Sìde / Weather

Informant(s)
Name
Hugh MacLean
Age
64
Origin
Tiree
Location
Isle of Tiree, Barrapol
1. General terms
1.1. Good weather
an t-sìde mhath
sìde sheasach
là aiseacha beautiful day.
1.2. Bad weather
droch shìd’
mosachwild.
duathalterrible (more extreme than ‘mosach’ [q.v.]).
cursterrible (more extreme than ‘mosach’ [q.v.]).
sìde iarghaltatroubled weather.
1.3. Temperature
sìd’ chassharp, cold, dry weather in winter. Crisp and anticyclonic. NE and N’ly winds.
crannadhsharp, cold, dry weather in winter. Crisp and anticyclonic. NE and N’ly winds.
sìde thromsultry, hot.
sìde chadalachsultry, hot.
sìde chlos (clos fhéin)(close) sultry, hot.
teth
blath
1.4. Dryness, wetness
sìde thioram
sìde fhliuch
bogdamp.
2. The sky and the weather
2.1. A clear sky by day
speur glan
2.2. A clear night sky
oidhche bhriagha
oidhche lurach
speur glan
2.3. A red sky
speur deargMa tha e ri ’fhaicinn tha fiughair ri gaoth an eara-dheas gun dàil. Speur dearg anns a’ mhadainn trath anns an Earrach bha fiughair ri an-shìd gun dàil.
2.4. An overcast sky
salach
speur salach
samh (m) ( sev)[pron.] haze.
samharhazey.
2.5. Unusual appearance of the moon or the sun
buaile (f)fiughair ri uisge. The larger the halo is, the sooner rain can be expected.
a’ ghrian ’na trìthe sun appearing as 3 low in sky.
clip air a’ ghréineclipse of the sun.
casan o’n ghréinbig sunbeams in morning. Forecast high wind within 24 hours. Also known as “gaithean na gréineadh” (Tiree genitive).
gaithean na gréineadh[See casan o’n ghréin]
2.6. The northern lights
fir chlis
2.7. Stars
runnag (f), runnagan (pl)
an Crannthe Plough.
an Griaglachanthe Pleiades.
runnag a’ dol air imrichshooting star.
BhéanasVenus.
Breac a’ MhuilinnMilky Way.
(Stars twinkling – frost.)
3. Clouds
3.1. Light cloud
neòil shoilleir
neòil aotrom
3.2. Cirrus cloud
neòil àrd
urball eachmares tails. (Fiughair ri gaoth.)
3.3. Thick cloud
neòil thairneanachcumulonimbus
neòil duathalgrey and heavily overcast.
3.4. Rainbow
bogha-froiseadh(Tiree gen. with -adh at end.)
badag chruaidhsmall section of rainbow suspended in sky. Includes all rainbow colours. Generally seen in showery weather.
4. Wind
4.1. Dead calm
fiath (noun)fiath nan ian.
fiathail (adj)
ciùinalso can mean the smir of drizzle.
4.2. Light breeze
oiteag (f)could also be a whirlwind as experienced at springtime and harvest-time.
4.3. Fresh breeze
briosbreeze.
4.4. Gusts
gaoth ’na deannaichean
oiteaga gust.
4.5. Wind of variable direction
very seldom
4.6. Strong wind
gaoth làidir
4.7. Gale
geal (f)
4.8. Hurricane
stoirm (f)
4.9. Rising wind
a’ ghaoth a’ buannachd
4.10. Dying wind
a’ ghaoth a’ toirt dheth
a’ ghaoth a’ sìleadh
4.11. Winds associated with particular seasons of the year
gaoth-earraichan eara-dheas (SE).
a’ ghaoth ann am foghairan ear-thuath (NE).
Trì gaothan a’s fuaire:
gaoth roimh thollcoldest. (“Roimh” used in Tiree instead of “troimh”.)
gaoth fo sheòl2nd coldest.
gaoth aiteamh3rd coldest.
5. Tides
làin
5.1. Flowing
làn a’ buannachd
làn a’ tighinn a-staigh
5.2. Ebbing
lan a’ toirt dheth[sic]
5.3. High tide
muir làn
5.4. Low tide
muir tràigh
5.5. Spring tide
traigh reothairtlow spring tide.
làn reothairthigh spring tide.
5.6. Neap tide
contraigh
5.7. Turn of the tide
tionndadh a’ làin
6. Weather and the sea
6.1. A calm sea
cuan lom
6.2. A light swell
“swell” beag
6.3. A heavy swell
“swell” trom
6.4. A choppy sea
fairge chas
6.5. A stormy sea
fairge churs
6.6. Large waves
tonnan móra
6.7. Breakers
bristichean (aon bhristeadh)
6.8. Surf
stoth
6.9. Spindrift
cath a’ chuain
rùid (f), rùidean (pl)a wave, but not breaking.
