermented herring dish that is so popular in Sweden. As soon as you happen to notice the putrid smell radiating from the fish, you suddenly exclaim a ghiadh! without thinking, making it clear that your first language is Gaelic.

Interjections, or clisgearan in Gaelic are incredibly interesting in any language, and in Gaelic there is a wide variety of these words in each area, with many of them to be found in our own Faclan bhon t-Sluagh archive. If you happen to be from Harris, and something or someone startles or surprises you, you might shout tabag! or tapag!, some sources  saying that its usage was particularly common among women. Moreoever if it’s midwinter, and the weather is ridiculously cold, you might react by saying foiteag foiteag! as was recorded in Point, Isle of Lewis. Likewise, if you’re busy cooking and accidently burn your finger on the stove, then it might be iteag iteag!(https://bit.ly/2uwTvtE) that you shout, while racing towards the sink to pour cold water over it.

Moreover, some of the most common interjections have interesting etymologies. According to our archive, the often-heard expression O Hioruidh (used to express shock or surprise) has its roots in folklore, the king of Norway often being referred to as Righ na h-ioruaidhe in Irish literature and folklore. Likewise, there is also an interesting history behind the interjection mairighe — recorded in our archives in Kershader, Lewis, and used with tha for emphasis when agreeing enthusiastically with someone. It seems that this word comes from the name of the saint Maol Rubha — the Irish monk who founded the monastic settlement in Applecross during the seventh century.

If you have heard any other interesting Gaelic interjections, then please let us know by getting in touch on Facebook or Twitter.