Though the Gaels left Scotland for places all over the world at the time of the Highland Clearances, many of them went to Canada.
At the time, Gaelic was the third biggest language in Canada, after English and French.
It was to Alba Nuadh (Nova Scotia) that most of the Gaels went and Gaelic is still spoken there today.
MÒR-ROINNEAN CHANADA
PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES OF CANADA
Nunabhut
Nunavut
Iucon
Yukon
Talamh An Èisg is Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Roinnean An Iar-Thuath
Northwest Territories
Coluimbia Bhreatannach
British Columbia
Manitòba
Manitoba
Cuibèic
Quebec
Ontario
Ontario
Ailbearta
Alberta
Eilean Eòin no Eilean A’ Phrionnsa
Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Alba Nuadh
Nova Scotia
Bronsuic Ùr
New Brunswick
Gaelic in Canada is still very like Gaelic in Scotland, and you will still hear the different dialects that the Scottish Gaels took with them.
But they have particular words that you will not hear too/very often in Scotland.
stòr (m)
store ‘bùth’
còbh (m)
cove
pòn (m)
pond, loch
dolar (m)
dollar
seant (m)
cent
mogan (m)
moccasin
cucaidh (m)
cookie ‘briosgaid’
cuimseach (adj)
accurate, fair
malpais (f)
maple
tùsanach (m)
indigenous person
In Scotland, we hear people talking about GOC (Gaelic Orthographic Conventions).
That is the guidance which the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) created on how we should spell Gaelic.
You can find the Gaelic version here and the English version here.
In Canada, they didn’t follow the GOC system, and so we still see the seann dòighean litreachaidh (old spelling conventions).
In Scotland the stràcan (accents) are all trom (grave), but in Canada we still see stràcan geur (acute accents), for example: mór instead of mòr, céilidh instead of cèilidh.
An deach thusa a-riamh a Chanada?
Have you ever been to Canada?
Ma chaidh, càit an deach thu?
If you have, where did you go?
An cuala tu a’ Ghàidhlig an sin?
Did you hear Gaelic there?