7. Rain
7.1. Drizzle
smugalach-uisge
7.2. Light shower
fras aotrom
7.3. Heavy shower
fras throm
steall-uisge
7.4. Prolonged rain
fìor uisge
7.5. Driving rain
uisge sgaoil
7.6. Getting soaked
bog-fliuch
sgios de dh’uisgedrizzle.
8. Mist
8.1. Light mist
ceòban
8.2. Heavy mist
ceò
8.3. Sea mist
ceò-mara
8.4. Other terms associated with mist
[ceò-earraich]Chan fhacas riamh ceò-earraich gun chathadh as a dhéidh.
ceò-armisty.
9. Thunder and lightning
9.1. Thunder
tairneanach cruaidhloud thunder.
torman (f)distant thunder.
9.2. Lightning
tein’-adhairlightning. (Pronounced “tin-adair” in Tiree.)
fear gormfork lightning between cloud and ground.
tin’-adhair bànsheet lightning between clouds.
10. Snow and hail
10.1. Snowflakes
clàdan (m), clàdain (pl)large snowflakes in spring and winter, not too cold. Would cover a penny.
[small snowflakes](No word in Tiree for small snowflakes.)
10.2. Sleet
fliuchana-shneachda
10.3. Different types of snow
sneachd fliuchwet snow.
10.4. Driving snow
cathadh-shneachda
10.5. Heavy fall
sneachda trom
10.6. Snowdrifts
bòta-sneachda, botaichean-sneachda (pl)
10.7. A few flakes floating in the wind
10.8. Snowman and rolled ball of snow
bodach-sneachda
muc-shneachda
muc-bhàn
10.9. Hailstones
clach-mheallan
11. Frost
11.1. Hoarfrost
liath-reothadh
11.2. Hard frost
reothadh cruaidh
11.3. Ice
deigheanach (f)ice. (‘deitheanach’ – Tiree pronunciation.)
“Cha robh reothadh an loin làin riamh buan.”
11.4. Thaw
aiteamh (f)
12. Signs foretelling weather.
12.1. Foretelling good weather
[foretelling good weather 1]A’ ghaoth a’ leantail na Gréineadh. (clockwise direction) (‘Gréineadh’ – Tiree gen. for ‘Grian’.)
[foretelling good weather 2]Spreidh a’ dol suas na beanntan.
[foretelling good weather 3]Deep red sky at night.
12.2. Foretelling bad weather
[foretelling bad weather 1]An cuan a bhi mosach. Influence of a gale on the sea-state hours before it actually comes.
[foretelling bad weather 2]When no surf at all on beach – like a loch.
[foretelling bad weather 3]When “curachdagan” (lapwings) gather in large flocks.
[foretelling bad weather 4]Fìor chomharradh na h-an-shìd’ – eòin na mara tighinn gu tìr.
[foretelling bad weather 5]A’ ghorra-chritheach (heron) a’ dol gu’n cladach ’san fheasgar.
[foretelling bad weather 6]Ducks (esp. mallard) making for sheltered spots such as boggy places and pools.
[foretelling bad weather 7]The larger the ‘buaile’ round the moon the closer rain is.
[foretelling bad weather 8]Badag chruaidh.
13. General sayings or proverbs connected with the weather
[general sayings or proverbs 1]Fiath an fhaoillich agus gaol siùrsaich.
[general sayings or proverbs 2]B’fhèarr leam ruag is creach a thighinn do’n tìr na madainn mhin an fhaoillich.
[general sayings or proverbs 3]Gheibheadh tu geamhradh math nan robh earrach geal grianach ann agus foghar breac riabhach ’na dhéidh.
[general sayings or proverbs 4]Faileas (reflection) sam bi anns a’ loch bhiodh sin ’na chomharradh droch-shìd’.
[general sayings or proverbs 5]Beanntan a’ sealltainn (Tiree instead of  ‘a’ coimhead’) na’s fhaisge ort na tha iad ann da rireadh.
[general sayings or proverbs 6][crossed out]
[general sayings or proverbs 7]Gaoth-a-tuath fuachd is feannadh / Gaoth-an-iar iasg is bainne / Gaoth-a-deas teas is toradh / Gaoth-an-ear tart is crannadh.
[general sayings or proverbs 8]Ma chailleas tu ghaoth, iar an deas i.
[general sayings or proverbs 9]Speur dearg anns a’ mhadainn trath anns an earrach, bha fiughair ri an-shìd’ gun dàil, agus gaoth an eara-dheas.
[general sayings or proverbs 10]An oiteag luaineach feadh nam bruach tha gluasad barr an fheòir.

© DASG
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