Scots Gaelic help (again)

**OC Richard** · 6th September 13, 05:34 AM

It is sure tough venturing into a language one doesn't speak! I took Gaelic in college but that was a long time ago!

Looking for how to say the name of our band, the Long Beach Fire Department Pipe Band.

I see that the term used in the Highlands for what we call a Fire Department is Seirbheisean Smalaidh (literally "Extinguishing Service"), formerly Fire Brigade, which I suspect might be Bragad Smalaidh.

Evidently the term "Fire Department" isn't used in the Highlands. But what would it be? Roinn Smalaidh? Roinn na Smalaidh? Roinn an Smalaidh? The na/an thing is fuzzy for me.

I would guess that "Long Beach" would be Traigh Fada (or would it be Traigh Fhada?) due to the local beaches being sandy.

I've seen that they don't use a term like "pipe band" but simply use piobairean (pipers).

So something like Piobairean Roinn Smalaidh Traigh Fhada??

Thanks! Richard

**guardsman** · 8th September 13, 02:21 AM

Why a name no one will understand ? And its a bit long , why not fire pipers full stop ? Only a personal slant on things . Good luck with your search

**OC Richard** · 10th September 13, 05:23 AM

That's a valid point. However there is quite a love here in the USA to slap Gaelic mottoes on things, which goes back to the first big wave of Irish immigrants who hit our shores in the 1840s and continues to this day.

I strive to have it as correct as possible, which isn't always the case here! Many of the Gaelic mottoes one sees here are misspelt or unidiomatic or both.

Here's a recent thread about some of these absurdities

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ges-etc-76147/

Actually the Celtic languages are all around here, but most locals are unaware of it. A local road that goes by a big mountain is called... Bryn Mawr.

**unixken** · 10th September 13, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

A local road that goes by a big mountain is called... Bryn Mawr.

We have a Bryn Mawr road out my way as well, pronounced "Brian Mahwer".

**OC Richard** · 11th September 13, 04:12 AM

Here's seirbheis smalaidh (literally "extinguishing service") an t-seirbheis smalaidh ("the extinguishing service") and luchd-smalaidh (literally "extinguishing-folk") being used in an article in Scots Gaelic

http://www.bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan/17098251

**guardsman** · 11th September 13, 12:47 PM

Bryn mawr is welsh and said brin mowrrr LOL

**OC Richard** · 13th September 13, 06:48 PM

A Gaelic speaker, living in the Highlands, kindly informed me that the closest translation would be

Piobairean de'n Roinn Smàlaidh à Traigh Fhada

**Father Bill** · 13th September 13, 06:55 PM

It's interesting when "traditional" languages are inserted into modern contexts, and the greater the lapse of time, the more fascinating the changes.

One of my personal favourites for both professional and familial connections, is modern vs. Biblical Hebrew. It's not surprising that when Jews from all over the world assembled in Israel, they chose Hebrew, the language of their ritual prayers as their common tongue, but of course there were no words for such things as "traffic lights" nor (what might not seem obvious at first) a fork. There were words for spoons and knives because those are ancient, but forks just don't reach back as far as scriptural times.

The one that I know will be of interest to many of the Great Rabble, is "Yayin Sarruf" - the wine that is burning. Scotch Whiskey!

int: