Based on Diana Gabaldon’s novels, Outlander is admired for its inclusion of Scottish Gaelic and Scots Leid as Gabaldon herself is a huge advocate of Scottish minority languages.
As she wrote the books, Gaelic-speaker Iain MacKinnon Taylor reached out and offered help with translation, while expressing his fear over the looming extinction of Gaelic. In response, Gabaldon said: “Maybe so, but I tell you what Iain – if Gaelic does die, it won’t be because you and I didn’t try.”
This passion can be felt all throughout the Outlander series (dubbed ‘the Scottish Game of Thrones’) especially between the show’s leading romance, Jamie and Claire, who use Gaelic words affectionately.
Valentine’s Day 2023 has passed but there’s always time to learn this romantic Scottish vocabulary and indulge in the romance of the Scottish Highlands that Outlander portrays.
(Note: The following phonetics were made with support from a fluent Gaelic speaker. They maintain, however, that as a non-Latin language with unique vocalisation, standard English phonetics serve only as a well-meaning suggestion. For audio pronunciation please check out LearnGaelic’s online dictionary.)
1. Tha gaol agam ort (I love you)
If you remember any Gaelic phrase from this list then make sure it’s this one. A useful expression that can be applied to any loved one, romantic or otherwise, it literally means ‘My love is on you’’ and is said like “hah-geul-ah-kum-orsht”. Photo: Submitted
2. Mo nighean donn (My Brown-haired lass)
‘Mo Nighean Donn’ translates to ‘My brown haired lass’ which is the term of endearment Jamie Fraser uses to describe his wife, Claire, during the series. It is pronounced like so: “moh - nee-uhn - down”. Photo: Submitted
3. Mo chridhe (My heart)
This romantic phrase means ‘my heart’ but it is used colloquially for saying ‘my darling’ or ‘my dear’ and it is used by several characters throughout the books. You can pronounce it like “mo chree-ah”. Photo: Submitted
4. Mo Leannan (My darling)
Another of Jamie’s many terms of endearment for Claire which means ‘darling’ or ‘sweetheart’. However, unlike in the English-speaking world where ‘sweetheart’ can be used casually, this only refers to a lover or partner. It is pronounced like “mo leh-nahn”. Photo: Submitted