Outlander season 7 has arrived but even long-time fans are confused by the Scottish vocabulary peppered throughout the show. If that includes you, we could say “dinna fash” (don’t worry) but will not because that is an example of the Scots language and today we’re tackling Scottish Gaelic.
As a staunch advocate of endangered Scottish languages, the series author Diana Gabaldon has expressed her desire to save the Celtic tongue through her writing and has been widely praised for her Gaelic inclusion.
For Valentine’s Day 2023, we compiled a list of romantic Gaelic phrases in Outlander for all the Jamie and Claire’s out there. Now, we’re covering a broader spectrum of Gaelic words which - hopefully - you can incorporate into your own vocabulary.
As Gaelic is far removed from English pronunciation, the phonetics in this article are only well-intended suggestions. We recommend websites like Learn Gaelic to help you sound out words like a native. That said, tiugainn teuchters (“chookin choochters”) i.e., let’s go Highlanders!
. Sassenach
Sasannach is the Scottish Gaelic word for an Englishman, the word 'Sassenach' used in the Outlander show is derived from it. Photo: Submitted
. Sassenach
Thought to derive from the term ‘Saxon’, the Gaelic word “Sassenach” refers to an English person. In Outlander, Jamie uses it as a term of affection when addressing Claire. You can pronounce the word by sounding out “sass-un-nak”. Photo: Submitted
. Slàinte Mhath
This is a toast in Scottish Gaelic, traditionally expressed over whisky, which translates to “good health”. The “Slàinte” part refers to health and the “mhath” simply means good. To pronounce this iconic phrase you can say it like “SLANtchih va”. Photo: Submitted
. Mo Nighean Donn
Speaking Gaelic, Jamie used the phrase “mo nighean donn” when referring to his wife Claire. If we translate the phrase we get “my brown haired lass” in reference to her striking brunette locks. Pronounce it by saying “mo-neein-down”. Photo: YouTube Screenshot
13. Dougal (MacKenzie)
You could say that English and Scottish Gaelic have names ‘in common’ but the spelling and pronunciation of these names greatly differ from each other. For example, with Dougal the War Chieftain of Clan MacKenzie, his name is pronounced like “doool”. Photo: via WikiCommons