Description

Book Synopsis

Designed for those interested in the lore and tradition of a language, spoken until comparatively recently across much of Scotland, this is a compendium of Gaelic sayings and usage. The book includes notes, historical and social, and comparisons with sayings in different languages.

Alexander Nicolson, one of the best scholars of his day, has gathered together a wide-ranging collection covering such diverse topics as women and marriage, wise men and fools, friendship and courage, and poverty and wealth. The proverbs appear in Gaelic along with the English translation, carefully preserving the pith of the original. These sayings, which as Nicolson remarks in his Preface, ’come from thatched cottages and not baronial and academic halls’, reflect keen intelligence and a distinct sense of humour. This is a comprehensive and important collection, with a foreword by Ian MacDonald of the Gaelic Books Council.

Gaelic Proverbs

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    A Paperback / softback by Alexander Nicolson

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      Book details

      Publisher Birlinn General
      Published 14 June 2018
      ISBN-13 9781912476244
      978-1912476244
      ISBN-10 191247624X
      Also in:
      Dictionaries, Reference & Language Language: reference and general Politics, Philosophy & Society Folklore studies / Study of myth

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Designed for those interested in the lore and tradition of a language, spoken until comparatively recently across much of Scotland, this is a compendium of Gaelic sayings and usage. The book includes notes, historical and social, and comparisons with sayings in different languages.

      Alexander Nicolson, one of the best scholars of his day, has gathered together a wide-ranging collection covering such diverse topics as women and marriage, wise men and fools, friendship and courage, and poverty and wealth. The proverbs appear in Gaelic along with the English translation, carefully preserving the pith of the original. These sayings, which as Nicolson remarks in his Preface, ’come from thatched cottages and not baronial and academic halls’, reflect keen intelligence and a distinct sense of humour. This is a comprehensive and important collection, with a foreword by Ian MacDonald of the Gaelic Books Council.

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